Yoga strives to maintainhealth and to teach concentration. The philosophy is that people need tobe healthy  in order to practice their religion  and that thediscipline that  yoga teaches will also help with spiritual belief.  Yoga originated in India over 5000 years ago as part of Hindu religionand culture and spread to other parts of Asia where it became part of Buddhistpractice as well.  Yoga is now  popular in western culture asa way to maintain health and calm the mind.  

The benefits forchildren are increasing muscular coordinatio and good health and teachingconcentration.  Yoga can be a way of playing for children.  Playfulstretching and learning yoga poses while pretending to be various animalscan build confidence.  It makes exercise fun, challenges the imaginationand enhances respect for nature.

Thousands of yearsago, people were practicing yoga in jungles.  They  would watchother people, trees, animals, birds, snakes, fish and insects very carefullyand they began to  imitate with their bodies some of the things theysaw in nature. They noticed when an animal became  sad or sick, itwould sit or stand in a different position and the new position would help cure the  illness.  They understood  that body postures are helpful in curing diseases and maintaining good health.  Yogakeeps the body strong and flexible while relaxing the body and the mind. Yoga trains children to use their senses, mind and body so that they growinto alert, sensitive and healthy adults.

To learn more aboutyoga for children and see simple yoga activities you can do with childrenclick here.
 
 

Additional Resources:
Books
A Child's Garden of Yoga
by Baba Hari Dass
(Santa Cruz: SriRama Publishing, 1980)

The Tree of Yoga
by B.K.S. Ivengar
(Boston: ShambhalaPublications, Inc., 1988)

Video
Yoga For Kids (ages3 -10)
Dancing Feet YogaCenter
(Venice:  Livingarts,1996)