Yoga Activities for Children

Yoga is an ancient science and philosophy that has been practiced by adults for decades. However, the popularity of yoga programs for children has sky-rocketed in recent years. Yoga is an innovative approach to getting your child involved in some sort of physical activity at an early age. Shakta Kaur Khalsa, a member of the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association and a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, suggests that your child's yoga practice can begin at infancy, but the average age to introduce your children to yoga is around two years of age. At this age, they are full of energy, eager to learn and have not yet developed a fear of trying new things.

Mountain Pose

Have him begin by standing up straight, with both arms relaxed to his side. Instruct him to close his eyes and breathe deeply through his nose. This pose aids in improving your child's posture and alignment as well as tightening his abdominal muscles. Mountain pose also teaches your child self-control by forcing him to stand still for an extended period of time.

Tree Pose

Have your child firmly plant her left foot into the floor and shift all of her weight onto that leg. She will then slightly lift the right leg off of the floor and place it on the calf or the inner thigh of the left leg. Once she is able to find her balance, instruct her to slowly raise her arms overhead. She should try to hold this pose for 15 to 20 seconds before switching to the other side.

Standing Forward Fold

Instruct your child to inhale and lift both of his arms up and overhead. As he exhales, have him sweep both arms out to the side, while folding forward from the hips. His chest should relax comfortable on his thighs and his hands should slightly graze the floor behind his legs. This pose provides a deep stretch and release of the hamstring muscles, which aids in relieving tension in the lower back and hips.

Cat and Dog Pose

Have her start out on her hands and knees. As she inhales, have her arch her back like an angry cat. As she exhales, instruct her to press her stomach toward the floor and lift her chin and tailbone toward the ceiling. This pose is effective in stretching and lengthening the spine and chest muscles.

Backbend

This position creates strength and flexibility in the back. Because this is an advanced move, many children often display a greater sense of confidence after having completed this pose. Instruct him to lie on his back with his feet flat on the floor and his hands next to his head. As he presses through the shoulders, have him lift his head, back and hips off of the floor. To come out of this position, he should start by lowering his head, neck and back to the floor. Then instruct him to slowly roll his hips to the floor one vertebra at a time until his tailbone touches the floor.

Child's Pose

Child's pose is a resting pose that prepares the body for the next pose in a yoga sequence. This pose helps your child relieve tension in her back and shoulders by stretching and loosening those muscles. Have your child kneel down on the floor and sit on her heels, with both arms at her side. Instruct her to inhale, and as she exhales, instruct her to bend forward at the waist, resting her chest on top of her thighs, until her forehead rests comfortably on the floor. She can either place her arms at her side, palms facing up, or extend both arms out in front of her.

Downward Facing Dog

The downward facing dog will help your child build strength in his upper arms while stretching his legs and back. Have him begin with his hands and knees on the mat on all fours. Have him walk his hands out in front of him and place them flat on the floor. Instruct him to tuck his toes under and lift his hips toward the ceiling until both of his legs are straight and his heels are flat on the floor.

Benefits of Yoga for Children

In addition to the physical benefits of taking part in a yoga program, children can gain a number of practical benefits such as an improved focus and attention span, a better understanding of how their bodies work, an increase in social skills when performed in group settings, an increase in confidence, a development of self-control, an increased level of concentration and a reduction in levels of stress.
It is important to remember that children don't need an unyielding system or a rigid set of alignment values in order to benefit from yoga. In addition, each of the poses should focus on quick and simple movements that improve your child's patience as well as her attention span and level of concentration. If you find that your child becomes easily frustrated while she is practicing some of the poses, encourage her to keep trying until she is able to master the movement.

References

• "Yoga For Kids"; Mary Stewart; 1993
• "Sahaja Yoga Meditation as a Family Treatment Programme for Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder"; Clinical Child Psychology Psychiatry; Harrison, L. et al.; October 2004
• "Fly like a Butterfly: Yoga for Children"; Shakta Kaur Khalsa; 1999