Yoga for Children: Exercises You & Your Child Can Do at Home

How many times have you looked at a child at play and wished you could bottle some of their energy, or at least get it focused on something productive? Kids always have an abundance of energy, and they are always open to new and exciting ways to spend it. This is why yoga for children is such a great concept. Yoga has for centuries proven to be an effective way to focus, relax, and increase inner peace, and parents and teachers alike are beginning to adopt the technique for the benefit of kids.
Yoga for children offers many fun poses and exercises for kids to enjoy, and there are many benefits to be had. Yoga increases creativity and concentration, calms the mind, builds strength and balance, and helps kids connect with nature. The exercises which have been specifically designed for kids are entertaining, easy to follow and come in a variety of levels, from simple to challenging. For example, when you are having a moment where you feel like screaming, chances are the child feels the same way. Here is an exercise to help both of you - called "the roar." Sit with the child facing you (or, if you are in a group, sit everyone in a circle). Take turns roaring, very softly, while sticking your tongue out. Each time it's your turn roar a little louder, until everyone is at full volume. This releases tension while opening the lungs, and everyone feels better afterward.
The "roller coaster" is another fun exercise that encourages leadership and group cooperation while firing the imagination. Line all the kids up, sitting in a row. Each child grabs the waist of the child in front of him. Up front is the leader of the ride, and when he leans left or right, the rest of the passengers follow suit. The leader signifies the end of the ride by throwing his arms in the air. Each child gets a turn being the leader, and afterwards everyone feels like they had an excursion to the theme park.
The "sunrise/sunset" pose is an example of how yoga can help kids connect to nature. For this exercise, the child stands with his feet apart and his arms straight up in the air. Have him reach for the sky and stretch, as if he is the sun on the rise. Then have him hang his arms toward the earth and stretch down, as if he is the sun going back to sleep. This exercise helps to strengthen a child's natural affinity with nature.
Another helpful exercise is the "sandwich wrap." Lie the child at the edge of a blanket, and then roll him into it while asking him what kind of sandwich he is. Have him make up a different sandwich each time, i.e. a BLT, a ham and cheese, etc. This encourages imagination, but also creates calmness. Because light pressure and compression induce focus in children, this is an especially productive exercise for small children or kids with ADD.
The "flamingo" is a pose which enhances balance while forcing the mind to concentrate. For this pose, the child stands on one leg while extending the other straight out behind her. She then leans forward with both arms extended out to the side, like an airplane. The mind must stay clear for balance to be kept in this pose, so every time her mind wanders, she'll wobble and have to focus to regain balance again. For this reason, this pose is beneficial to the powers of concentration.
Yoga for children can brings many positive changes to a child's behavior both at home and in the classroom, and this is why so many teachers are beginning to use it. For those who are interested in bringing yoga into their own classroom, kids yoga teacher training is available at a number of places across the country. Contact your local yoga studio for more information. Also, for parents who want to practice yoga with their children, a kids yoga dvd is a fantastic way to begin this activity at home. You and the kids can enjoy quality time together in the comfort of your own home or outdoors if you like, while learning the ancient and very beneficial techniques of yoga.

Written by Kacy Suther. Learn more about yoga for children with a kids yoga dvd. Offers kids yoga teacher training, yoga poses for kids, more at yogakids.com .