When stress gets parents down, chances are good that it's also affecting their kids. According to the National Mental Health Association, children in overstressed families are more likely to experience anxiety, insomnia, depression and poor self esteem. But that's where the bad news ends. Why? Because yoga, long known as an antidote to stress for adults, is also an ideal stress-reducer for the younger set--and many yoga advocates are working to bring their special forms of yoga into schools and homes across America.

Among the groups aiming to get yoga into the school curriculum is Yoga Ed., founded by Tara Guber and directed by Leah Kalish. Yoga Ed. offers two playful and positive programs to schools, one that's a physical-education option and another that gives classroom teachers the skills to integrate yoga and breathing activities throughout the day. At The Accelerated School in Los Angeles, Yoga Ed. is a physical-education choice; a 2003 study of its program by the Program Evaluation and Research Collaborative found that Yoga Ed. students showed a 20% increase in self esteem by the end of the school year and that students who regularly attended Yoga Ed. had fewer disciplinary problems and better grades. The fifth graders in the program were 23.4% more fit than their peers, and the seventh graders were 28.5% more fit. School codirector Kevin Sved notes, 'In our experience, the benefits of yoga are unquestionable.'

Fourth-graders at Public School #198 in Bronx, NY, have also had the chance to learn yoga, this time when teachers integrated yoga movement and breathing into their classrooms with the Yoga Ed. Tools for Teachers program. A 2005 study of the school's program by Emily Davison found that 'participation in Yoga Ed. raises self-esteem, calms and relaxes the self in the face of feared testing situations, [and] develops a sense of compassion. . . . After just a few weeks of Yoga Ed., students show a boost in self-esteem, highly agreeing with statements such as I have self-confidence, I am good enough and I feel like a success. '

As if that's not enough, yoga may help students struggling with extra pounds. A study conducted at Hampton University in Virginia showed that overweight high-school students practicing yoga and breathing exercise for 40 minutes, four times a week for 12 weeks lost an average of six pounds and lowered body mass index by almost 6% on average. Add to these results the ample evidence of yoga's positive effects on the brain, heart, immune system, muscles and more, and it's easy to be impressed with its transformative powers.

Beginning with a class is often wise so that a teacher can guide kids as they learn. To find a kids' yoga class, check phone books, bulletin boards, health clubs, community centers and online. Online locators are offered at www.childrensyoga.com, www.yogakids.com and www.yogaed.com/research.html.

But if a class won't work, you can begin with a book or a DVD at home. You might even end up laughing in delight and joining in as the young ones puff out their bellies to breathe deeply, roar like lions and invent their own poses just for fun. When kids are learning yoga this way, an adult who's taken a few dozen classes--whether that's you or a friend--can check poses to make sure they're not straining. But don't expect anything resembling perfect form. It's not the point, and getting serious can take away the great delights that learning yoga holds for people whose physical abilities are still forming, whose love of silliness rules and whose arms may barely reach above their heads.

Doing kids' yoga at home can be a wonderful treat for parents, too, since we can share in the good cheer as well as the poses. To get Kiwi readers started, YogaKids founder Marsha Wenig has given us a sequence of family-friendly yoga poses (see our cut-out page). If it suits your fancy, you can even create a special place in which to practice yoga; author and teacher Shakta Kaur Khalsa suggests that children put pictures and objects they love on a small table or box to create a sense that yoga time is special.

How often should kids do yoga? While once a month is better than never, a pleasant, regular routine will bring more results than occasional practice. Building that in to a busy life might take some adjustment, but the payoffs are great. And by enjoying kids' yoga alongside our children, we can give them and ourselves a chance to build a more peaceful way of living. Breathe deep, share yoga.

DVDs
•  Family Yoga with Rodney Yee, Donna Fone and their children (www.gaiaim.com)
•  YogaKids 1, YogaKids 2: ABCs, Yoga Kids 3: Silly to Calm with Marsha Wenig (www.yogakids.com)
•  Wai Lana's Little Yogis, vols. 1 and 2, and Little Yogis Play and Rest (www.wailana.com)
•  Yoga 4 Teens with Christy Brock (www.yoga4teens.com)
•  Kali Ray TriYoga: Yoga for Kids (www.triyoga.com)

Yoga in Schools
Want to bring yoga to your child's school or to the school where you teach? These groups are among those that offer materials and teacher training nationwide. Others do the same in specific regions.

•  Yoga Ed. brings yoga and creative play into the classroom for K-8 as well as into the physical education curriculum (www.yogaed.com).
•  YogaKids International offers training and lesson plans for K-5 to integrate yoga, breathing and more with various subjects (www.yogakids.com).   --J. B.