5 Yoga Exercises for Kids6 min read
Modern-day lifestyle has become so demanding and absorbing that not even adults can devote much time to our children. The same is the case with the kids too! We can’t point out kids indulging in electronic gadgets like video games, remote control games, television, mobiles, etc. Undoubtedly these things are contributing to making them couch potatoes. Keeping all such points in consideration, it becomes crucial to ensure that your kid gets the exercise they need right from the comfort of your home.
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The golden key to all your problems!
Yoga is something that unlocks the door to peace, tranquility, and joy. It is a mindful place that acts as a mind, body, and soul canvas. Kids tend to spend most of their time doing homework and school-related extracurricular activities. As a result of which, they hardly get any time to play. ”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”- this statement is pretty much obsolete. In today’s world, the situation turns out to be different frequently.
They often face overstimulation, frustration, distraction, and academic and peer pressure too early in life. Adding on, they get indulged in their insecurities and fears as well. Yoga works wonders for kids. It helps them deal with this pressure-cooker environment. And infuse energy and confidence into their personalities. Children enjoy child-friendly activities while they learn yoga.
Academic Approach towards Yoga
Following the modern-day trend, many schools, educational institutions, and many NGOs have begun to merge yoga programs into their curriculum, programs, and annual functions too! But this doesn’t mean that it should be restricted to only academic levels. We all should take a pledge to include it in our kid’s life. Not only for a fresh mind but also for a healthy body, psychological, social, and mental fitness.
Working out yoga poses with your family can be an excellent experience for everyone involved and gives kids some often needed one-on-one time with their families.
How to Begin?
- Remember, when you start, you need to start with the simplest ones. This is important, and you should also not imposture anything on your kids to do a specific complex yoga pose.
- Let your children learn and play and think of yoga asana as a game. It is for sure that if your child makes it a habit, it will help them have the maximum use of their potential.
- Let the initial investment begin with as little time as 1 minute per exercise. Total time can be around 15 minutes.
- Encourage your kid to posture correctly, paying attention to the breathing. Never try to force them. Let them demonstrate the pose instead of explaining it to the kids.
- Never compare your kid with another. This will discourage them.
There are unlimited yoga poses for children to do. Each kid is different. There is no limit to yoga postures and no particular standard for measuring the right one for your kid. Some of them are as follows:
Lotus Pose or Padmasana
A mindful approach while starting any yoga practice with your kid is to be seated in a comfortable seated position, preferably with legs crossed and arms on the lap, with their palms facing upwards. During the initial phase, you must teach your kid to breathe generally while keeping their eyes closed for at least 10-12 minutes.
After this act of normal breathing, you may assist them in starting the yoga poses, asking your child to be mindful of their breathing. Teach them to hold their breaths for as long as they can. You must help them progress from the easy yoga postures to the more difficult ones.
Boat Pose or Navasana
To perform this pose, the first thing must be to let your child sit down with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Once they are seated well, tell them to slowly lift their feet off the ground and position them parallel to the floor. Usually, this pose is referred to as a half-boat yoga pose for kids. Always make sure that their back must be upright at all times. After 2-3 minutes, slowly lift their legs to a 45-degree angle with arms stretched out. After this, ensure whether their back is upright or not. This pose helps improve balance and posture.
Tree Pose or Vrikshasana
While performing this pose, tell your kids to stand tall and mighty like a tree! Here, your child must stand upright with hands on the side by taking in a deep breath. Tell them to exhale while bending the right knee right after slowly and placing their alternate foot on the side of the left leg.
Once they do this, tell them to place their hands together (as if they greet someone by doing namaste). The next step to follow should be to exhale while extending their hands above their head. Always remember that mindful breathing all the time is essential.
This pose helps to focus and balance while strengthening the core and legs!
Bridge Pose or Sethu Bandhasana
Tell your child to start by lying on their back with their hands by the side and their palms facing downwards. Tell them to bend their knees after this and keep their feet touching the ground. Furthermore, please help them lift their hips to put their hips, knees, and chest in a diagonal position. As mentioned earlier, breathing and taking deep, slow breaths is very useful.
Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana
This pose is regarded as the best pose for growing children as it helps build their muscle power, increases flexibility, and relaxes their mood. First, your child needs to lie flat on their stomach and keep their palms facing down near their shoulders, with their toes curled outwards. After doing this, tell them to push down on their palms and lift their head, shoulders, and some of their chest up until their elbows are either slightly bent or straight, depending on their comfort level. Meanwhile, ask them to look upfront and concentrate firmly. You may ask them to even compete with other kids of their age to see who holds it for the longest- Let it be a healthy competition. Kids love to turn this pose into a contest to see who can have it for the most prolonged period.
What do researchers say?
Researchers conduct many studies to study the effect that yoga has on children. Almost all the researchers have concluded that yoga provides an increased level of focus and decreases anxiety. It promotes mindfulness for kids who do yoga regularly.
Yoga is associated with decreased violence in schools by providing a way for kids to release pent-up energy, stress, and anger.
Conclusion
Yoga involves practicing balance. This can be one of the biggest reasons for its positive action. The list of cognitive and sensory benefits rendered by practicing yoga regularly is endless. Teaching yoga to children is a beautiful way to encourage a healthy lifestyle. You can start adding a few postures in daily games and teach them while playing and during playtime. Decide your vibe!