YOGA WITH KIDS? THAT WORKS!
What is important for doing yoga with children? Patience and a good strategy. Photo: Pexels.com
Most people associate yoga with peace and serenity, mindfulness and reflection on their own breathing. And that in combination with excited children? Not possible. Or maybe yes? Why not develop a yoga routine with the kids? Here are a few tips on how yoga can work at home with kids.
First the yoga theory, then the practice
Unless a child has grown up with a yoga teacher in the house, they are unlikely to know what yoga is and why adults practice yoga. A short, child-friendly explanation is therefore appropriate. Parents can explain, for example, that yoga was developed many thousands of years ago – more precisely about 5,000 years ago in what is now India.
The yogis then meditated for many hours a day. However, after sitting still for hours, they lacked exercise and felt very stiff after the meditation. A solution was needed. The yogis began to observe the animals and imitate their movements. They arched their backs like cats, buttocks like dogs, and heads like cobras. This point in the story is a good place to incorporate the first asanas so that the whole thing doesn’t become a boring lecture.
>> The movements helped yogis keep their bodies strong and healthy – and that’s what yoga does for us today. Because most of the time we sit around way too much.
Of course, there is much more to say about yoga and some terms to explain. But that can come gradually when the big ones realize that the little ones are really interested in yoga.
Create space for parent-child yoga
In the next step, a common yoga place should be set up. You either unroll the yoga mats in the living room or in a guest room where there is enough space. Ideally, the surface under the mat is hard and rather not carpeted.
>> It is important that the yoga place will always be the same and the time of day or day of the week for the yoga session should always be the same so that a real routine can develop.
Then the necessary aids are laid out: for example yoga blocks, belts, and blankets for the final relaxation. Yoga accessories from Gorilla Sports or other online fitness shops can be easily integrated into the routine (yoga mats or yoga cushions are ideal). A nice idea for starting the common ritual: Initiate the yoga practice by lighting a candle or an aroma lamp.
Tip: If you are still in the learning phase and do not yet have many yoga exercises by heart, you will find many good tutorials for yoga for adults, but also for yoga with children, on the Internet. The latter is particularly suitable for small children. Older children – from around ten years of age – can also take part in more demanding asanas and exercises that merge into one another.
Useful: Develop a yoga routine with the child
A good time of day for the yoga routine with a child is the late afternoon. Why? Because enough time has already passed after kindergarten or school to wind down a bit and do your homework. Weekend mornings are also suitable.
Important: Parents should keep in mind that children cannot or do not want to do yoga for an hour at a time without problems. In the beginning, ten minutes of yoga is absolutely sufficient, especially with small children. However, these should then be carried out as consistently as possible. Then the adults can continue on their own.
>> For your own yoga practice, it is important to set limits for the children. Parents should clearly tell children to respect the time they are doing yoga alone. They’re still allowed to join in, but not talk or even climb on top of them (although of course, it’s absolutely tempting to climb on Dad’s back when he’s on all fours).
Cool yoga exercises with kids
There are many great poses and asanas that parents can practice at home with their children. Many postures that occur in a normal yoga class for adults can also be practiced with children. The main difference is how the pose is approached.
It is best to be very playful with children. For example, a little story can be told about the postures: The cat is mad at the cow and hunches. The cobra comes along and later the dog joins in.
>> Sometimes it makes sense to think up your own names for certain yoga poses (or the children can think of names).
These asanas are particularly suitable for yoga with children:
• cat and cow
• Downward Dog
• frog
• The warrior positions (warriors 1 to 3)
• The tree
• The cobra
• The monkey
• The Dragon
Don’t take on too much for the yoga class with children. It is better to do a few exercises together but do them thoroughly. In every yoga class, there should not be too many new exercises. It is better to repeat the known exercises until they work really well.
Partner yoga positions with children
Partner exercises are a lot of fun for many children. They are also a great way to motivate and encourage children in their first yoga classes.
A large proportion of asanas are simply two postures put together to support each other. A nice partner exercise that can be carried out together with a child is, for example, the tree as partner exercise. This exercise also works well despite the size difference.
>> The partners stand facing each other and hold their hands in front of them at shoulder height. The palms are pressed against those of the partner. Then everyone puts one foot on their leg – on the calf or thigh – and balances with the support of the other person.
