Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | 2:24 p.m. CDT; updated 2:55 p.m. CDT, Wednesday, October 3, 2012

COLUMBIA Robin Crouch is 7 years old and has already been practicing yoga for four years.

Her mom, Shannon Hensley, said she likes the non-competitive aspect of the practice and believes it keeps her daughter centered.

When Robin is upset, Hensley said the two of them will practice relaxation breathing techniques.

"This really calms Robin down," Hensley said.

Robin takes classes with Susan Mathis, a former early childhood educator who owns both alleyCat Yoga and Yoga to Grow.

Mathis, 44,began Yoga to Grow in 2006 to provide a way for kids to feel strong and powerful and to connect to their own bodies. Classes in the studio at 23 S. Fourth St. are arranged by age group, from infants to teens, and geared to their developmental stages.

Mathis adapted her passion for yoga to children by developing classes around songs, stories and games. She teaches them classic poses like dog and frog, as well as poses designed for children, such as rainbow (side plank for adults) and polar bear (a modified child's pose).

In each class, she incorporates play, imagination, breathing, laughter and relaxation.

"As I began to get more and more into practicing yoga myself, I had a lot of interest in seeing the benefits that the practice of yoga could have for kids," she said.

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Yoga to Grow follows national trend in offering yoga to children