Written by Bharatanatyam dancer, Yamini Muthanna, the book is a step-by-step guide for children who are serious about practicing the ancient art
Written by Bharatanatyam dancer, Yamini Muthanna, the book is a step-by-step guide for children who are serious about practicing the ancient art
The book, Yoga for Children, A Step-By-Step Guide, written by Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher, and yoga practitioner, Yamini Muthanna, will be available on Amazon from June 21 as part of World Yoga Day celebrations.
The book, published by Om Books International, features 108 asanas and is targeted at the 10 to 20 age group. Yamini, who is a Yogacharaya and Natyacharya has been running a Yogasthala (a dedicated Yoga Institute) and Kalasincham Nrityalaya (a Bharatanatyam learning center) for the more than three decades in Indiranagar, Bengaluru.
Yoga for Children is Yamini’s second book, following The Power of Yoga, which is used by research scholars of Yoga studies, according to Yamini. “At our yoga school, we teach traditional art forms including dance and music. It is my decades of interactions with children that prompted me to write this book. These days, children are confined indoors.
Yamini says, though she started writing the book before the pandemic, they waited post-lockdown to release it so that the book could reach more children.
Yoga For Children is a pictorial book, which is apt for children who are serious about practicing yoga, says Yamini. “The asanas featured in the book, will help them de-stress, calm their minds and also revitalise their body. The book features children, who are serious practitioners of yoga demonstrate the asanas.”
Besides asanas, Yamini says, the book also provides insights into pranayama, which will help children deal with examination stress. “The book includes traditional practices such as dhyana and dharana, as I thought children should be introduced to these at a young age. The book comes with a chart which guides the child on a simple sequence to do the asanas.”
Regarding the safety of the asanas, Yamini says, “I have been careful about which asanas to include in the book.”
Yoga for Children, Yamini says, has asanas that addresses issues such as anxiety, anger, menstrual pain in children and teenagers. “Yoga helped me deal with stress and taught me discipline. I am keen to share whatever I know with children.”