Yoga Postures for Kids

Yoga is becoming an increasingly popular way to improve physical and mental health in kids, and best of all, it can be fun and build many important skills such as body awareness and concentration. The "Academic Pediatrics" journal cites studies that have shown benefits in children with autism, ADHD, mental retardation and eating disorders, although more research is necessary with improved methodology. Kids can practice yoga postures in classes made just for kids, at home with mom and dad and even in school. It is important to follow special precautions for children and, of course, to consult a pediatrician if your child has special needs or medical issues.

Precautions

• In general, because children have more mobility in their joints and muscles than adults, it is best to encourage holding postures for one minute or less. Breathing exercises can be very beneficial for kids, but kids need close supervision and specific training, as they may be more prone to overdoing it.

  Children with low muscle tone are susceptible to injuries in the neck due to instability in the spine, so should avoid postures involving extreme bending or extending of the neck. With all children, it is important to ensure the child is in alignment and that the arms/legs are not hyper-extended. It is best to keep a slight bend in the elbows and knees and keep the hands in an open position. Yoga is a form of exercise; therefore, it is important to drink plenty of fluids and avoid performing postures on a full stomach.

Animal Yoga Postures

• Kids love pretending to be animals and will often not realize they are exercising. In Butterfly Pose, the child sits with feet pressed together and knees bent. A fun game is called "Butterfly Knock-Out" where children take turns rolling a ball at other children in the butterfly position. The children must maintain the butterfly pose at all costs while avoiding being hit by the ball. The child can then move into Cat Pose in an all-fours position and pretend to be a "Mean Cat" (arching the back and bending the head down while hissing) and a "Nice Cat" (lifting the head up and meowing or purring).

  Another common animal posture is Downward-facing Dog Pose, in which the child lifts his behind or "tail" to the sky while pushing hands into the floor or mat and attempting to bring heels down to the floor with legs straight.

Nature Yoga Poses

• The tree pose improves balance and concentration.

  Kids benefit from imagery provided by yoga poses imitating the natural world. They can be a strong tall Mountain, standing with feet hip width apart with a slight bend in the knees, pelvis tucked, chest lifted, arms to the side, shoulders dropped and head facing forward. To turn a Mountain into a Volcano, the child can place his hands together at his heart, and, bending his legs to prepare, jump both legs out and press hands to the sky to explode as a Volcano.

  Tree pose is a valuable pose for improving balance and concentration. To become a Tree, the child should begin by shifting her balance to one leg, and then slowly begin to lift one foot off the floor to rest against the other leg, placing it above or below the knee. The child can either keep her hands (branches) at her heart or gradually extend them to the sky, keeping eyes focused in front to maintain balance.