CHARLOTTE, N.C. - If yoga is supposed to develop patience, then yoga instructors Karey Tom and Carol Gadams must be stockpiling it.  The two women, both moms, teach kids as young as three and a half the basics of downward facing dog, Namaste and more.  "Kids are naturally yogis.  They're the happy babies, they're the little warriors, they just naturally do the poses and move their bodies in ways that are really beautiful and they inspire us," says Tom.
 
The women launched Charlotte Kids Yoga about a year ago.  Their classes, at the Cornwell Center in Myers Park, are so popular, they have to sometimes turn people away.  In addition to burning off energy, the kids also learn about emotional health with poses like "the volcano."  The exercises often make their way home, too.  Gadams tells one story of a little girl who said, "Dad, you're yelling too much and you need to do volcano pose and get some that stress out!"

Parents love the classes as much as their kids do.  One woman says, "My daughter was begging me to do yoga!"  And another laughs when she says, "Anybody who can teach them to sit still and breathe for just a minute, I really appreciate!"

But not everyone thinks yoga for kids is a great idea.  "We've absorbed, entirely too much in my estimation, children into adult culture, we've opened it up to them," says Gastonia resident John Rosemond.  He is a nationally-known parenting expert.  He says classes like these are another means for parents to micromanage their kids' time.  "I would venture to say there is no long term benefit to putting a toddler in a yoga program.  Parents, they distinguish themselves to a great degree by finding new activities to put their children in," says Rosemond.

"I'm a big fan of John Rosemond, but I would say he's off base on this one," says Eve White, the editor of Charlotte Parent Magazine.  "Anything that'll involve your kids in such a positive activity, I just can't understand how it could be looked at as negative for your child," she says.

White has two tips when it comes to choosing activities for your child.  First, ask yourself if you're signing them up for a class for you or for them.  And two, listen to your kids.  They'll often tell you if they're overwhelmed.

Back in the studio, the 30 minute class is wrapping up with the traditional Shavasana pose, allowing the kids to slow their heart rates and relax.  While they might not all take advantage of the darkness and quiet like an adult would, they do enjoy it, almost as much as their  instructors do.  Tom says of her business partnership with Gadams, "It's cool to be moms that are working together in a really flexible way!"

Classes are offered in 16 week packages for $160.  There are also offer summer camps.  For more information, go to http://charlottekidsyoga.com/Charlotte_Kids_Yoga/Welcome.html