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EXCITABLE youngsters are learning the art of how to relax at yoga sessions especially designed for children.
Kate Brown, a former marketing manager, used to spend most of her days in an office organising events and handling projects. Now, the 33-year-old from Adliya is teaching children the benefits of yoga and promoting the idea that you are never too young to start getting fit.
Kate said: "I love yoga and working with kids so I thought it would be an interesting concept to put the two together. I believe yoga is for everyone - all ages and all abilities.
"Kids love to be stimulated both mentally and physically and in order to be balanced in life you must be fit in both mind and body.
"Yoga gives the children a way of being balanced and understanding their bodies, how wonderful they are and what the body can do if the mind concentrates. This then can be adapted to almost any situation in life, whether it is for an exam, in sport, food, a relationship with your brother, sister etc!"
Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines that originated in India.
Kate started practicing it six years ago in the UK and continued her studies with various teachers and yogis in Bahrain when she moved here almost three years ago. She gained qualifications in the art and put her skills to the test by holding classes for various types of yoga ... and she even puts it to practice at home too.
She explained: "I practice yoga with my eight-year-old stepson, Harry, and my husband Robin. They have even been on yoga holidays with me! Harry really benefits from it as he plays a lot of football. It helps keeps him agile, fit and it's really good for his concentration."
According to a US study conducted in Los Angeles, children who have frequent yoga instruction show significant increases in self esteem, as well as overall fitness, academic performance and even a decrease in discipline problems because they feel more relaxed and respectful of their peers.
That is what Kate hopes to provide the children of Bahrain. She explained: "Mini Me Yoga encourages children to relax and have fun while they develop not only strength, co-ordination, flexibility and balance, but also body awareness, better focus and concentration as well as self confidence.
"The most important thing about yoga is breathing; we could translate this into life. Breathing well and from the belly, not from the chest, can help so many physical problems. It also helps with retaining information before an exam, calming nerves, anger, frustration and a whole host of other things."
Kate holds different classes at various locations across the island. One of her popular classes is the mother and toddler (two to four-year-olds) held at the World Beat Fitness Centre in Janabiya on Sundays from 3:45pm to 4:30pm.
Full time mother Rachel Morgans, 40, from Janabiya, never misses the class with her four-year-old son, Henry. She said: "I think going to see Kate is the highlight of his week. She seems to really connect well with the children. Yoga has benefited Henry because it's very good for his flexibility and it is good exercise for him. I also get to spend some quality time with him and bond as well.
"Most child friendly activities mean you tend to leave them behind to do things on their own ... but this class gives you a chance to do it together."
Kate also conducts classes at St. Christopher's School as part of an after-school activity for three to six-year-olds and at The Children's House (Montessori) Nursery School in Budaiya as part of the curriculum - three groups aged from 18 months to five-years-old.
She said: "They love the classes as they are structured to meet in line with their subjects in school and because they come on a regular basis we can challenge them more each week. I can see the different personalities and get to know what they like and dislike ... it works very well."
For more details email kate@minimeyoga or visit www.minimeyoga.com
