Yoga Education For Children
Children who practice yoga develop an appreciation of nature and a sensitiviity to their environment. They learn to tune in to a quiet place within themselves and experience a safe zone all of their own. On a physiological level, the postures develop coordination and balance. Perhaps most surprisingly, the postures slow down the calcification of a primary gland - the pineal gland - located in the center of the brain - which effectively regulates the onset of puberty, and hormonal crises that some teenagers experience in our modern, over-stimulated times.
(Left) Even young children love the challenge of a new yoga posture. A second grader concentrates on mastering the sideways Crow
Lalita appeared in the New York Sunday Times, photographed while teaching her students @ Philosophy Day School in New York City January 17th 2010. Children come to understand yoga as a discipline that encourages self-regulation and concentration. It is also a means to connect with a quiet space within, away from mental noise and external distractions. It offers children relief from the academic & emotional rigors of everyday life, & an opportunity to express their brilliance through their physical acuity.
Piotr Redinski New York Times
Lalita has studied yoga for Over 30 years. She has augmented her vast experience with Tara Rachel Jones's Flower Yoga training. "How To Teach Yoga To Children," an intensive program inspired by Waldorf and Montessori pedagogies. Its focus is child-centered, and educational. Lalita serves several schools around New York City, including the
Rudolf Steiner School and
Manhattan Country School. At The Philosophy Day School and the Ricardo O'Gorman Garden school, Lalita proposed and created their long-standing yoga programs. Uniquely, these programs exist as an integral part of the regular curricula. This was for her, a dream come true. She had envisioned yoga IN school since childhood. She has also taught at the prestigious public and private
Anderson School, PS 9,
Cathedral School,
East Side Middle, and
Beacon High Schools.
Her classes are enjoyed by children ages 3- 18. She is also a member of the founding teacher team of Yo Yoga, serving the vulnerable youth populations of the New York City foster care system within the Administration For Children's Services (ACS.)
