Yoga for Children: Simple and Effective Exercises

Many teachers are practicing yoga in the classroom these days to help children focus, relax, and cultivate other healthy habits. Whether you have them watch a kids yoga DVD or you guide them through the poses yourself, you can be certain that yoga for children is one of the greatest gifts you can bring into your classroom. Here are a few simple but effective poses you can do with your students for a few minutes each day:

-Dog Stretch- This pose is good for stretching out after a long time of sitting. Holding onto the back of a chair or desktop, bend forward, keeping your legs straight but not locked. Let your head stretch down between your arms and inhale. Concentrate on lengthening your spine by pushing your hips away from your hands. Exhale as you straighten your spine and lean your weight into your hands so you feel the leg muscles extend. Repeat this several times.

-Frog Pose- This exercise helps with positive attitude and mental alertness. Squat with hands on the floor between the knees. Heels are together if possible, and stay slightly off the floor the entire time. Inhale and straighten the knees, bringing your head as close as possible to your knees. Exhale and return to the frog position, bringing your head up straight as you squat. Repeat 10-20 times, inhaling up and exhaling down.

-Shoulder Twists and Rolls- This exercise helps release tension in the shoulders and upper back. Sit at your desk with your spine straight. Put your hands on your shoulders with fingers in the front and thumbs in the back. Begin twisting the upper body side to side in a swinging motion. Inhale as you twist left and exhale to the right. Do this for one minute then inhale to the center. Exhale and begin rolling the shoulders with the arms in the same position as before. Inhale as the arms circle upward, exhale as they circle around the back and down. Imagine you are drawing circles in the air with your elbows. Do this for one minute.

-Neck Rolls- This exercise relaxes the neck, jaws, and face. Drop your head to the front, chin to chest. Roll your neck around to the right as you inhale, arching the head back and exhaling as it comes around to the left. Do this several times and then reverse directions. Concentrate on relaxing the face, jaws, and tongue by allowing the mouth to be slightly open and slack.

-Ocean Breath- This is a relaxation technique that brings awareness of the breath. This can been done sitting or lying down. Close your eyes and let your body relax completely. Inhale and envision ocean waves lapping the shore. Exhale and imagine the waves receding back into the sea. Repeat this for several minutes. Ocean breath is great for concluding a session of yoga in the classroom.

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