Sunday marked the first ever International Yoga Day. On June 21, 2015, millions of yoga practitioners all over the world contorted their bodies to join in the day's festivities and celebrated the lifestyle and fitness activity.
According to the Associated Press (via Yahoo!), many events were held all over the world. Particularly in Paris, thousands sat on yellow mats dressed in white under the Eiffel Tower. Other events were held in Bangkok, Seoul, Beijing, Manila and many more.
"We are not only celebrating a day, but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace and harmony," said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who lobbied for the UN to declare June 21 -- which also happens to be Father's Day -- as the first International Yoga Day. He told the participants, "This is a program for the benefit of mankind, for a tension-free world and to spread the message of harmony."
Yoga is an ancient form of exercise recognized for its ability to calm the mind and offer a great form of exercise for the body.
In keeping with the first International Yoga Day, for parents who are interested to let their children do yoga, below are some benefits of the exercise:
- Focus and Concentration - Given all the distractions in the world and a modern child's natural ability for multi-tasking, Parent.com notes that practicing yoga can encourage a child to clear their mind and strengthen their ability to focus more intently. Yoga has also been cited as a great tool in helping children focus and concentrate on academics.
- Balance and Coordination - As a form of exercise, balance is key in yoga. The ability to hold poses requires mental and physical poise, cited the publication, as well as mental clarity and stability. Balance and coordination go hand-in-hand and improvement in balance and coordination opens the doors to other physical activities, promotes overall dexterity and body awareness.
- Self-Esteem and Confidence - Yoga teaches children to be entered, persevere, be patient and work through difficulties to achieve their goals. Even with an instructor, in order to succeed in yoga, a child needs to practice, focus and work to master poses. Accomplishment promotes a positive sense of self and can increase a child's self-esteem. Physically, it can provide toning in addition to aiding in shaping and weight loss which can build confidence.
Other cited benefits of yoga includes helping children manage stress through breathing exercises, medication and positive movement. It can also promote social interaction in a non-competitive atmosphere.
