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Bodywork & Awareness for Children
Written By: Chad Garner - Yoga Highlands | Issue: 2016/10 - October
I notice in my practice that some of the most deserving people of bodywork and self -development are children. I have worked with children ranging from a few days in age up through the teen years, and individuals in early childhood who later leave home for school and life. Even in well-meaning families, children often exhibit the same strain patterns as the adults.
People may wonder, “How could a child have strain and tension?’’ As innocent and resilient as children are, the ability to carry and suppress tension is real. Children are observant of their surroundings and the grown-ups in it. Children today take in far more information daily than children ever have. This is added to stress at home or school and perhaps a tumble off a bike, and a child’s level of internal
discomfort will build.
When we’re young, we’re making the body that we will inhabit for life. The injuries of childhood can turn into the chronic pain cycles of adult life. Helping children with bodywork can alter this in a positive way, by allowing youngsters to feel their own tissues with guidance. Anyone who has received therapeutic bodywork can attest to the awareness that can develop. This can and does lead to better living. We all know the learning potential of children is tremendous. Children’s body pain and strained gait patterns do change rapidly for the better with therapeutic bodywork.
Children today are spending increasing amounts of time using digital devices, and bringing them into their bodies is important. Finding a practitioner sensitive to children’s needs is a good find, but even then children may be shy or unable to describe the nature of what exactly they are feeling. This can be a time to look at movement arts that promote body awareness such as yoga, dance, and inner martial arts.
Cashiers Valley Fusion holds martial arts and yoga classes for children. At Yoga Highlands, we offer support for improving posture, scoliosis, attention and digestive disorders. Whether through movement or bodywork, giving a child credibility in speaking about and receiving help for struggles is a gift toward her/his future well-being.
