The Family Yoga Holiday Program at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat gives families a chance to take a break from their busy lives and come back to themselves. Children get to experience kid-friendly yogic activities during the times when parents participate in the twice daily yoga and pranayama (breathing techniques) classes.

From feeling good about themselves to accepting and honoring their body to showing compassion for others, there are so many incredible benefits of teaching yoga to children. When introduced in a kid-focused, fun way, children tend to love it opening the door to making yoga and meditation a regular family practice.

Instilling healthy habits
When families come to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, they get immersed in a unique yogic lifestyle. The daily chanting, movement, healthy food, positive thinking and focus on others instills healthy habits and pride in children and leads to the formation of more healthy habits and a foundation for lifelong well-being.

Preparing children for life
Adding yoga, pranayama (breathing) and meditation so early in a child’s life can dramatically affect their future in a profoundly positive way. It gives children the skills and tools to handle stressors before they turn into unresolved traumas. The practice of developing an awareness of the thoughts and emotions in the mind also teaches children to honor how they feel and trust their instincts, which helps to build self-confidence, expression and creativity.

Service before self
At the ashram, children often get excited about participating in the daily activities of ashram life. They love the routine and get to experience the joy of serving others. Once they feel what it’s like to be needed and appreciated by a community of people, they often become enthusiastic about the work and want to do more. This leads to bringing a sense of service back to their daily lives and a newfound peace from focusing on something greater than themselves.

Opening communication
When parents model these healthy behaviors, communication between child and parent opens up and children learn to feel comfortable talking to parents about difficult emotions. This is incredibly important as children get older and the learning environment gets more complex. A regular yoga practice can also help learning disorders, hyperactivity, sleep and even improve grades.

Learning to relax
The busy-ness of our world has created a society that has forgotten how to relax. The Sivananda style of yoga emphasizes the final resting pose also known as savasana. With multiple savasanas throughout one yoga practice session, this approach to yoga teaches the body how to calm itself when under stress. Between this training and the sheer beauty of the beach and gardens at the ashram, families begin to relax together allowing for more peace and unity among the family. And of course, there is plenty of free time for playing together on the beach, relaxing in a hammock, playing basketball in the courtyard or for simply being.

Program Details:
Children will enjoy a wide range of activities including an introduction to yoga, short children-friendly asana classes, chanting, crafts, lots of fun and games, and Karma Yoga (service/pitching in to the ashram community). They will also learn stories from Passover and Easter, along with stories from the yogic scriptures that provide similar teachings.

This program is offered during the adult Asana & Pranayama classes. The morning session meets from 7:55 am – 9:55am and the afternoon session meets from 3:55pm – 5:55pm. Drop-off and pick-up at the Annapurna Devi House.
This program is for children ages 4-12. Parents/adults register separately for our Yoga Vacation Program. Children under 4 are most welcome, and must be accompanied by a parent. Children 13+ are welcome to assist with Karma Yoga and crafts and will be encouraged to participate in at least one adult class per day.