Many adults use yoga to improve their health, fitness, and mental well-being. However, few people realize the benefits of exposing children to kid friendly yoga poses and routines.
Children in the world of today experience stress, anxiety, and mental health problems at an alarming rate compared to children of the past, and yoga is one of the best ways to counter these common problems.
The benefits of yoga for children are countless! Yoga is proven to help children calm down from stressful situations, increase their attention span in the classroom, and helps them deal with complex emotions.
Also, it is an easy way to expose them to a healthy habit that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, and we all want healthy children!
In this article, we will give you a few beginner yoga poses to teach your children and the health and wellness bonuses associated with each pose. Remember to have fun with your children while teaching them these poses, and use it as an opportunity to bond and relax!
Let’s get started!
1. Downward-Facing Dog
First on our list is one of the most well-known poses in yoga, the downward dog. This beginner yoga pose’s name comes from the way dogs stretch their entire body before getting up and playing! The deep stretch in the hamstrings, shoulders, and back relieves stress while building strength in the arms and legs.
This pose also improves concentration and blood flow, which will help your child on the field and in school! Since their heart is above their head in this pose, they will get a naturally clear-head and controlled breathing from maintaining the position.
Over time, this pose will increase their overall flexibility and strength while making them feel calm and in control.
Pose Directions
To perform this pose, get on your hands and feet. Push your upper body backward toward your shins, your hips in the air, and hold the pose.
Your body should make a v-shape. Slowly straighten your legs to feel the stretch!
2. Tree Pose
Knowing your own body is an important thing in life, and most young adults have not yet mastered this. One of the best ways to learn your strengths and weaknesses is through balancing, and the tree pose is a perfect way to start!
Developing balance and good posture at an early age will pay dividends as your children grow up. Besides, the tree pose builds small stabilizer muscles in the ankle, which prevents sports injuries like ankle sprains.
This pose also builds your children’s focus, which will help them become critical thinkers and problem solvers.
Pose Directions
This one looks easy, but balancing on one leg can be tricky! Use a piece of furniture or a person to help you balance at first. Standing on one leg, place the opposite foot on the inside of the balancing leg. Next, hold your hands together in front of you.
3. The Warrior Series
This is another easy series for children to learn! The Warrior Series is a multi-phase pose performed from a lunging position. This pose will help your child release any negativity they have by controlled breathing in a powerful posture.
It also helps strengthen the circulatory system and prevents abnormal heart conditions. Increasing blood flow to the entire body will give your child a sense of controlled energy, which will help their focus.
Warrior I and Warrior II are a great series to boost your kid’s confidence in the morning before a successful day!
Pose Directions
Stand straight and tall, and then step back into a lunge. Raise your arms straight over your head and shoulders. Keep them straight! Boom, that’s Warrior I.
Warrior II is essentially the same, but with your arms straight to your sides and your torso opened.
4. Chair Pose
Another great beginner pose for children! The chair pose is a great way to help a child with insomnia, as it has been proven to help children produce natural melatonin in their bodies for better rest. It also helps children maintain a healthy blood pressure!
If your child is active and interested in playing a sport, the chair pose is a great way to build the foundational muscle groups for athletic stances.
Pose Directions
First, inhale and lift your arms beside your ears. Keeping a flat back and a straight line, lean your upper body forward.
Then, sit back like you are sitting in a chair. Hold for 30 seconds. This one can be difficult at first, but it gets easier with practice!
5. Cat Pose + Cow Pose
These poses are easy to perform, and your kid will get a lot of health benefits from doing so! Kids spend a lot of time sitting in front of technology nowadays.
Therefore it’s important for them to stretch their spine and back muscles. The cat-cow pose releases tension in the back and shoulders. It also promotes digestive system health by massaging internal organs.
When a child is going through a rough time or is under the weather, this pose is a low-stress way to get them up and moving. It helps clear their head so they can make sense of their situation and make good choices.
Overall, this is a very relaxing pose and will leave your child feeling calm and refreshed!
Pose Directions
To do these poses, get on your hands and knees with your head in a neutral position. Move into cow pose by inhaling and dropping your belly toward the floor. Look at the ceiling, and don’t be afraid to let out a moo!
Next, exhale while you round your back and look toward the floor like a cat. Hold each pose for 5-10 seconds and repeat 10-15 times.
6. Bridge Pose
The bridge pose stretches the hips, spine, shoulders, and chest while strengthening the back and leg muscles. This pose is an excellent way for your kids to warm their body up for the day ahead!
More importantly, it strengthens and stretches the hip flexors, which is an important yet often neglected muscle group in the body. Strengthening the hip flexors will improve your child’s mobility and flexibility while also preventing sports injuries.
Just like the cat-cow pose, this pose also aids in digestive health. This pose is a low-stress way to improve your child’s health and should become part of their morning routine!
Pose Directions
Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat. Place your hands down beside you with your palms down.
Exhale and push your hips toward the ceiling. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute and relax!
7. Easy Pose
Don’t let this one fool you – It’s not just criss-cross applesauce! The easy pose is a way for your child to calm their mind and body when they are upset.
By assuming this pose and focusing on their breathing, they can take a mental step back from their thoughts and feelings and go to their calm place.
This will help them in the future as they make tough decisions. The easy pose is a great place to start for the young yogis!
Pose Directions
To do this pose, sit down and cross your legs. Instead of a normal criss-cross, place each foot beneath the opposite knee. Your thighs and legs should make a triangle!
Now, place your hands on your knees with palms down and look straight ahead. Don’t forget to breathe! Concentrate as you inhale and exhale.
It’s Never Too Soon to Start
It is never too early to start practicing yoga. Children can learn yoga at a young age and reap the health benefits for the rest of their lives! They might not get the poses on their first try, but that’s why it is up to you to make it fun and constructive.
Make sure they focus on breathing and proper form, but also take the time to practice the positions with them and improve alongside them to strengthen your bond.
Yoga has countless benefits for children, and exposing them to yoga at an early age is a great way to ensure they stay healthy for the rest of their lives.
