As the world celebrates International Yoga Day, focusing on the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” it’s a perfect opportunity to introduce children to the ancient practice.
Yoga offers a wealth of benefits for young ones, from improving physical flexibility and balance to enhancing concentration and managing stress in their increasingly busy lives.
Children today navigate a world dominated by screens, coupled with the demands of school, tuition, and jam-packed schedules. This constant pressure means even our children are increasingly grappling with stress.
The beauty of kids’ yoga lies in its playful nature, often incorporating animal sounds and imaginative scenarios to keep them engaged.
Here are 10 accessible and enjoyable yoga poses that children can easily practice at home, along with simple instructions:
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
- How to do it: Stand tall with feet together, arms by your sides. Inhale and raise your hands above your head, interlacing your fingers and stretching upward. Imagine yourself as a strong, steady mountain.
- Benefits: Improves posture, strengthens legs, and enhances concentration.
- Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)
- How to do it: Stand on one foot, placing the sole of your other foot on your inner ankle or thigh (avoid the knee). Bring your palms together in a Namaste gesture at your heart or raise them overhead like tree branches. Hold for a few breaths and switch sides.
- Benefits: Builds balance, body awareness, and self-confidence.
- Balasana (Child’s Pose)
- How to do it: Kneel on the floor with your toes touching and knees wide apart. Sit back on your heels, then fold forward, resting your forehead on the mat. Extend your arms forward or let them rest by your sides. This pose is like a cozy little hideout.
- Benefits: Calms the mind, improves digestion, and relaxes the nervous system.
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
- How to do it: Lie on your stomach, placing your hands under your shoulders. Gently lift your head and chest off the floor, keeping your elbows slightly bent, like a cobra rising.
- Benefits: Strengthens the spine, opens the chest, and can relieve fatigue.
- Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Pose)
- How to do it: Start on your hands and knees. Inhale, arch your back and lift your head (Cow Pose). Exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin to your chest (Cat Pose). Flow between these two movements, imagining yourself as a stretching cat and a gentle cow.
- Benefits: Increases flexibility of the spine, improves coordination and focus.
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- How to do it: Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Press into your feet and lift your hips upward, creating a bridge shape with your body.
- Benefits: Strengthens the back and legs, stimulates digestion, and can improve mood.
- Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose)
- How to do it: Sit with your legs extended. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall open to the sides. Hold your feet with your hands and gently flap your knees up and down like butterfly wings.
- Benefits: Opens hips, stretches thighs, and aids digestion.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
- How to do it: Start on your hands and knees. Lift your hips up and back, straightening your legs to form an inverted V-shape. Press your hands and heels into the floor, like a playful dog stretching.
- Benefits: Stretches the entire body, strengthens arms and legs, and calms the brain.
- Simhasana (Lion Pose)
- How to do it: Sit on your heels with knees wide apart. Lean forward, place your palms on your knees, spreading your fingers wide like claws. Inhale deeply, then exhale with a big “HAAAA” sound, sticking out your tongue and widening your eyes. Roar like a lion!
- Benefits: Releases tension in the jaw and face, improves vocal cords, and can be a fun stress reliever.
- Savasana (Corpse Pose)
- How to do it: Lie flat on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing up, and legs extended comfortably. Close your eyes and simply relax your entire body, allowing it to sink into the floor. This is a moment of quiet rest.
- Benefits: Promotes deep relaxation, reduces stress, and integrates the benefits of the other poses.
When introducing yoga to children, remember to keep sessions short, playful, and engaging. Use their imagination, tell stories, and focus on participation rather than perfection. Making yoga a fun and regular part of their routine can lay the foundation for lifelong physical and mental well-being.
