We all want a calm, peaceful home. It’s what Hollywood movies are made about (or the lack of calm and peacefulness in the form of a comedy). It’s what we envision our perfect days looking like and how we thought motherhood would be.

But, let’s be real.

Most days are anything but 100% calm and peaceful. That’s just how life is.

But, practicing yoga as a family can help add calm and peacefulness to your home.

How?

It’s a great bonding experience.

It helps everyone be more aware of not only their bodies and how they physically feel, but also mentally and emotionally.

Turning off the screens and “unplugging” for a bit calms the house and allows for time to reconnect with one another.

Yoga and mindfulness are something we can easily add into our day. Just a few minutes here and there can do wonders for how our whole day goes!

Increasing our mindfulness (awareness of how we’re feeling, how others are feeling, etc.) makes for better relationships.

What’s not to like about all that? 

Now, I know you might be skeptical. The research is relatively new for kids yoga and there are a LOT of myths and misconceptions out there. So, while I’ve seen first hand the benefits of adding yoga into my family over the last year, I know you might be wondering, so let’s dispel some myths first, shall we?

Myth 1: Yoga for kids is just like adult yoga. 

No, it’s not. It’s actually quite different! 

Do you have a child who can be impulsive at times?

Did you know that practicing yoga can help with it?

Yup! It certainly can.

Yoga helps kids be more mindful, aware of their surroundings, control their emotions.

Kids and adult yoga and mindfulness are NOT the same thing, so watch this video to find out more!

Myth 2: Yoga is unsafe for kids. 

Have you heard that yoga is unsafe for kids?

It’s a common myth, but it’s not true. As long as you’re aware of what’s developmentally appropriate and they’re not doing anything to harm themselves, yoga is safe for kids.

Kids are on the go, so kids yoga can help them be active and mindful at the same time.

We also have the idea that yoga needs to be super long and take a long time to be worth doing, but that’s not the case with kids yoga. Anywhere and anytime is a good time for yoga with kids!

Find out more in this video and let us know what you think!

Myth 3: Kids are too active for yoga. 

Have you heard that kids are too active to do yoga? That’s not true! Kids yoga isn’t the same as adult yoga, so it’s not done for great lengths of time, but yoga also helps kids focus their attention.

Yoga helps kids learn how to relax.

And, if yoga isn’t their thing (or yours!), it’s a good idea to give it a try so that they can figure out what works for them and learn how to calm down.

What do you think?

Will yoga help your little one calm down? Would it help calm your household?

Watch this video and let us know!

Myth 4: Mindfulness is not yoga. 

Do you have an anxious child? Did you know yoga can help with anxiety?

Yup, it’s true! (Find out more here)

Yoga brings mindfulness to your mind and body, so it can help kids be more aware and more centered, AND it can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Have you tried yoga to help with stress or anxiety?  Give it a try and let us know what you think! 

Myth 5: You need a lot of space, a mat, special clothes, and lots of time to do yoga. 

Did you know you don’t need a ton of space to do yoga? You can do yoga ANYWHERE!

A quiet yoga studio surrounded by adults works, but as parents, we often don’t have that. The living room floor works well, as does sitting in a chair, or anywhere you can or need to do yoga. We’ve even done yoga in the car!

Find out why it’s a misconception that tons of time, special clothes and mats are needed for yoga in this short video.

Where’s your favorite place to do yoga? Share below!

Myth 6: Yoga takes too much time to do. I don’t have large blocks of time in my day for yoga. 

Let’s be honest- we make time for the things that are important to us.

We’re more apt to be “too busy” for something we’re unsure of or don’t want to do.

But, if we want a calm, more peaceful home, and we’re willing to give yoga and mindfulness a try and work with our kids with it, we’re building a deeper connection with our family and with the practice of yoga.

Doing yoga as a family doesn’t have to take forever or be a huge chunk of your day. Sprinkle it in a few minutes here and there! We’d love to hear how you’re going to spend a few minutes TODAY doing yoga.

Start small. Start somewhere and build up from there. Get more tips for including yoga in your day here. 

As you can see, yoga has many benefits. I have seen the benefits of doing yoga with my kids over the past year…

• It helps calm them down.
• They move their bodies more.
• It helps with transitions.
• It gives us something to do while we wait (like at an airport or in a super long line at the grocery store).
• It promotes creativity.
• It makes them think.
• It gives them a chance to be leaders and in charge (in a good way!).
• It helps me get dinner done.
• They’re better able to state their needs and how they’re feeling.
• They have fun.
• It’s something we can all do.
• It’s free!

Learning with Yoga is the culmination of a few projects (plus new stuff!) between Megan Johnson, founder and creator of Learning Lotuses and teacher and certified yoga instructor and me. We are both passionate about teaching kids and helping make the world a better place. We can do that through yoga and mindfulness and we’d love to share that with you, which is why we wrote a book.

Grab your copy straight from Amazon (affiliate link) and get started in two days with Amazon Prime!

Find out more about yoga and mindfulness from our expert, Megan, on the web, Facebook or Instagram. Connect with me, Connie, of Lessons and Learning for Littles on Facebook or Instagram.