Yoga For Kids
People began practicing yoga roughly 5,000 years ago, which shows that the physical and mental benefits of yoga truly stood the test of time. Many adults already see and feel the benefits of yoga for themselves, but they may not know how beneficial it can be for their little ones.
Emerging research shows that yoga can improve mental and physical health among school-age children. Yoga can boost self-esteem, academic performance, spatial awareness, and numerous other aspects of a child’s life.
Learn more about the benefits of yoga for children and some easy poses for the whole family to practice together.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
A national survey shows that yoga and other mindfulness practices can enhance a child's overall well-being, including mental and physical health. During the study, kids who practiced yoga displayed superior balance, fewer negative responses to stress, and numerous other benefits.
Yoga improves aerobic capacity, endurance, strength, and balance in children. The practice was also linked to improved self-esteem, memory, focus, classroom behavior, and academic performance. For these reasons and others, many schools integrated yoga into their classroom curriculums and PE programs.
Yoga for the Whole Family
Roughly 37% of people practicing yoga have kids who practice too. That’s because parents experience many of the same positive benefits their children do. Yoga is an excellent activity for families because it can help them bond through mindfulness, physical movement, and fun.
Yoga Poses for Kids
Yoga is not the same for kids and adults. Kids have shorter attention spans, so they require games, singing, dancing, and fun poses to stay focused and have fun. Following are a few yoga poses that kids can perform with their parents for fun and beneficial practice.
Warrior 1 Pose
Warrior 1 is a powerful pose that promotes balance and strengthens muscles in the hips, legs, back, chest, and arms. It improves focus and posture while reducing stress and anxiety. Encourage little ones to emulate their favorite superheroes while striking this strong pose.
Performing the Pose
Step into a long lunge with the front leg at a 90-degree angle. The back foot should be flat on the floor, forming a 45-degree angle. Keep the hips square and facing forward while bringing the arms up toward the sky. Hold the pose for several breaths.
Child’s Pose
Child’s pose is a simple pose that is grounding, calming, and comforting. This pose can help settle a hyper, upset, or anxious child. Parents may also want to practice child’s pose to help themselves and their little ones relax after a long day of work and play.
Performing the Pose
Start with your hands and knees on the floor, then shift the hips back until the rear rests on the heels. Stretch the arms straight forward in front of the body (if possible) or backward along the sides.
Cobra Pose
Kids love to perform poses that emulate animal movements. The cobra pose is fun to do, and it promotes muscle strength, superior posture, creativity, and positivity. It can also decrease stress and fatigue.
Performing the Pose
Lay flat on the ground with your belly down and the tops of your feet pressing on the floor. Place your hands flat on the ground next to the shoulders.
Lift the chest into the air using the core and back muscles, then hold the pose for several breaths. Encourage your little ones to make their best hissing sounds while lifting the chest into the air.
Easy Sitting Pose and Meditation
Meditation doesn’t have to involve sitting still for a long amount of time. Sitting for too long can be boring for children, and parents don’t want them to associate meditation or yoga with boredom.
Even 30 seconds of meditation can help a child learn to focus, become grounded, and strengthen awareness. It can also help children relax after play or before bed.
Performing the Pose
The easy sitting pose involves sitting on the floor in an upright position with the legs crossed and knees toward the ground. The hands can rest on the knees with palms up or together at the heart center.
Encourage kids to close their eyes and think of a specific person or place they love. Guide their meditation by asking them to continue thinking about that subject for a designated time. Meditation with kids can take place for as little as 30 seconds or as long as several minutes.
More than 1.7 million kids in the United States currently practice yoga. They carry the many mental and physical benefits of the practice into school, their social interactions, and throughout life.
Learn more about the benefits of yoga for kids and several other yoga poses for children in the accompanying resource.
Author bio: Kids Car Donations is a national organization that accepts vehicle donations to better the lives of children. The organization partners with a number of well-known nonprofits serving children and teens who are confronted with physical, mental and emotional challenges to provide the care they need.
