Yoga for Kids: Three Beginner Yoga Poses for Your Child

Kids today are more stressed out than kids of previous generations. They’re over-scheduled and over-connected. Yoga can be an effective and healthy way for kids to relax. It’s also a positive physical activity that kids and parents can do together.

Yoga for Kids: Getting Started

Kids under six shouldn’t perform any pose for more than one minute, and their entire yoga session shouldn’t exceed fifteen minutes. Kids over six can hold poses for ninety seconds and their yoga sessions can safely continue for up to twenty-five minutes.

Kids doing yoga poses should be encouraged to try them with eyes closed when appropriate, as it helps them to better “tune in” to their own bodies. Children shouldn’t practice yoga on a full tummy and should always warm up before practicing.

The following yoga poses are very beneficial for children to practice as they not only exercise muscles and promote relaxation, but engage the imagination!

Yoga for Kids: The Tree Pose

Have your child stand up straight, feet together and arms at his sides. Then, ask him to pull one leg up and place the sole of his foot on the inside of his leg (ideally on his thigh, but you can work up to this.) Be sure he’s not pressing on his kneecap.

Then, have him slowly lift his arms above his head, stretching his body. Have him hold the pose for up to 30 seconds.

Yoga for Kids: The Leaf Pose

Have your child sit on her bottom and place her legs on the floor in front of her. Then, have her touch the soles of her feet together and clasp them with her hands. Ask her to straighten her spine and then to slowly roll down until her head touches her hands and feet. She can hold that for fifteen seconds or so and then slowly repeat.

Yoga for Kids: The Swing Pose

This pose has two steps. The first step will help to improve your child’s flexibility while the second will help to energize your child’s body.

First, have your child stand with his legs shoulder width apart. Ask him to stretch his arms up as high as he can and then slowly roll forward from the waist until he’s leaned over as far as is comfortable. He can then slowly roll back up to the “arms up” position and slowly roll down to the left and then right as far as is comfortable.

Then, have your child hold his arms out to the sides at shoulder level and make a fist with each hand. Have him tighten and hold the muscles in his hand and arm for two counts and then release for two. Repeat once and then return to the first step to repeat the series several times.

Best Yoga Mats

Yoga is a wonderful exercise that requires very little equipment. However, the one thing you will need is a good yoga mat. When you use a mat, you'll have a soft cushioned surface on which you can practice your yoga poses.

Match Your Mat to Your Style of Yoga

If you practice hatha yoga, you'll probably want to use a good sticky mat. These mats are very popular and can be found in sporting goods stores, yoga studios, and in the sporting goods department of many department stores. The stickiness of the mat will help you maintain the proper alignment during your poses, and will prevent you from slipping and sliding. A PVC mat generally provides the optimal level of stickiness, but it's important to remember that your mat will only be sticky if it is kept clean.

If ashtanga yoga is more your style, you should look for a mat that provides extra padding. Because this style of yoga is more physically demanding, you'll also want to be sure to choose a durable mat that will be up to the challenge. Some people who practice ashtanga feel the best yoga mats are actually yoga rugs, since a rug is the superior choice for absorbing perspiration.

Yoga Mat Features to Look For

In most cases, you'll want to choose a thick mat, since the thickness will provide extra comfort, such as Gaiam's Premium Sticky Yoga Mat. However, there are those who prefer a thinner mat, since a thin mat will provide more stability during poses that require a lot of balance. If you travel a lot or need to take your mat to yoga classes, a thin mat will also roll up easier and be simpler to transport.

The Travel Yoga Mat from Gaiam is a great choice if you need to travel with your mat frequently. The mat's material is also an important consideration. PVC mats are very common, but there are also environmentally friendly mats made from organic cotton, jute and recycled rubber, such as the Reversible Eco Yoga Mat from Gaiam. PVC can provide the most padding and stickiness, but cotton and jute mats have the added advantage of being able to absorb perspiration, which can help avoid slipping. Mats with a surface texture can also help to prevent slipping, but if sitting on a textured surface bothers you, choose a sticky PVC mat without a textured surface.

Budget Considerations

Yoga is a very inexpensive exercise to engage in, because your mat is your only real requirement. So, most people are willing to pay a bit more in order to get the best yoga mats which are perfectly suited to their needs. However, if you are on a tight budget, the thinner PVC mats in a solid color are probably the best choice, such as Gaiam's Yoga Essentials mat.

Expect to pay more for patterns, extra thickness, textures or anti-microbial treatments. Environmentally friendly mats also tend to be a bit more expensive, but many feel they are worth the extra cost.

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