Yoga Poses For Children – 3 Basic Yoga Positions For Children to Practice at Home

Do you want your child to be healthy, flexible and strong? Would you like your child to know how to calm and relax their minds, to concentrate and focus better at school? Are you concerned that your child does not like exercise and prefers to spend their spare time playing video games rather than mixing with their peers?

As a parent or carer you naturally want your child to be healthy and fit. Yoga exercises, with their emphasis on gentle stretching exercises, joyful breathing exercises and creative relaxation techniques encourage your child to exercise and feel good about themselves.

If your child is anxious and not keen to attend a Children's Yoga Class, you can always introduce them to yoga poses at home, so that when they attend their first class they feel more confident and comfortable.

Naturally, if you are showing your child yoga poses at home, please make sure you practice in a warm environment, ideally practice bare foot on an exercise / yoga mat. Make sure there is sufficient space for your child to move without risk of hurting themselves, keep an eye on them, in fact practice together as it's a lovely way to bond and reconnect with your child; and most importantly have fun and make sure your child stays relaxed and non-competitive.

3 Basic Yoga Positions for Children to Practice At Home

1. Downward Dog Pose. A lovely pose which gently stretches your child's back, strengthens their heart and brings blood to their head which helps to nourish and calm their mind.

a. Start on your hands and knees, with your arms straight and your hands underneath your shoulders. Curl your toes under and breathe out as you lift your knees up and straighten your legs. Keep pressing your heels to the ground, focus on bringing your chest as close as possible towards your legs as you lift your hips back and up. Think of a dog stretching when they wake up and bark and growl like a dog. Hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable and keep breathing deeply. 
b. To come out of the pose, slowly come down on your hands and rest in the Child Pose.

2. Child / Mouse Pose – ideal to relax your body and calm your nervous system after a hard day at school, or strong yoga pose. Think of a mouse as you kneel on the floor with your bottom on your heels. Lower and rest your forehead on the floor, place your arms by your side with palms facing up. Close your eyes relax and breathe quietly. Stay as still as a mouse or if you feel more energetic, you can "squeak" like a mouse.

3. Cobra / Snake Pose. Your child will love wriggling and hissing like a snake. A great exercise to release tension, stretch a stiff back and open your heart.

Lie face down on the floor / yoga mat and rest your forehead on the mat. Place your palms flat on the floor, elbows pointing up and hands directly under your shoulders. Take a steady breath in and as you breathe out gently lift your forehead and chest up from the ground. Keep your lower abdomen (belly button area) on the mat and press your hands down into the mat. Keep looking straight ahead; relax your shoulders and hissss like a snake. Slowly lower your chest and forehead to the ground. Make a pillow with your hands and rest your cheek on the pillow.

This basic yoga sequence consisting of Downward Dog, the Child Pose and Cobra is ideal to introduce your child to yoga exercise. Join in, make up an Adventure Story using the posts and enjoy spending quality fun time together.

Yoga for Health and Fitness – The Seven Major Energy Centers (Chakras)

Yoga is one of the most famous and globally widespread of India’s traditions. It has existed as a system of exercise, breathing, and meditation for over 5,000 years. The word “Yoga” means “to join or yoke together” – bringing the body and mind together into a harmonious experience. The exercises are designed to apply gentle pressure to the glandular system thereby toning the glands and improving total health. The breathing techniques are based on the principle that the “breath” is the source of life in the body. Meditation calms the mind and body and prepares one to handle stress.

The Upanishads (ancient Hindu texts) define Yoga as a state of gokumu jisho “extreme nothing self nature.” Essentially, one’s consciousness becomes himself. According to Tsuruji Sahota: “When the five senses stop their function and the judging mind stops its function as well, people call it the ultimate state. To control the organs of the body is regarded as Yoga.” The organs are controlled and toned by drawing energy up through the seven major energy centers, or chakras. The ultimate goal is to reach the topmost chakra and achieve self-illumination. When certain postures and disciplines are followed, energies that have accumulated and stagnated are moved through the chakras. The practicing of Yoga releases these stagnant energies that would potentially cause various ailments (see below).

THE SEVEN MAJOR ENERGY CENTERS (CHAKRAS)

CROWN CHAKRA – SELF-ILLUMINATION RELATED TO BRAIN, PITUITARY AND PINEAL GLANDS

THIRD EYE CHAKRA RELATED TO EYES, PITUITARY AND PINEAL GLANDS

THROAT CHAKRA (ETHER) RELATED TO LUNGS, VOICE, EARS, NOSE AND THROAT

HEART CHAKRA (AIR) RELATED TO HEART AND CIRCULATION

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA (FIRE) RELATED TO DIGESTION

SACRAL CHAKRA (WATER) RELATED TO GENERATIVE AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONS

BASE CHAKRA (EARTH) RELATED TO GENERATIVE AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONS

Each chakra is related to a specific area of the body, such as the head, heart, sacral area. Some add an eighth Thymus Chakra.

Even though Yoga predates Hinduism by several centuries, it is often mistakenly associated with this religion. It must be emphasized that Yoga is not a religion it has no creed or fixed set of beliefs. One does not need to be concerned about conflicts with one’s beliefs.

The scholar, Patanjali, compiled one of the earliest texts related to Yoga. He devised basic Yoga theories and practices in his text called Yoga Sutras as early as the 1st to 5th century B.C. Most forms of Yoga practiced today are based on variations of his system often referred to as Classical Yoga. Even though Americans were first introduced to Yoga during the late 1800’s, it didn’t become popular until the 1960’s, and then as part of the youth culture. In recent years, many are realizing the value Yoga to manage stress, limber a stiff body, improve health and well-being and better understand oneself.

One can better decide if Yoga offers something of personal benefit by considering the eight steps of Classical Yoga:

1. “Restraint” – Refraining from violence, stealing, lying, hoarding and casual sex.

2. “Observance” – Attributes of purity, contentment, tolerance, remembrance and study.

3. “Physical Exercises” – The actual exercising step.

4. “Breathing Techniques” – Special breathing techniques.

5. “Preparation for Meditation” – Refers to “withdrawing the mind from the senses.”

6. “Concentration” – Being able to hold one thing in the mind for a period of time.

7. “Meditation” – Being able to focus on one thing, or nothing, indefinitely.

8. “Absorption” – The realization of the essential nature of self.

Physical exercise, breathing techniques, and meditation are the core of most modern Western Yoga classes. Yoga practice is non-competitive. You proceed at your own pace. Relaxing the muscles and keeping them warm is very important. There is an old Yoga quote that states: “Even iron will bend when it is warm!”

There are actually over a hundred different schools of Yoga. Some of the more popular schools to consider include:

Hatha Yoga – Based on physical movements, postures, and breathing techniques (most

familiar school).

Raja Yoga – Called the “Royal Road,” it incorporates exercise, breathing, meditation

and study (a well rounded school of Yoga).

Jnana Yoga – The path of wisdom (considered the most difficult path of Yoga).

Yoga is a system of techniques that can be practiced by most adults of any age or physical condition. Even those with physical limitations can benefit from yoga. Women menstruating, pregnant, or nursing should not practice Yoga. Ideally, the best way to start the practice Yoga is to find a qualified instructor. A second alternative would be to purchase a good book or tape. If you’re not sure where to start your search for Yoga classes, check out adult education programs, holistic centers, family YMCA programs, health food or nutrition stores or community newspapers. CAUTION: A qualified instructor is essential to learn proper technique and to prevent injury.

Yoga – The Salute to the Sun

The "Salute to the Sun" is a series of postures designed to limber up, and tone and strengthen the body. It is a moving sequence made up of a combination of Yoga positions.

The Salute to the Sun is also known as Surya Namaskar, from "Sun" and "Greeting" or "Salutation".

The sequence of movements should be transported out in a fluid manner, "flowing" from one position to the next. This will take some practice and familiarity with the postures and positions, but the benefits are worth the effort. The Salute to the Sun is an excellent warm-up to other work, and will warm up the body and mind on its own.

1. Stand upright with spine extended, legs straight and arms together.

2. Inhale, and raise and extend your arms over your head and bend slightly backward.

3. Exhale and reach your arms and fingers up and forward. Bend forward from the hips and place your hands flat on the ground, or as close as your can.

4. Inhale and place your right leg behind you, making a right angle with your left leg. Sink into your right hip and look up.

5. Bring your left leg to join your right leg so that you are on "all fours" with your knees behind your ips.

6. Exhale and lower your chest and forehead to the ground so that you are lying flat on the ground.

7. Inhale and stretch forward and up, raising the front of your body up off the floor.

8. Exhale and lower your chest. Push up and back with your arms and raise your hips to form an inverted "V".

9. Inhale and bend your right leg, and lower your left leg to the ground, as in step 4 above.

10. Exhale and bring your left leg up as in step 3.

11. Inhale and reverse the move into position 2.

12. Exhale, return to an upright "prayer" position, and salute the sun.

These 12 posts or postures are an excellent way to put your body through disciplined series of preliminary stretches. This can form a warm-up to other exercises, or used on its own if you only have a short time to devote to your practice of Yoga.