Yoga Fun With Children
Simple Asanas for Kids
By Cristin Tighe
Here are some great poses for children. Kids love yoga and it’s a great way to channel their energy to create joy and relaxation.
- Cat/Cow – on hands and knees, breathe out as you drop your head, looking towards the legs, while arching up the back. Reverse, breathing in, with tail up, belly down and eyes upward. Moving the spine this way supports the nervous system and energy flow.
- Dog/Donkey – from hands and knees, lift your bottom upward (make yourself a pyramid shape). Lengthen your body from fingers to tail, and from tail to feet with deep breaths. For fun, spread your fingers wide and kick the feet up to sky, using your hands to balance. Inversions (head below heart) like this one are great for physical health.
- Mountain/Tree – stand with your feet parallel, hips over feet, shoulders over hips, looking forward. Root down and raise your arms straight above your shoulders. Breathe in and out several times. Lift one foot and place the sole inside the other leg to balance. Don’t forget to reverse this pose to maintain alignment. Standing poses align the spine and body and balancing helps body awareness.
- Standing Forward Bend/Rag Doll – with feet hip-width apart, fold forward from the hips, letting your head relax. You can grab your opposite elbows with your hands and swing from side-to-side, as you breathe. This exercise is great to slow down and stretch the whole back body.
Cristin Tighe comes annually to Ireland to train children’s yoga teachers. She’s offering training in July in Cork and Kilkenny.
