Yoga lessons for children use typical yoga poses and add a big dose of fun. Being playful and creative with poses keeps children engaged. As the pace of yoga lessons for children is faster than a typical adult yoga class, it is important to address and maintain safety during lessons.
Breathing
Teaching breathing is an integral part of yoga lessons for children, as it calms and focuses the mind, according to Mark Singleton, author of “Yoga for You and Your Child.” Balloon breathing is a seated breath that teaches children to send their breath deep into their bellies as they imagine their lungs are balloons being filled and emptied. Placing their hands on their belly as they breath helps them feel the breath. While lying down, practice wave breathing with a stuffed animal or rubber duck placed on their bellies so that it moves with their breaths, as if it were on a wave. Bee breathing lengthens the exhale, which engages the parasympathetic nervous system and supports relaxation. Practice by pretending they are bees with their fingers on the sides of their head, take deep breaths into the belly, and make a humming sound like a bee until your lungs are empty.
Stories
Using stories in yoga lessons is a way to engage children and stimulate their imaginations. Stories can also teach children information and morals. Take them on a trip to the beach where they can surf the waves in Warrior II, walk like a crab in Reverse Table pose, and swim in the ocean in Dolphin. Travel to the desert with Scorpion, Cobra, and Tree pose with cactus arms. Explore the mountains with Mountain pose, Eagle, Butterfly and Bear, or Downward Dog. Shakta Kaur Khalsa demonstrates a yoga story in “Fly Like a Butterfly” with wind, thunder, lightning, mountains, birds, and boulders that also teaches a lesson about treating the earth with respect.
Games
Mark Singleton uses yoga poses in games. Mirroring provides a visual reference for children and is an engaging way to practice yoga one-on-one with a child. Support intuition and visual awareness with Whodunnit Yoga as taught by Singleton. Send one person, who will be the detective, out of the room for a moment and designate a leader among the remaining children. When the leader moves into a yoga pose, the rest of the group follows as quickly as possible, while the detective tries to spot the leader. Asana Obstacle Course is a fast-paced game where children move from one point to another by walking like a bear or hopping like a bunny and then moving into the designated pose when they reach the next point.
Music
Include music, songs, or poems to teach the steps of a pose, encourage self-confidence, or be playful. Shakta Kaur Khalsa’s songs for children includes self-esteem building lyrics such as “I am brave, I am bold, my own spirit I can hold.” Her elephant song, “The elephant walks so slowly,” teaches movement and provides the opportunity to make noise. Juliet Pegrum in “Kid Yoga: Fun with a Twist” uses musical instruments to help children tune in to the sounds around them.
References
- Yoga for You and Your Child; 2004; Singleton
- Fly Like a Butterfly;1998; Khalsa
- Kid Yoga: Fun With a Twist; 2004; Pegrum
- Children's Yoga Songs and Meditations for The Radiant Child Yoga Program; Khalsa
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