Many parents want to spend as much time as possible with their children. Even basic household tasks can provide an excellent opportunity for bonding. If you’re going to raise your children to be as healthy as possible, you should start teaching them how to enjoy working out.
Doing yoga with your children is a perfect way to keep them fit. Yoga not only keeps them fit and prepared for later in life, but it also teaches them how to stay focused, be disciplined, and relieve stress, among other things.
Yoga exercises, according to research, can help children cope with stress and maintain a sense of balance in their lives and mental health. Yoga does not need any prior knowledge for a child to begin practicing it.
They need to begin, and yoga will become a way of life for them. It keeps them engaged, lets them concentrate on their lives, and balances their body, mind, and soul.
Why should children begin practicing yoga at a young age?
It’s a good idea to start teaching yoga to kids at a young age because it’s good for their mental and general well-being and physical development.
It also helps children develop interpersonal relationships, stress management, and mindfulness – all of which are skills that could be useful later in life.
Yoga can be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of physical and emotional issues. It has the potential to be a tool for achieving life balance. Here are a few of yoga’s potential health benefits:
- Body balance, stamina, and aerobic ability are all enhanced.
- Aids in the reduction of chronic pain, such as muscle pain.
- Improves the consistency of your sleep
- Reduces the release of stress hormones such as cortisone, making it helpful in reducing stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
- Generally improves the child’s classroom behaviour, concentration, and academic success.
- Since yoga is a non-competitive practice, it improves one’s quality of life by giving emotional balance.
- Aids in the development of children’s resilience, mood, and self-control.
- Yoga, which includes meditation, asanas, and pranayama (breathing exercises), has been shown to minimize bodyweight, enhance endocrine functions, and improve memory after six months of practice.
Yoga poses for kids are similar to those for adults, but they’re more interesting. Rather than learning perfectly aligned positions, the aim is to expose them to the movements and concentrate on innovation.
Once you’ve had them hooked on a few poses, you can start incorporating breathing and meditation exercises.
You can also clarify to your child that they will reap the benefits of yoga over time, but they must practice it routinely to do so.
Here are some easy, kid-friendly yoga poses to try with your child to get you started.
17 simple yoga poses for kids
Here are some yoga poses for kids that are easy, short, and healthy to do regularly.
1. Cobra pose
The stretch could help you build a strong back, abs, and stamina.
Step by step guide
- Lie face down with your hands on either side of your body and the tips of your feet flat on the floor.
- Slightly pull the shoulders down towards the spine.
- Engage the abdomen during the exercise to protect the lower back.
- Hold your chin up and lift your body into a cobra pose. Use your hands to support yourself, but don’t place too much pressure on them.
- Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds before lowering the body to the floor gently.
This is a great morning yoga pose for kids to do regularly.
2. Bow pose
The bow pose opens the chest and neck by bending the back like a bow.
Step by step guide:
- Lie flat on your stomach with your arms spread out to the sides of your body and your head softly resting on the mat.
- Inhale and bend your knees to bring your feet closer to your hips.
- Grab both ankles with both hands.
- When looking straight ahead, lift the shoulders, torso, thighs, and hips off the floor.
- Hold the position for four to five breaths before lowering the knees and letting go of the feet.
- Rest on your stomach for a while.
3. Easy pose
This is the most basic of all the poses that a child might attempt.
Step by step guide:
- Sit up straight and cross your legs.
- With the palms facing up, place the hands on the knees.
- Balance your weight evenly between your sit bones.
- Maintain proper alignment of the head, neck, and spine throughout.
- Lengthen your spine without stiffening your body.
- The thighs and feet should be comfortable.
- Hold this position for a minute.
- Release the cross-legged position and change it.
4. Cat pose
Step by step guide:
- Use your hands and knees to form a tabletop role.
- Knees should be precisely below hips, and toes should be bent.
- Straight wrists, elbows, and shoulders should be parallel to the ground.
- With your eyes on the floor, keep your head in a neutral place.
- Exhale and arch your spine upwards towards the ceiling.
- Allow your head to fall to the floor without pressing your chin into your stomach.
- Return to your original tabletop position while slowly inhaling.
5. Chair pose
The chair pose is a leg, arm, and heart exercise considered one of the most beneficial yoga poses.
Step by step guide:
- Take a deep breath and lift your arms above your head.
- Exhale when bending the knees forward; the thighs should be parallel to the floor.
- The knees will project slightly ahead when doing it.
- Raise your arms and spread them straight out in front of you.
- Maintain a long lower back and a short tailbone.
- Maintain a smooth and simple breathing pattern throughout.
- Maintain a forward gaze.
- Hold this position for as long as you feel relaxed but no longer than a minute.
6. Boat pose
This balancing yoga pose can aid in the de-stressing and revitalization of children.
Step by step guide:
- Lie flat on your back with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
- Maintain an outstretched arm and fingers in the direction of the toes.
- Raise the chest and feet off the ground while inhaling and exhaling to form a ‘V’ shape.
- This will increase core stress and stretch.
- The body’s weight would be supported entirely by the hips.
- The eyes, hands, and toes should all be in line with each other.
- For a few seconds, hold your breath and maintain your stance. Slowly exhale when taking the body back to a neutral state. Now, relax.
7. Warrior 2 pose
Step by step guide:
- Move one foot back and turn it, so the toes face slightly outwards from a standing posture (that’s a mountain pose for you yogis).
- Then, parallel to the floor, lift the arms (one arm in front, the other toward the back).
- Look forward over the fingertips while bending the front knee.
- Reverse the foot and repeat on the other side.
This pose strengthens and stretches your child’s legs and ankles while also increasing endurance.
8. Downward-facing dog pose
This is one of the simplest poses for your child to imitate, and it’s likely one they’ve done before (without knowing it).
Step by step guide:
- They may either rise from their hands and knees or lean over and place their palms on the ground to enter this pose.
- Then take a step back to form an upside-down V with their butts in the air.
This posture not only stretches them but also energizes them. They’ll also like the upside-down perspective.
9. Bridge pose
Step by step guide:
- On your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Create a bridge by resting arms alongside the body and lifting the buttocks and back off the floor.
- Tuck your head into the center of your chest.
- Slide a bolster (or a pillow) under your child’s pelvis to rest on if they’re having difficulty raising their pelvis off the floor.
This pose stretches the elbows, calves, hips, and chest while also increasing spine flexibility.
10. Jack-in-the-box pose
Step by step guide:
- Bring your knees up to your chin and sit up straight.
- Breathe out when wrapping your arms around your legs and pointing your forehead to your knees.
- Raise your head and take in a deep breath. You can do this as many times as you like.
11. Mountain pose
This is a fundamental pose for all standing asanas, which can be used to help children relax.
Step by step guide:
- Stand erect and straight.
- Spread the toes and spread the legs a few inches apart.
- Ensure the arms are alongside the body
- Shoulders should be relaxed rather than rigid.
- Raise your arms in front of your head.
- Maintain the stance and take long, deep breaths.
- Please keep it for as long as you want.
12. Lion pose
This animal asana will help your child relax; let them roar and enjoy.
Step by step guide:
- Sit with your hips resting on your heels.
- The palms should be resting on the feet.
- Begin by inhaling through your nose, and while doing so, stick your tongue out.
- Keep your eyes wide open, exhale through your mouth, and make a roaring lion sound.
- Many yoga schools recommend focusing your attention on the tip of your nose or the center of your brows.
13. Tree pose
Vrksasana teaches your child the grace of a tree, as well as how to stand erect and keep their balance.
Step by step guide
- Begin with the mountain pose, in which your legs are straight, your hands are at your sides, your back is straight, and your thigh muscles are firm.
- Raise the right foot, thus extending the leg.
- Place the right foot on the inner thigh of the left leg in a comfortable position.
- Hands should be pressed together above the head.
- Focus your attention on a point about five feet away.
- Hold the spot for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Lower the right leg after returning the hands to the chest.
- Repeat on your left leg.
14. Dancer’s pose
Step by step guide
- In mountain pose, stand erect on one knee.
- Reach behind you with the opposite leg.
- Place the outside of your foot into your palm.
- Bend your body forward, arm out in front, and arch your leg up behind you for balance.
15. Eagle pose
Step by step guide:
- In mountain pose, stand tall and loop one leg around the other.
- Extend your bent arms in front of you.
- Wrap your arms in the same direction and bend your knees slightly.
- As if you were an eagle, perch on a tree.
16. Butterfly pose
This pose, which makes your child flutter like a graceful butterfly, is thought to have some beneficial effects.
Step by step guide:
- Sit with your back upright and your legs straight out in front of you.
- Fold the legs so that the toes are in contact with one another. Hands can be used to hold them.
- Exhale and drive the thighs and knees downwards in a gentle downward motion.
- Then, as if you were flapping a butterfly’s wings, begin flapping the legs up and down.
- The flapping should begin slowly and gradually increase in speed. Breathing should be done at a regular pace.
- Slow down and then come to a complete stop.
- While exhaling, gently release the posture.
17. Corpse pose
Though this yoga pose appears to be simple, it might not be easy because it requires patience.
This is the perfect yoga pose for kids to relax in.
Step-by-step guide:
- Lie down on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your sides. The arms should be six inches away from the body at the very least.
- Close your eyes and turn your palms upwards.
- Allow your feet to drop open.
- When resting the body’s weight on the ground, breathe normally.
- Exhale slowly, calming and de-stressing all of the body parts.
A daily yoga practice will help your child become more disciplined and centred on their activities and give them the strength to deal with stress. Start by having them practice one or two yoga poses, and as they become more comfortable with the practice, you can have them try more.