Time to get your rugrats onto a yoga mat? We say yes. Or, should we say om? And, while there are plenty of yoga classes available for kids as young as three years old, there’s no reason not to try a few yoga moves with a much younger tot. In fact, as soon as your baby yogi can walk, there are a few great at-home yoga positions you can try.

After all, yoga teachers name plenty of health benefits, as greater self-perception, self-understanding and improved spinal posture all make the activity particularly beneficial for little growing bodies.

Better still, yoga can also help improve concentration, as breathing exercises teach children how to manage their feelings and prevent over-excitement. Consider that a skill someone of any age can benefit from.

Add to that more self-confidence and body assurance during adolescence and there’s no reason why yoga shouldn’t take its place in kids’ line-up of soccer and tennis classes to forge a healthy balance between body and mind. Just be sure to foster mindfulness and steer kids away from any need to get competitive and you’ll create the foundation for a fit future.

A must-read: Zen, un jeu d’enfant (Zen, child’s play)
by Elodie Garamond.