Worried about your child’s health and fitness? Why not encourage them to try out easy yoga asanas? Yoga is the ancient form of exercise for physical fitness as well as mental control. Learning about yoga early on and developing it as a practice is a wonderful habit for young children. Therefore yoga for kids can keep them active, happy, and bursting with positive energy. Not to mention, it also helps children stay more focused, calm, and less stressed.
The first thing to keep in mind, though, is to let go of the worry most parents have with regard to their kids getting it right and doing basic asanas perfectly. Your focus should not be towards getting them to do it right, rather helping them get into the habit of doing yoga regularly. This can be done by making them practice gentle movements. It will help increase their awareness of their own body and mind.
Now the question that would come to your mind is, what gentle movements would be suitable for my child? Today, we give you the answer to this question.
6 Yoga poses your child should practice every day:
1. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) – Best yoga for kids
For this position, have your child lie on his back. Make him bend both knees in a way the feet would be flat on the ground. Once this is done, have him bring the heels as close to his bottom as possible and as much as he comfortably can. Then, ask him to lift his hips high. Most kids have a flexible spine, so they can press their hips up very high. This pose is great for leg strength, ankle stability, and energy.
This one is a partner pose. First- ask both of them to sit down facing each other. Then tell both of them to raise their legs slightly upwards and join their toes with their partner’s toes. Now, they need to raise and hold each other’s hands. They need to use some pressure and push the partner’s soles. Ask them to breathe normally and return to the original state by first putting their feet down slowly and then, releasing their hands. I am sure your kids will love this one. Moreover, it a great stress buster too! Some of its benefits include improvement in the digestive system, strengthening of the backbone. Not to mention, it helps the children learn teamwork.
3. Vriksasana (Tree Pose)
Ask them to Inhale and stand erect. Then tell them to put their left sole a little bit upwards, but their toe should be on the floor. Your left sole should be on the floor and touch your right toe. To balance yourself, extend your hands upwards. Your right leg should be straight and the right knee should be locked. Look upwards and breathe normally. Stay in this position for 5-7 seconds. Repeat this pose with the other leg. This pose helps to balance your body and stretches the chest. It will strengthen your child’s legs and hands too.
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4. Dekasana (Airplane Pose)
Have him breathe in and stand straight. Make him put his right leg forward. Both his knees should be straight and locked and also needs to lean his body a little forward. Ask him to raise his arms upwards on either side to maintain the balance. The thing to keep in mind is that his body pose should be like a flying airplane. He should stay in this posture for a few seconds. Some benefits of this yoga are that it helps to increase the concentration level and also teaches kids to maintain balance. It even strengthens the legs, chest, and hands.
5. Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal)
He should begin by breathing in and sitting down and crossing his legs. Encourage him/her hold both palms together, in a ‘Namaste’ pose, while asking him to inhale. His back should be straight. He should stay in this position for 1 minute or so and breathe normally, then deeply. This yoga pose works as a great stress-buster, which will ultimately relax his body and provide him peace of mind.
6. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Have him stand straight. Tell him to take a deep breath while also keeping his spinal cord straight. His legs should be straight and knees, locked. Both his toes should touch each other and the hands need to be downwards and straight. Staying in this position for 30 seconds or so, make him inhale and exhale deeply. Some benefits of this pose are that it helps to improve body posture and even strengthens the legs and muscles.
We all know how competitive today’s world has become and this has put a lot of burden and stress even on children and teenagers. They are loaded with heavy books to make their future bright. There’s hardly any time for extracurricular activities and to add to that there’s the consumption of all that unhealthy junk food too. Under such a situation, the most excellent way to keep your little one healthy and hearty is yoga.
Yoga helps to improve concentration, boosts confidence, and reduces the level of stress too. Hence, introducing your children to yoga at an early age can help them learn healthy lifestyle habits and set the foundation for a fit future. I hope this article will help you achieve that! Stay healthy, stay happy!
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