10 Best Yoga Postures For Kids:
Yoga is a fantastic way to get kids interested in stretching and a healthy lifestyle from an early age. Whether your goal is to get the kids to relax or just burn off a little extra energy, many great yoga poses are perfect for kids. Here are the 10 best yoga postures for kids, according to us!
Yoga has not just made it’s way mainstream with adults and the older population, more children then ever are participating in the practice. According to one National Survey, 3% of children in the U.S. participate in yoga. While this may not seem like a large percentage, the total amount of children that participate in yoga has increased by 1.3 million from 2007 – 2012.
Some Interesting research:
According to an article posted by CompareCamp.com, 1 in 12 children have practiced yoga in the past 12 months.
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So why has this number increased?
We’ve discussed at length the benefits yoga has on adults who practice it on a regular basis. However, according to Harvard Health, both yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve physical and mental health in school-aged children as well.
For example, these benefits include;
- balance,
- strength,
- endurance,
- as well as helping to improve focus, memory, and self-esteem.
Most of us would agree, these are all vital to a child’s development. On another positive note, yoga is free and easy to start.
Research has also shown potential positive benefits on children with ADHD, with interventions such as yoga, meditation, and play therapy.
One uncontrolled pilot study looked specifically at the effects of yoga on cortisol concentrations and classroom “perceived behavior” in 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms. In conclusion, there we signs of decreased baseline cortisol (stress hormone), and significant perceived behavioral improvements among the second graders.
* More sustainable research is needed to confirm these results, however *
With all of this said, where do the kids start? Likewise, what are the best and/or more common poses that children can do to develop a foundation.
Below, you’ll find 10 different yoga postures for kids. Included in this list are both sitting and standing yoga poses for kids and brief instructions on how to perform them. These 10 best yoga postures for kids, should give them a solid base on which they can then build from.
Related Article: Exploring Meditation For Kids & the Potential Positive Benefits
Here We Go: 10 Best yoga Postures For Kids
Some of these are very easy to perform, while others will test them both physically and mentally.
Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)
This is a sitting yoga posture for kids. Slightly challenging for sure, as it takes some pretty good core strength.
Steps:
1. Have your child take a seat on his/her yoga mat, legs bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. The, have them place there hands on there hips and begin to raise their heels off the floor. They will be balancing on there sacrum (or “butt bone”).
3. Afterwards, have them slowly start to straighten their legs as high as comfortable, releasing the arms forward out in front to help stabilize, while also keeping the shoulders back.
4. They should be leaning slightly back with their upper body.
5. Hold for 15 seconds.
Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
Just as the name implies, this pose is pretty easy, but gives the child some time to relax and focus on the present.
Steps:
1. This yoga pose involves the child sitting on the floor with their legs crossed. Additionally, resting their hands on their knees or in a prayer position.
This pose in one often seen in meditative or restorative type yoga, or to simply concentrate on pranayama (breathing tecnhiques).
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Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
This is a standing yoga pose for kids that is a popular starting point (or preparatory pose) for many other various poses. Another beginner-friendly pose, Tadasana helps with balance, alignment, posture and focus.
Steps:
1. To get into mountain pose, have the child stand tall with their arms extended down beside their body, feet hip-width apart.
2. Your weight should be evenly distributed through your feet, parallel to one another.
3. Your hips should be directly over your feet. Attempt to drop your tailbone, lengthening your spine.
4. Shoulders should be in a neutral position, and your back relaxed with no tension.
5. Your gaze should be straight in front. Breath for 4-8 cycles.
Extended Mountain Pose with Backbend (Utthita Tadasana With Backbend)
This is a variation of Mountain pose which has your arms slightly more active and creates a back-bend type asana.
Steps:
1. To perform this pose, first get into Mountain pose like described above.
2. Now, reach up to the sky with both arms, parallel to one another.
3. As you exhale, start to create a slight back-bend or arch in the back, reaching back with your arms as well. Then come back to Tadasana.
Related Article: Yoga Postures for Children: 5 Yoga Poses for Kids
Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
This pose can be a little more challenging, but is a perfect yoga posture for kids. Adho Mukha Svanasana offers full body involvement.
Steps:
1. Have your child start in a Table Top position or on all fours on the mat.
2. Place your hands out in front, shoulder width, with your fingers spread wide.
3. Tuck your toes under and begin to walk your feet back, while lifting your hips toward the sky. It’s okay if your knees are slightly bent and/or your heels don’t touch the mat at first, as this will get better with time.
4. The pose looks like an inverted “V”.
5. Allow your head to drop, with your gaze in-between your toes.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobra pose is another yoga posture fun and easy for the kids. This pose targets the back, arms and core of the body.
Steps:
1. This yoga pose for kids starts by having the child lay on their stomach on the floor, feet hip-width apart.
2. Place the hands slightly more then shoulder width apart, with the elbows bent. For positioning of the hands, your thumb should be able to touch the top of your shoulder, then place your hands flat on the mat.
3. Now place forehead on the floor.
4. Press your pubic bone down and draw your tailbone toward the feet.
5. On inhale, begin to left up your head, using your back/core muscles. Once you feel like you can’t go further, press down and through your hands for a further stretch.
Cow Pose (Bitilasana)
A great beginner back-bend asana for kids. This is also a pose done at the beginning of yoga routines as it opens up the spine and helps join the body-mind-breath together.
Steps:
1. For Bitilasana, begin on all fours, with shoulders directly overtop the wrists.
2. Place the knees underneath the hips.
3. Tuck the toes under, begin to drop your naval toward the mat (on inhale), and gaze upward with your eyes.
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Crescent Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
The crescent moon pose is another standing yoga pose for kids which can begin by getting into Mountain pose. This pose has several variations.
Steps:
1. After getting into the mountain pose, circle your arms up toward each other to the sky, interlocking fingers.
2. At the same time, gaze upward toward the sky.
3. Now gaze forward. With your body in upward alignment begin to reach the arms and tilt the torso at the hips toward the right side.
4. After a few breaths, come back to neutral position and tilt to the opposing side.
Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)
Definitely more challenging, Dancer’s pose is a more advanced yoga posture for kids. However, is excellent for developing balance. Dancer’s pose helps with not just balance, but is a stretch, strength and back-bend type pose.
Steps:
1. Start by standing on your mat, feet close together. Begin by transferring weight from both legs to your right side. You can do this pointing the left toes into the mat and transferring your weight to the right side.
2. Now, reach out and back with your left hand, thumb up, while also bringing your left foot up.
3. Grab your left foot with your left hand on the big toe side.
4. After this, try and realign or squeeze your knees back together, your gaze should be forward.
5. Now, reach forward with your right hand in front, palm-down, gaze now is overtop that right hand.
6. Without flaring your hips, begin to hinge at the hip forward and down, almost reaching toward the horizon with the right hand.
7. As you do this, kick back with your left leg (left hand remains holding), and reach further with your right arm.
10. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
A classic yoga pose, oftentimes utilized in restorative type yoga styles, Childs pose can be done at variable times during a routine.
Steps:
1. To perform this pose, have the child sit on their heels. Big toes can be touching.
2. Then, lean forward until their head is in front of their knees, as there torso rests between there thighs. (turn head to the side if more comfortable)
3. Continue to walk the hands/fingers forward.
4. Focus on breathing, mind-body connection.
Final Thoughts!
Make sure when your children are doing these poses they are supervised, especially the more challenging ones. Also, it’s helpful to provide them a yoga mat for stability and comfort.
We hope this can be a fun lesson for your kids to participate in. Get them started early with yoga and have them feeling great in the future both mentally and physically. As always we love to hear stories and other poses that are popular with kids so feel free to comment below.
Be sure to share our posts on social media, have a wonderful, healthy and inspirational day!
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