Yoga Poses for Children

It should have come as no surprise to me when my daughter showed an interest in yoga. After all, she'd been watching me practice since she was only a couple months old. I have to admit my surprise, though, when at eighteen months she lay down on the mat beside me and attempted to mimic the pose I was in. Once I finished laughing, I decided to start teaching her a little about yoga.

Yoga can be an excellent activity for kids. The practice promotes balance, flexibility, coordination and strength, helps them deal with stress, and improves their concentration and focus. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind though. As with any exercise, a good warm up is essential. Stretching for a few minutes will help prepare muscles for poses. Once you've warmed up, demonstrate each exercise for your child so they can see the proper body mechanics. For children under six, you'll want to keep the session short, less than fifteen minutes, with poses held for up to one minute. Older kids can hold poses up to a minute and a half with the full session being under twenty-five minutes.

Plow is the pose that started my daughter in yoga when she tried to mimic me. Lie on your back and extend your legs over your head, bringing your weight onto your shoulders and arms. Your hands should be flat on your back and pointed towards the ceiling.

Rock and roll is one of my daughter's favorite yoga poses, although she calls it rolly-rolly. Lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest. Tuck your chin to your chest and wrap your arms around your knees, then rock back and forth.

Mountain pose is another easy yoga pose for children. Stand tall with feet shoulder-length apart. Clasp your palms together and reach for the sky. Continue from this exercise into tree pose, an excellent pose for encouraging balance. Stand tall and raise your right leg by the ankle and place it on your left thigh. Then clasp your palms together and reach for the sky.

Cobra pose is an excellent pose for flexibility and your back. Lie on your stomach face down. Placing your palms on the floor, fingers pointed forward, lift your upper body. Lion pose is another fun yoga pose for children. Kneel, facing forward, with palms on your knees. Stick your tongue out and then roar like a lion.

As you can see, it can be easy to get your children interested in yoga. When you combine poses with fun, they're sure to want to join you.