How to Do Kids Yoga

Опубликовал Admin
25-10-2016, 14:00
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Yoga is a fun way for people of all ages to exercise, especially kids. Yoga allows you to be creative, get into interesting poses, and have some time to relax. If you want to develop a yoga practice of your own, then you can take a course, use videos, or just try out a simple routine to get started.

Doing Yoga as a Kid

  1. Find a teacher or “guru.” It can be very difficult to learn yoga without a teacher. There are many forms of yoga and it can be easy to injure yourself. A yoga teacher can also help you to get into more advanced positions. Getting the right teacher who can serve as a positive role model can make a big difference in your yoga practice.
    • Try to find a class that is kid friendly or ask someone who does yoga often to help you learn.
  2. Take it slow and easy. Yoga is not a race. It is about working with your body to relax and strengthen it. If you go too fast, then you may injure yourself.
    • Remember to take deep, long breaths while you are doing yoga. If you notice that you are rushing or having a hard time focusing, then take a minute and just concentrate on your breathing.
    • If you feel pain or discomfort at any time, then stop and try modifying the pose so that it is less intense. For example, you can use a yoga brick if it is hard for you to reach the floor.
  3. Be consistent. Yoga is meant to be done every day of your life. Consistency helps you to develop a habit. Yoga gets easier with repetition over time. If you don't keep it up, you'll never see the benefits.
    • Try to do your yoga at about the same time every day. For example, you might want to do some yoga first thing in the morning, during recess, or right before you go to bed at night.
    • Keep in mind that it is also okay to do one long session or short ones throughout the day.
  4. Get a fun video. There are some fun yoga videos online. These are meant for kids and may help you learn how to create a yoga practice. Take some time to search on the web for kid’s yoga videos and follow along with one.
    • Feel free to pause the video or rewind parts if the pose is difficult or if you just want to be sure that you are doing it right.

Learning Basic Poses

  1. Start with mountain pose. Mountain pose is a good basic pose to learn. To do mountain pose, stand up nice and tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your arms should be straight out at your sides with your palms facing forward and your fingers spread. Then, take in a slow, deep breath and reach your arms up to the ceiling as you inhale. Then bring your arms back down to your sides as you slowly exhale.
  2. Strike a warrior pose. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, step one leg forward so that you are in a lunge position. The foot that goes forward should stay straight, but the foot that stays behind should be turned to the side. Next, reach both arms straight up in the air and look straight ahead. Hold this pose for three to six breaths.
    • Make sure that your knee does not extend past your toes. You should be able to see your toes when you look down.
  3. Get into downward dog. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Then, slowly bend down until your hands touch the ground. Once your hands have touched the ground use them to walk your upper body forward a few steps until it looks like you are the letter “V” turned upside down. Hold this pose for three to six breaths.
    • If you have tight hamstrings, then you can do downward facing dog with your knees bent slightly. You can also place your hands on a yoga brick if you cannot reach the ground.
  4. End your routine with child’s pose. Get down on your hands and knees on your yoga mat. Make sure that your back is flat like a table. Then, allow your knees to bend and your body to sink back onto your feet, but keep your hands planted firmly on the ground. Your eyes should be facing your yoga mat and you may even want to rest your forehead on it as you do this pose. Stay in this position for three to six breaths.
    • If it is hard for you to get your face close to the mat, then you may also use your hands as a support by placing them under your forehead.

Trying a Simple Routine

  1. Greet the sun. Greeting the sun is a good way to start a morning yoga routine. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and put the palms of your hands together. Hold your hands in front of your heart and then bow.
    • As you bow, you can also think or say, "I welcome the sun."
  2. Reach for the sky. After you have greeted the sun, it is good to do a big upward stretch. Raise your arms to the sky and stand on your tiptoes. Take a deep breath in as you reach your hands up.
    • As you reach up, you can think or say, "I welcome the sky."
  3. Connect with the moon. If you are going to be doing your yoga at night, then you might want to start by connecting with the moon instead. Stand with your hands on your hips. Then, lean to the left and take in a deep breath. Next, lean to your right side and exhale the breath.
    • As you stretch, you can think or say, "I welcome the moon."
  4. Imagine stars around you. Make big slow circles with your arms. Move your arms in big slow forward circles. As you do this, close your eyes and try to imagine that the entire room is filled with stars. Try to imagine that you are a star as well.
    • As you do this, think or say, "I welcome the stars."
  5. Touch the ground. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your body forward and try to touch the ground. If you cannot reach it, that’s okay! Just reach down as far as you can even if it is only to your knees.
    • As you do this stretch, think or say “"I welcome the earth."
  6. End your routine with a yogi pose. Close your routine with a balance pose and a shout. If you are worried about waking someone, then you can just think the shout. Stand again up straight and put one foot on the opposite knee.
    • As you do this pose, think or shout, "This is fun!"

Teaching Yoga to Kids

  1. Make a game of it. Kids might not feel motivated by a serious and highly controlled yoga session. They will be more likely to enjoy it if the session is fun. Otherwise, they might get bored and lose interest. There are lots of different ways to make yoga fun for kids.
    • Tell kids the names of different yoga postures. These are often animals or elements of nature. Children may enjoy doing poses based on the interesting names.
    • Try to invent different stories to go along with the actions. For example: Tell a story about a dog, using the “Downward Dog” posture as a focal point. Make believe you are the sun waking up in the morning for the “Sun Salutation” posture.
    • Talk about how silly and fun some of the yoga movements are. By using funny noises or words, you can make the motions more fun.
  2. Keep it easy. If you push your kids too hard, they may not see yoga as fun. Try to be patient and keep yoga sessions short. Make sure that your lesson is suited to your kids’ individual needs. For example, if you know that your child has a short attention span, then try doing one or two yoga poses at a time throughout the course of the day.
    • Encourage kids in their posture and don’t scold them for not doing a pose the right way. Just keep encouraging your kids and modeling good posture for them.
    • Try to keep position holds on the shorter end. This will keep kids from getting bored.
  3. Praise your kids for doing yoga. Everyone needs support, especially kids. When you praise your kids’ efforts, you will motivate them to keep doing yoga. Kids like to hear that their teachers approve, so make sure to let them know they're doing a good job.
    • Try saying something like, “You are so flexible!” Or, “Your downward dog pose is fantastic!”

Tips

  • Consider getting a yoga mat to practice on. Try asking your parents if you can have a yoga mat for your birthday.
  • Drink plenty of water before and after your routine. It is a good idea to fill up a water bottle and keep it nearby in case you get thirsty during your yoga routine.
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