Children are born and entrust themselves to their parents. The influence that father and mother have on their children is essential especially in the first years of life, when children are completely dependent on their parents. It is very important to help our children find their way in life, to contribute as much as possible to the process of exploring the world and themselves. What recommendations does yoga give regarding the upbringing of children? What mistakes does it warn against? What points should special attention be paid to? Let’s try to figure it out.
The most important task for parents in raising children
Yoga is a system of self-knowledge based on two principles. The first principle is the principle of doing no harm unless it is absolutely necessary; the second one is the principle of not wasting energy in vain. People who practice yoga try to follow these principles, and as parents, they want to convey its importance to their children. What is the wise and available way to do it?
Relationships between children and parents are handled by Patrimonial Yoga. It teaches that planning to have children and parenting itself should be responsible. We must understand that our children are free, everyone has their own way of life. In the theory of Yoga there is the concept of rebirth or reincarnation. It is believed that any experience of a previous life is transferred to the next incarnation. Therefore, when raising children, one should take into account that they carry the imprints from past lives.
Yoga says that every living being has a Higher Self. Our task as parents is to help a child ascend the steps of spiritual development in his self-actualization. It is very important to create positive conditions for healthy, both physical and spiritual, development of a child. We must bring him to the state of supreme happiness and minimize any possible suffering.
Children are our teachers
According to Patrimonial Yoga, if you look into the past of our family, you can find great Yoga Teachers among our ancestors. Taking into account the fact of reincarnation, we can conclude that a Teacher can be reborn in the body of our child.
Yoga encourages us to treat our child as a Teacher who has come to this world to teach us.
What is “freedom” in raising children?
In Yoga, it is believed that there is no greater happiness than to be born in the family of a yogi and yoginis. What happiness is this?
Mother and father, who practice yoga and follow the principles of Yoga, try not to restrict the Freedom of a child, but they stop him from life threatening situations in time and explain their point of view.
We know that the key concept both in Yoga and in relationships with children is Freedom. But freedom does not mean total absence of authority. It is important to correct the wrong behavior of a child, which in future can limit his own Freedom, in time. That is, mother and father should look into the future for several years or decades ahead, put themselves in the place of a child and understand what it would be like to be in such a situation.
We all want to protect our children from the negative influence of the environment and communication with inappropriate people. It is advisable to explain to children that all people are different, and before judging them, you need to understand the motivations of their actions. Over time, we teach them to be more tolerant towards all living beings.
It is necessary to perceive the child as an equal person, but at the same time, to let him know that we have more life experience, and in many matters, it is necessary to trust the opinion of a parent. Not to force, but to direct, not to bribe, but to become a mentor, to make friends with him. Trust comes through friendship, and thus children let us into their inner world.
How to avoid extremes in giving Freedom?
Freedom in action is good, but extremes should still be avoided: do not treat the upbringing of a child with frank connivance, but do not control every step. A new little man should try what he likes, but under adequate supervision of his parents. Having noticed the presence of a talent or special abilities in a child, we need to do everything possible to help him open up and realize himself in this direction.
How to develop responsibility in a child?
Freedom always entails responsibility. By giving a child more opportunities, we help him hone his mind, help develop critical thinking. And over time, the child himself will weigh all the pros and cons and find the right solution in any situation.
Our task is to explain to a child that there is a causal relationship, and every action leads to a consequence. In each situation, you need to act so that you limit neither your own Freedom nor the Freedom of others.
Raising a child is an incentive for parents to work on themselves
In a family where at least one of the parents practices yoga, the child, one way or another, takes over his way of life, his thinking and principles of life. We are the best example for our children! By educating ourselves, we help them become better. Therefore, taking care of children, you should not forget about yourself, about your personal interests. Do not turn your life into just caring for children, but also engage in your personal development, find positive moments in small things and be sure to share your observations and discoveries with children.
Our children need help in mastering the world, reasonable mentoring and support.
Raising children is no easy task. Yoga says that it is necessary to approach this task with great responsibility. Who, if not us, will tell our children how this world works, how to act in certain situations and what arguments to appeal to make this or that choice? Yoga advises us to give a child an opportunity to manifest himself, but always be there and support him in difficult times. If we make friends with children, it will be a plus, both for us and for our children. In this case, they open their souls to us, and we, in return, earn something new from them. Children are our Teachers, and this should be taken into account in their upbringing.
Bring up children responsibly, with joy and love!
Authors: Leysan Divya
Editors: Maria Gayatri, Ksenia Nauli, Alla Ravi, Olga Belous, Anna Prema, Eva Rati, Evgenia Agni, Inna Shakti
Chief editor: Mirra
Project curator: Kerigona
Translators: Ekaterina Daya, Tatiana Atishaya
