Making Yoga fun for children

August 25th, 2006

I was watching a TV programme called Dragons Den last night. This programme gives budding entrepreneurs a chance to win funding from leading business financiers and features a range of sometimes wacky, sometimes brilliant, ideas and inventions.

“What’s this got to do with a blog on FurtherHealth?”, you might ask. Well one of the ideas presented last night was from two ladies who have set up a business called YogaBugs. They provide yoga classes to young children and also teacher training for adults who want to become “Yogabug” instructors.

Their pitch to the investors was impressive and even included a demonstration of how traditional yoga postures can be adapted in a fun way for young children. They were actually offered the funding that they wanted, but turned the offer down as the investor wanted too much equity in the business.

I find all this very interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly the fact that a highly successful business man was willing to invest £200,000 (around $350,000) of his own money in a Yoga based venture, shows that Yoga must be gaining a strong foothold throughout the world and is thereby presenting some viable commercial opportunities.

Secondly it is good to see that people are tackling the issues of chilhood obesity and their lack of exercise. Indeed research is showing that around 20% or British children will be obese by 2010, which will of course have major health implications for the generations to come.

Thirdly, I am reminded about Lalit’s, struggle to teach his young daughter Yoga and to imbue her with a desire to incorporate Yoga into her life. Perhaps he should approach YogaBugs to become an acredited instructor.

I wonder if they have any indian yoga instructors on their books.

Entry Filed under: Yoga