Namaste: Young kids turn to yoga to ease stress during pandemic

“I think it is super important for kids to have those tools available. I think with everything going on right now it’s become a bigger focal point for kids that stress does affect them,” said Kirtistine De Blois, owner of Secret Garden Kids Yoga.

Danica Tuchscherer only started yoga five weeks ago and already noticed a difference at school.

“It helps me focus on my work and if I get stuck on a question I can take a quick break and calm down and when I’m calm I can do the question way easier, ” she said.

That is a huge change from where the sixth-grader was a few months ago when it came to school stress.

“It felt like I couldn’t fix it at all, and it felt like it would never get fixed,” she said.

Stories like Danica’s are typical, according to De Blois, and an example of how beneficial the practice of yoga can be for children.

” We are finding that they are managing their emotions easier, they are finding more confidence in themselves, and even if they play sports, having that physical side of it, that stretching, the moving, the strength building that all comes with yoga, really can help them in their sports teams as well,” De Blois said.

Grade seven student Erica Knelson started practicing yoga to help her with volleyball, but when the pandemic hit, she soon found it helped her with stress.

” It has been able to keep my mind off things, and with doing online schooling it has been helpful,” she said.

Classes are mixed with fun music and games to keep the younger students engaged.

And for anyone stressed to the max with life’s uncertainties, these kids have a recommendation.

“Just do yoga,” Tuchscherer said.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Namaste: Young kids turn to yoga to ease stress during pandemic

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