Lev Vygotsky, the world-famous Soviet psychologist once said, “In play, a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior. In play, it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”
I can’t imagine my parents believed this, as they constantly reminded me not to ‘waste’ precious time outside when I could be inside doing something important like studying, and I know that they were not alone in such an approach. But as the research on play and child fitness continues to expand, so does the understanding of how important it is for children to spend time engaged in play, structured or otherwise. However, this is no easy feat, as many kids these days settle deeper into a sedentary lifestyle, glued to their devices.
Schoolwork has also become far more demanding on children’s time and creativity. On average, kids have a much larger workload now than they did in the past. Concerned parents the world over have prompted schools to adopt techniques that encourage children to explore their athletic potential. But in a world where intellectual excellence is prized over physical fitness, even these initiatives are proving far more difficult than parents and educators could have anticipated.
Meet Oliver and Tristan
As a result, parents are left wondering what they can do to motivate their children to become more physically active. For Angelina Liu, teacher, yoga expert, and mom of two, this doesn’t appear to be much of a problem. She is living most parents’ dream, with her children, Oliver (12) and Tristan (8) not only being interested in a sport but becoming savants at it. Liu credits introducing her sons to yoga at an early age, saying, “I started practicing yoga with them since they were a few months old, so yoga has become an integral part of their life.”
Be that as it may, you might be wondering how two boys and yoga can gel. Yoga, at its core, is about stillness and isolation of movement. How can these tenants be instilled into active, boisterous young kids? Liu admits this can be quite the challenge, but as a yoga teacher herself and attentive mom, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.
“The most challenging time for my children was when they were toddlers. For very young kids, especially for those 2-years or less, it is difficult to follow instructions such as sitting still or concentrating,” explains Liu. “But, as a yoga veteran and teacher, I understand the needs of younger children, and I changed my yoga program to be more active and interesting for the younger kids.”
But what about parents who might not understand the benefits yoga could have, as opposed to running track or being a part of the soccer team? Moreover, while yoga is great for quieting overwhelmed adult minds and softening stiff joints, what could it possibly do for flexible, active, unencumbered practitioners? Is yoga truly new-age nonsense, or does it have legitimate benefits for kids?
According to Liu, the benefits are myriad. “The earlier your children start to practice yoga, the better it is. Physical benefits include keeping healthy and fit, controlling weight problems, helping develop greater flexibility, strength, good posture, and coordination.”
Finding their inner peace
However, these are far from the only upsides. Yoga could also help provide kids with the mental boost and support they need, build confidence, relieve stress or tension, and control emotions and anger. It has also been known to improve concentration which could lead to better grades and foster team spirit in participants. This could also be a great way to get the entire family involved in physically forgiving exercise.
Oliver and Tristan, who both attend House of Knowledge (HoK) in Beijing, also get to keep up with their yoga practice at school, with mom as the school’s yoga instructor. Offering descriptions of her sons, it’s safe to say the boys were intended to be yoga gurus.
“My older son Oliver is a very sunny boy with a great heart. He is very creative and always active. He practices a lot of sports and loves dancing and arts. In addition to that, he has a good sense of fashion.”
Of younger son Tristan, Liu states that, “He is very similar to his older brother! He’s very thoughtful, smart, and determined, he always finds his way to get what he wants. At times he is a bit shy. They are both incredibly loving kids with a high sense of justice.”
As for whether this might lead to a future career path for Oliver and Tristan, Liu surmises it might be too soon to tell. For now, though, this family continues to down-dog together, and wish the rest of the Beijing families a continuously stress-free, healthier, and happier future.
KEEP READING: Learning Mindful Sleep With Yoga Nidra
Photos: Angelina Liu
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 May issue
