Family Bonding through Yoga

These days people are so preoccupied with juggling daily activities that we don't even get to spend enough time with our families. Add that to the fact that it can be hard to squeeze in a proper fitness regimen into our packed schedules. As we all know, family time and getting exercise are both important for one's well-being, so why not combine the two?

Why not try a yoga session with the entire family? There are quite a few benefits to starting a fitness and meditation routine with people you love dearly such as the following:

First off, the yoga poses or asanas are a great way to become more balanced. There's a lot of stretching and bending in yoga, making it great for physical fitness – even the older members can participate because they can use yoga props so they don't have to strain themselves so much to practice. Also, because of the meditation involved, it's also a good mental and emotional exercise.

Speaking of meditation, yoga is an excellent stress-reliever. Breathing and focusing techniques taught in yoga can help members calm themselves and find respite from whatever's pressuring them.

Because this ancient art helps balance the body, mind, and spirit, doing the centuries-old exercises as a family can help strengthen bonds. When the mind and body are relaxed, everyone's moods will improve so that the family members can get fit while learning more about being more sensitive to each other. It's a great way to be more open to each other and to encourage everyone to get some exercise.

Plus, compared to doing it alone where one can easily make excuses to put it off, doing yoga with family means everyone can stay on the path to health and fitness – and members can also help each other through the more difficult asanas so that it's safer for everyone.

Now to get the entire family more excited about the prospect of doing yoga together, here are a few tips:

1. After a few sessions getting the basics down, it might be a good idea to let each member be the "instructor" so that they can come up with a sequence they want to do. Let family members get creative!
2. If it's too hard to invite family members initially, one way to get them to join you is to practice where they can see you. Once they see how much you enjoy it or how relaxed you're becoming thanks to the practice, they may consider pulling up a mat beside you.
3. Getting creative with games, costumes, and stories is a great strategy for families with younger children. Integrating music and dance-like elements may pique the interest of toddlers and preschool-aged kids and can serve as an introduction to yoga.
4. As mentioned earlier, there are props and equipment like yoga sticks and bricks that can help older and less-flexible family members perform the poses that they otherwise couldn't. It doesn't have to be scary as long as everyone is encouraging and helpful to one another.
5. Plan a yoga holiday. There are many family-friendly vacation sites all over the world that are perfect for the yoga-practicing family. These fitness resorts range from luxury farm settings, mountainside retreats, and beach resorts and teach everything from yoga to pilates to proper nutrition, and one can definitely find an option perfect for any budget.

So take the opportunity to get fit and healthy and spend time with your family by doing yoga (or even other exercises like Zumba, aerobics, and outdoor activities like hiking or football). It may be one of the best things you do for your loved ones.

A Health and Fitness article by FitFarms.co.uk Check out FitFarms for Families, a fitness camp designed for parents and children. Image Credit: Orlando Family Magazine