It has been said that children need to develop roots and wings – roots to stay grounded and feel secure, and wings to explore and fully develop into one’s self. The importance of children developing a strong foundation early in life is immense, and it is created in safe, nurturing, and stimulating environments. Such environments provide the opportunities for children to meet their present developmental tasks and grow into subsequent phases of life well-prepared. Starting very early in life, children are developing in a variety of areas: cognitive skills (the ability to think and reason), social skills (the ability to relate to others, develop friendships, understand others’ points of view, and resolve conflicts), emotional life (knowledge and awareness of emotions in the self and others, learning how to communicate about feelings and manage emotional experiences), physical abilities (fine and gross motor skills), and language skills (receptive, expressive, pragmatic, and nonverbal communication.) While maturation is a part of the child’s unfolding development, the environment and caregiving relationships are critical to growth and health.

What is mind-body health for young children? By taking a holistic approach to child development, we can be aware of and place value on the interplay of all different areas of development. There are several key components involved in the development of a young child’s physical and mental health. Family is critical to providing a “good enough” environment that facilitates and enhances child development through love and nurturing. Optimally, it is a safe place and it is a primary learning arena for children through modeling from caregivers. Structure, routine, and limit setting are ways that children are given expectations, boundaries, and rules which provide a sense of security, and they also facilitate organization which is beneficial for learning. Play of all kinds is essential: independent and cooperative, active, imaginative, creative, expressive, and functional play all provide learning opportunities for children which develop self-regulation, thinking and problem-solving skills, and creativity, among other benefits. Physical health involves attention to the developing child’s nutrition, exercise, hygiene, and knowledge of and respect for the body. Finally, mental health for young children involves supporting their developing capacities for self-awareness, expression of a range of affects, communication, and adaptive and effective coping skills.

During my doctoral training, I became interested in the development of self-regulation in early childhood. Self-regulation is the ability to understand and direct one’s inner life. This can apply to the regulation of areas such as attention, emotions, and behavior. My subsequent study focused on a group of young children in special education who received weekly yoga sessions. Through a variety of projects and discussions with the children, I learned about their experiences and what they gained through yoga. They reported positive experiences similar to findings from past quantitative research studies of school-based relaxation programs with children in the mainstream (Slovacek, Tucker and Pantoja 2003) and children with special needs (Redfering and Bowman 1981; Sumar 1998; Uma et al. 1989; Walton 1979). Specifically, they were capable of learning relaxation techniques, including yoga postures and deep breathing, and they reported improvements in concentration, behavior, and self-esteem (Palgi 2007.)

I became inspired to create “The Growing Child: A Yoga & Wellness Program” following my dissertation, clinical work in early childhood, including yoga program development in the center-based program in which I worked, and through my interest and belief in the importance of health, wellness, and yoga. “The Growing Child” is designed to promote physical and mental health, and to enhance the development of children’s cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and language development. The program embraces the principles and practices of yoga and wellness, and incorporates them within the educational and child-care systems to provide children with vital opportunities for holistic learning and development.

Yoga is an extensive discipline, including much beyond the most widely known aspect of asana, or postures (i.e. “downward facing dog”.) Yoga with young children is a multisensory experience that involves visual, auditory, cognitive, tactile, and kinesthetic learning. It can be done through games, music, stories, and play, and incorporated within lessons that focus on academic concepts and social-emotional learning. It allows opportunities for all children to tap into their unique areas of strength and to enhance less developed skills. Further, it is a practice that integrates opportunities for children to learn about their mind, body, health, nutrition, emotions, and relationships.

“The Growing Child” is unique in that it provides the caregivers, teachers, and other staff in early childhood settings with the knowledge and skills needed to develop and implement a practice that works in their site. In this consultation model, programs are given a manual, staff training, a parent workshop, follow-up meetings, and continued consultation as needed and desired. “The Growing Child” breaks down yoga and wellness practices for young children into several main areas: breathing exercises, yoga poses, meditative practices, values, feelings, and nutrition. An explanation of each aspect, ideas for implementation, and recommended resources for each component are provided and can be applied in a basic or creative way to provide multisensory learning opportunities for young children.

“The Growing Child” can be implemented in schools (approximately preschool age through first grade), daycares, community centers, and other center-based programs that serve young children. The beauty of yoga and wellness practices is that they are available to all children, and the program can be integrated in settings with typically developing children, those at-risk for developmental delays, and children with special needs. Moreover, this program incorporates collaboration with families and facilitates carryover into the home environment.

“The Growing Child” can bring a positive shift into the education, care, and consciousness of young children and their caregivers. There is a clear need to address the physical and mental health of young children, and starting early is a powerful way to positively impact child development and teach healthy living skills through yoga and wellness practices.

“The Growing Child” presents programs with the tools needed to provide children with these important experiences. There is strong evidence that promotion, prevention, and intervention at a young age can have a powerful influence on the course of a child’s learning and development. Further, this program acknowledges the significant influence of caregivers, teachers, and parents in a child’s life and development. Thus, it recognizes and informs about the importance of adult self-care for enhancing the capacity of teachers and caregivers to educate, nurture, and attend to children. Moreover, “The Growing Child” offers information and structure to foster collaboration between schools and families, which is critical to best meet the needs of children.

Dr. Ilana Palgi is a Licensed Psychologist working in an early childhood agency for children with special needs and she is in private practice in Manhattan. Dr. Palgi has several years of experience creating and implementing preschool yoga programs for children with special needs and those on a typical course of development. She earned her doctoral degree from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in the Bronx, NY, and she holds a Yoga Alliance approved teacher certification from Sonic Yoga in New York City, along with child yoga trainings through YogaEd. and Radiant Child Yoga. Contact information: telephone 917-502-3749, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and website www.growingchildyoga.com.