Navigating the challenges of modern attention spans.
In today's fast-paced digital world, keeping children engaged in yoga presents unique challenges. Let's explore how to navigate these challenges and find balance.
The impact of digital overload
The speed at which information is presented nowadays has exponentially increased due to digitization and the growth of technological platforms. Children are constantly exposed to an abundance of short, rapid visual and auditory stimuli, especially through social media, short videos, and the digital entertainment industry. This has led to a significant shift in how children consume and process information.
Shortened attention spans
This continuous flow of fast stimuli has a profound effect on children's attention spans. While children used to take more time to focus on a particular subject, they now have to deal with a greater amount of information in shorter periods. This abundance of short, powerful impressions can lead to a reduced ability to maintain prolonged attention.
Yoga and modern attention spans
Within the context of children's yoga, this change in attention span has significant consequences. Although yoga with your child involves plenty of movement, it also requires concentration, breathing, and deliberate movements. In a world where children are accustomed to fast visual stories and constant movement on screens, it can be a real challenge to get them to hold a pose for a longer period or to remain calm during meditation.
The essence of yoga for children
Yoga isn't about being perfectly still; it's about being completely in the moment, away from all the stimuli around you. It's about feeling, truly looking inward, without judgment of right or wrong. This also applies to children's yoga. How do I try to achieve this? By taking children into their fantasy world. They can imagine flying like a bird or walking like a dog. This way, they bring their attention inward and truly feel their bodies. This is crucial to increase their body awareness.
Only when a child improves their body awareness can they consciously calm their body. This requires knowledge of your body; you can't just do it. You need to know how to keep your legs at rest, how your back feels, how your breathing is. Believe me, this is not an easy exercise for adults either!
Additionally, it's wonderful to do yoga with your child because your child learns from your behavior and emotions, from how you deal with them. By simply standing still together, feeling, moving well, and connecting, you create a great added value and an important tool for their later life. A tool they can call upon when they need it. Because sometimes, the hustle and bustle rush by without stopping, and imagine that from a young age you have already learned to feel inward. How beautiful is that?
Finding the balance
The challenge lies in finding the balance. While it's important to consider the modern attention span, it's just as crucial to make room for depth, silence, and focus. Additionally, encouraging movement helps children become aware of their bodies and learn to consciously relax, laying the foundation for peace and focus.
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