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| Although one of my yoga training courses covers all ages, I don't believe yoga for children was covered in enough detail. I have a mum who wants to bring her 12 year old daughter along, who has been attending a vigorous ashtanga class with her dad. Mum comes to my hatha class for beginners to beg/int, where we deal with a lot of general stiffnesses of adults, using blocks and safer approaches to achieving yoga postures.
Even though my class is much 'softer' than the one she has been attending, would I be wrong to allow her to come along to a class catered to adults ? The fitness industry say children shouldn't lift weight, yet in a way yoga is weight lifting in some postures. Children do not stop growing until they are 13. However, we all know children need encouragement to bring exercise into their lives.
Any thoughts on allowing older children into your general classes would be most welcome.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Hi veg - we covered this a little bit in the past few days here:
http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22585&start=1
I have had some young students and, like ZB, pretty much treat them the same as adults. You might want to hold off on teaching her headstand, but that is about it. A whole group of kids is another thing - I taught a group of Girl Guides last year and it was pretty busy! I think we did 45 poses in an hour   |
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| I have a couple of thoughts about this. The first is your teacher policy. Do you have one? I'm not asking about something written but rather a framework in your mind about the operations, purpose, and construct of your yoga class. This question should be considered within the context of that policy. I would not allow it but that's my framework. And if I did allow it it could not be out of a sense of pity for the caretaking needs of the mother.
It is one thing if the mother (and daughter) are looking for a different practice for the youngster. If however this is a form of convenient babysitting then it's completely inappropriate. It's liking bringing her along because you can't make other arrangements.
I would not be concerned for the wellbeing of a 12 year-old with regard to the muskulo-skeletal system. Supporting body weight is not at all like weightlifting. The demands on connective tissue are appropriate (all this assuming the practice is safe to begin with. An unsafe practice is more heightens risk for adolescents (developmentally speaking).
So you may let her take class, or you may prohibit it. Either way enforce this even-handedly and with compassion.
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Mums bringing their children
