Yoga for Children

by Swati Chanchani and Rajiv Chanchani

As Yoga becomes more popular throughout the world, there is a pressing need for a good book on Yoga for children. The authors of this book have written a book about yoga for children that is authoritative and appealing, informative and enjoyable. They trace the roots of Yoga in mythology and legend, and include many stories and tales bringing out the quality of, and inspiration for, the postures. They link the postures to the natural world. The universal moral and ethical values implicit in the practice of Yoga are emphasized. Connections are made between geometrical forms and the postures, to help children relate to what are otherwise abstract concepts .

Each Yoga posture is explained through photographs, drawings, stories and detailed instructions with stick figures illustrating several stages in performing the pose. Important "dos and don’ts" and the benefits of each pose are also given.

The highlight of the book is a detailed section meant for parents and teachers with guidance on keeping children practicing Yoga creatively, enjoyably and safely.

About the Authors:

The Yog-Ganga Centre was founded in June 1988 by Swati and Rajiv Chanchani. A husband and wife team, Swati and Rajiv Chanchani have been practicing Yoga for almost thirty years each. They have taught at several places in India and abroad, and at several important institutions such as the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the National Defence Academy, the Indian Military Academy, The Doon School and the Welham Girls' School. Furthermore, they have performed Yoga demonstrations at venues such as: The India International Centre, New Delhi, The World Bank in Washington DC and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London. Rajiv and Swati were actively involved in the organization of the 'International Yoga Week' at Rishikesh from the years 1994 to 1996.

In 1991 Rajiv and Swati assisted the Government of India to bring out postage stamps on Yoga. They have written a book entitled Yoga for Children, which has been well received and reprinted several times. This book has also been translated into French, Korean and Japanese. Translations in other languages are underway.

Rajiv and Swati have made a major break through by bringing Yoga formally into the Indian education system: Their syllabus on Yoga has been accepted by the I.C.S.E. as of March 1999. The I.C.S.E. is India's leading board of education. Besides, they have also prepared the Yoga syllabus for and launched the 'Diploma in Yoga For School Children' (a private Diploma awarded by the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India.

Besides Yoga, Rajiv and Swati are keenly interested in alternative systems of medicine, particularly Ayurveda. They are also interested in projects relating to ecology and environmental conservation, culture and traditional crafts.

They have two sons, Nachiket and Pranav who also enjoy practicing Yoga.