New Delhi: As we mark International Day of Yoga on June 21 with the theme “Yoga For Humanity” with a focus on how yoga can help achieve holistic health of every individual, team Banega Swasth India speaks with Sabrina Merchant, Yoga and Mindfulness Coach, Founder, Li’l Yogis. Sabrina who is a Chartered Accountant turned into a full-fledged yogapreneur decided to take her love and passion for Yoga forward in 2018 by kick-starting Li’l Yogis, an institute for children to learn Yoga. Since then, Ms Merchant has been transforming lives of little children through the power of Yoga. Till now, her work has reached eight countries and impacted more than 1 lakh children. To mark Yoga day, we speaks exclusively with her about the benefits of Yoga and how she has been helping children learn the basics of this art. Here’s what we discussed:
Also Read: International Yoga Day 2022: The Importance Of Yoga For The Mind, Body and Soul
NDTV: How Li’l Yogis is helping children learn Yoga?
Sabrina Merchant: We used fun and innovative ways to introduce Yoga to children. Themes with animals, lots of games, partner poses, music, all is included in the class to give children an holistic experience of Yoga. So, it is not just about the physical asanas, we also help children learn meditation, breath work and also teach them poses for relaxation.
NDTV: How important is Yoga in our day-to-day life?
Sabrina Merchant: To me, Yoga is like a lifelong skill set. A tool that we want to give kids to help them respond to any and every situation in life. In today’s world when children are learning so much and are exposed to so much, it is time to help them understand their true inner-self and Yoga is the answer. We truly believe that an early start to a healthy future is the best way to move ahead.
Also Read: International Day Of Yoga 2022: ‘Yoga Is Becoming The Way Of Life’, Says PM Modi From Mysuru
NDTV: Your message for International Day of Yoga
Sabrina Merchant: My message to all the lovely kids out there is to embrace your true and authentic self with Yoga. Let’s use Yoga and mindfulness to kindle self-love and compassion this year.
Also Read: International Day of Yoga: Here’s All You Need To Know
NDTV: Quick Yoga poses that parents can introduce their child to in their day-to-day routine
Sabrina Merchant: The first Yoga pose that one can introduce their child to is Cat/Cow Stretch or Chakravakasana Asana. This pose gives a perfect stretch to your back and also help relieves stress. Whereas, the second Yoga pose that one should include in their child routine is the famous Downward Dog pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Sabrina Merchant and her daughter doing Downward Dog pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana
This pose works great for anxiety. The third asana is the Frog pose also known as Malasana. This pose is very good for staying grounded and it also helps one to stay connected within oneself. The fourth pose is the Lotus pose or Padmasana, which is a simple cross-legged sitting meditation pose. It is great for calming one down.
Lotus pose or Padmasana is a simple cross-legged sitting meditation pose
