Who said yoga is just for adults? Yoga is a lifestyle that suits people of all ages, there even is yoga for kids. Just like the adults benefit from yoga, children too can benefit from it, depending upon how often they practice. Since kids are always on their toes, it can be challenging to make them practice like adults. If you wish to introduce yoga to your child, you need to bring in the fun factor. With many amazing yoga poses for children and the kid, it brings wonderful benefits along with it, and you can encourage your child to practice yoga while watching TV, playing games, through storytelling, and even through singing and dancing.
If you’re keen on getting your child to do yoga, here are a few fantastic yoga poses to start with. Apart from that we also share the benefits of yoga for kids.
1. Easy sitting pose (Sukhasana): This pose is as easy as it sounds. Make your child sit with their back straight and legs crossed with knees towards the ground. The hands should be on the knees with the palms facing up. Your child can do this pose while watching TV.
Benefits: This pose increases focus, brings relaxation, corrects posture, strengthens the back muscles, and increases flexibility in hips and legs. One of the best and easiest poses your child can learn.
2. Child’s pose (Balasana): While the name suggests that this pose is for the kids, it can be practiced by adults too. Start on the hands and knees and press the hips back towards the heels. The arms have to be stretched out in front or curled on the sides.
Benefits: This pose is grounding as it can relax your child, reduces stress and increases flexibility and strength in the ankles, hips and legs.
3. Cobra pose (Bhujangasana): Make your child as strong and aware as a cobra with this yoga pose. Start on the belly and bring the hands flat to the ground, under the shoulder. Using back muscles and core, lift up and hold for a few breaths.
Benefits: This pose increases positivity and decreases stress, increases creativity, reduces fatigue, ensures proper circulation, and strengthens muscles of the chest, arms, back, and abdomen.
4. Wide-angle seated forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana): Sit on the ground with legs to the side and feet flexed. Bring the arms up, fold over the legs as far as comfortable and hold for a few breaths.
Benefits: If your child complains of stomach aches often, encourage them to practice this pose. It also promotes relaxation and improves digestion.
5. Butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana): Sit on the ground with the feet together and the knees out to the sides. This pose can be held while flapping the legs like butterflies or while breathing deeply.
Benefits: This pose decreases anxiety, improves digestion, calms oneself, relieves headaches, and promotes creativity.
To encourage your child to take up yoga, you can rename the poses such as downward-facing dog, tree pose, bridge pose, table pose, volcano pose, and much more. Yoga for kids will enable them to learn to act or react to situations, also it will lead to self-discovery and curiosity.
