"Kid, you'll move mountains."
~ Dr Seuss.
yoga for children and teens
Being a kid these days is hard. With the prominence of bullying, cyberbullying, exams, stress, assessments, friend dramas, technology, social media, hormonal and physical changes, and then the usual teenage pressures on top...would you want to go back and do it all over again?
Plus - it's often more difficult if you're a child, tween or teen with special needs.
We live in a society where being even a little bit different is not always acceptable to others and in some cases, can result in bullying of varying degrees of severity. We know of at least three children in Melbourne's western suburbs who have been badly bullied at mainstream schools. For being on the Autism Spectrum. For being different. For being a little bit quirky, too smart, too quiet or just for being themselves.
Additionally, the statistics on kids taking anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and ADHD drugs are absolutely frightening. Preschoolers are now factoring among children being treated for anxiety.
KidsMatter reports that: "It's estimated 1 in 7 school-age children has a mental health problem, like anxiety, depression and behaviour problems, but only 1 in 4 gets the help they need."
According to a recent Report on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Scary Statistics:
Bullying:
Getting Help:
Self-Harm:
Here's the silver lining in the dark cloud of statistics: everything we do, we do for a better world.
At The Inspiring Grace Foundation Incorporated, we want to help all kids become mentally, emotionally and physically flexible, stronger, more confident and happier.
It is our deepest desire to make the world a better place for every body and every mind.
We've ensured that our Resident Yoga Teacher Annaliese is highly trained, suitably qualified and exceptionally skilled in teaching Yoga to kids of all ages. Annaliese also maintains current Working With Children Check, Police Check, Senior First Aid and CPR certificates.
So what are the benefits to Kids from doing Yoga?
We offer a range of kids yoga classes, individual sessions and school programs, all of which can be tailored for special and additional needs kids. We teach kids and teens classes for ages 3-17 in Geelong, and can also offer sessions in the Western suburbs of Melbourne on request.
We have also worked with Bayside College in Newport, VIC on Yoga programs for VCAL and Year 12 students during 2016. We were delighted that the students particularly enjoyed the Meditation and Pranayama (breath awareness) aspects of the program - an area that most adult students struggle with!
Contact us for more info on kids and teens Yoga.
Plus - it's often more difficult if you're a child, tween or teen with special needs.
We live in a society where being even a little bit different is not always acceptable to others and in some cases, can result in bullying of varying degrees of severity. We know of at least three children in Melbourne's western suburbs who have been badly bullied at mainstream schools. For being on the Autism Spectrum. For being different. For being a little bit quirky, too smart, too quiet or just for being themselves.
Additionally, the statistics on kids taking anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and ADHD drugs are absolutely frightening. Preschoolers are now factoring among children being treated for anxiety.
KidsMatter reports that: "It's estimated 1 in 7 school-age children has a mental health problem, like anxiety, depression and behaviour problems, but only 1 in 4 gets the help they need."
According to a recent Report on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Scary Statistics:
- 7.7% of adolescents aged 11-17 years met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder in the previous 12 months.
- Major depressive disorder was more common in females and older adolescents, affecting 7.2% of males and 19.6% of females aged 16-17 years.
- Nearly 20% of adolescents had very high or high levels of psychological distress.
Bullying:
- 34.3% of 11-17 year-olds in this study had been bullied in the previous 12 months.
- 11.3% of these children felt very or extremely upset when bullied.
- 12.7% of these young people bullied someone else every few months or less and 2.0% did so every few weeks or more often in the previous 12 months.
- Young people with major depressive disorder were roughly twice as likely to bully someone else.
Getting Help:
- One in six children and adolescents aged 4-17 years had used services for emotional or behavioural problems in the previous 12 months.
- 82.4% of 13-17 year-olds in this study reported needing some type of help for emotional and behavioural problems in the previous 12 months.
- Of these, three quarters had their needs fully or partially met.
- But what happens to the 25% of children in the study who don't have their needs met?
Self-Harm:
- Around 10% of 12-17 year-olds reported having ever self-harmed. This is equivalent to 186,000 young people aged 12-17 years.
- Females aged 16-17 years had the highest rates of self-harm, with around 17% having harmed themselves in the previous 12 months.
- About 7.5% of 12-17 year-olds had seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous 12 months. This is equivalent to around 128,000 young people aged 12-17 years.
Here's the silver lining in the dark cloud of statistics: everything we do, we do for a better world.
At The Inspiring Grace Foundation Incorporated, we want to help all kids become mentally, emotionally and physically flexible, stronger, more confident and happier.
It is our deepest desire to make the world a better place for every body and every mind.
We've ensured that our Resident Yoga Teacher Annaliese is highly trained, suitably qualified and exceptionally skilled in teaching Yoga to kids of all ages. Annaliese also maintains current Working With Children Check, Police Check, Senior First Aid and CPR certificates.
So what are the benefits to Kids from doing Yoga?
- Increased confidence
- Improved balance and coordination
- Mental clarity
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Development of strength and flexibility
- Enhanced concentration
- Calmer, happier children
- Reduced restlessness
- A safe outlet for excess physical and mental energy
- Ability to regulate emotions more effectively
- Increased tolerance and patience
- Improved discipline and motivation.
We offer a range of kids yoga classes, individual sessions and school programs, all of which can be tailored for special and additional needs kids. We teach kids and teens classes for ages 3-17 in Geelong, and can also offer sessions in the Western suburbs of Melbourne on request.
We have also worked with Bayside College in Newport, VIC on Yoga programs for VCAL and Year 12 students during 2016. We were delighted that the students particularly enjoyed the Meditation and Pranayama (breath awareness) aspects of the program - an area that most adult students struggle with!
Contact us for more info on kids and teens Yoga.
kids party yoga
Why pump kids full of sugary snacks and rev them up, when you can have them chilled out, calm and peaceful instead? The Inspiring Grace Foundation Incorporated will bring all the benefits of Yoga to your next kid's party.
We come to you and can offer onsite Kid's Yoga classes or Kids Party Yoga sessions in Geelong, Lara, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula. Other areas (including Melbourne's Western Suburbs) may be arranged on application.
All you need is to gather a group of kids and to provide a suitable space to practice Yoga in. A lounge room, rumpus room, backyard or verandah can work well!
Or, if space is an issue, you can book a class at our Norlane West studio in Geelong for up to 10 kids.
We supply all the Yoga gear needed for classes. We have yoga mats, cushions, belts, yoga blocks and blankets available to use - along with an incredible selection of kids books, activities, art and craft items, toys and music to use. Kids will leave feeling calm, happy and relaxed - instead of pumped up, uncooperative and hyper.
For kids parties we utilise a sliding fee scale, according to attendee numbers. Equipment hire and travel time are charged in addition to our very reasonable per child fee.
Instead of hiring an expensive children's entertainer, hire one of our amazing kids teachers - and be happy in the knowledge that the inexpensive fee you pay for our services, goes to providing FREE Yoga classes and sessions for kids with special needs!
Contact us for more info.
We come to you and can offer onsite Kid's Yoga classes or Kids Party Yoga sessions in Geelong, Lara, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula. Other areas (including Melbourne's Western Suburbs) may be arranged on application.
All you need is to gather a group of kids and to provide a suitable space to practice Yoga in. A lounge room, rumpus room, backyard or verandah can work well!
Or, if space is an issue, you can book a class at our Norlane West studio in Geelong for up to 10 kids.
We supply all the Yoga gear needed for classes. We have yoga mats, cushions, belts, yoga blocks and blankets available to use - along with an incredible selection of kids books, activities, art and craft items, toys and music to use. Kids will leave feeling calm, happy and relaxed - instead of pumped up, uncooperative and hyper.
For kids parties we utilise a sliding fee scale, according to attendee numbers. Equipment hire and travel time are charged in addition to our very reasonable per child fee.
Instead of hiring an expensive children's entertainer, hire one of our amazing kids teachers - and be happy in the knowledge that the inexpensive fee you pay for our services, goes to providing FREE Yoga classes and sessions for kids with special needs!
Contact us for more info.
