Kids Top Five Yoga Exercises

5 Sure-Fire Kids Yoga Exercises

April 21, 2008 By Aruna Kathy Humphrys

 

Five Kids Favorites

Simply put, there are some yoga poses that the kids ask for and some that they don’t. Surprisingly, a lot of the favorites are warm-up poses that get the circulation going after a long day of sitting at a desk.

 

These are what I get the most requests for in yoga class:

 

Washing Machine: This is a great Kundalini Yoga warm-up that kids love because it is active and fun! In easy pose put your hands on your shoulders (fingers in front, thumbs in back). Then twist left and right like a washing machine. You can do breathing – inhaling as you go left and exhaling as you go right, but it’s also fun to say “swish, swish” as you go to each side. (Bonus Pose: Follow this one up with Dryer Pose where you rotate your hands around each other in front of your chest – said to be great for co-ordination and the brain)

Bicycle: In yoga we do bicycle lying on the back and pedaling our legs in the air (see picture). Finish by pedalling up a hill then going down the hill holding your legs stretched wide by your head and shout, “weeeeeeeeee!” (you don’t need to peddle down a hill!)  

Tricky Tree: A favorite in the partner yoga genre. In tree pose, both partners face forward and balance on one foot. Instead of putting your foot on your own leg, stretch it towards your partner and let them hold it up for you. One person holds a foot in front and the other person holds the foot behind their leg. You kind of look like a capital “H” when you do it. It is very tricky for pre-schoolers so you may need to help them balance in this one.  

Human Teacher Puppet: Want to get everyone’s attention in a class? Let one child sit on your lap and pretend they are teaching the class. Gently hold their wrists and move their arms around for them in a very animated way as you describe the next pose. Use different voices and accents, try hand gestures like using their hand to scratch their head or blow kisses. This is so popular the kids may start to jump on your lap the moment you sit down – so develop some kind of system to keep track of which kids have had a turn.

The Worry Tree: This is a beautiful image we use for relaxing. We have an imagination session for relaxation and go to different places in our imagination. At the beginning of the session we put all our worries on a big tree we call The Worry Tree. You put all the worries you can think of on there and when you are done then you start your imagination session. This is another one kids will ask for at the beginning of the class.

 

Aruna Humphrys

www.YoungYogaMasters.com

Exploring Kids Brains On Yoga

This is a blog I would like to share that is a wonderful way to teach Yoga to children. I came across an article on the development of the brain. I quickly thought of Maria Montessori and The Absorbment Mind!!! Happy Reading! You will have to go to Young Yoga Masters to enjoy a little Ziggy Marley and Paul Simon.

 

http://www.youngyogamasters.com/2011/05/22/exporing-kids-brains-on-yoga/

 

How Exploring Builds Better Brains

In our mother’s womb, sixteen weeks after conception, our brains start receiving signals from our ears. This experience of sound begins a life long bombardment of stimulation from the senses to the brain. When we are thrust into the light of day our baby brains are flooded with all the senses: sounds, sights, smells, tastes and touch.
Our baby brains begin organizing neurons to understand this onslaught of sensation. Making sense of our senses becomes a life long project we undergo as infants, toddlers, kids and eventually  as yoga teachers.
As we age we experience ourselves as a “self” exploring a physical world; a self that faces the ultimate questions of life. Who am I? Where am I? What can I do? Modern brain scanning techniques reveal our brains take a starring role in our exploration of the world.  These brain scans also reveal Exploring builds better brains.

Three Ways to Encourage Exploring with Kids Yoga

Kids engage in exploring when they interact with their environment in new and novel ways that pushes their physical, mental and emotional boundaries. Through exploration kids push their brains to develop new connections and learn new skills.
You can foster healthy brain development by providing good exploring activities for kids:

• Moving the body –  Teaching big movements that involve the entire body and small movements that involve just parts of the body.  Kids Yoga: try a rocket ship launch – start in a squat position and use your fingers to do a countdown from ten to one (small movements) then stand up slowly like a rocket ship launching and flying to the moon (large movements).
  
  

  Explore Music in Yoga - Try a Singing Bowl
• Handling physical objects – Teaching the handling of age appropriate toys, props and musical instruments.  Kids Yoga:  Introducing a Singing Bowl during class is a fun way for children learn to play it, while the other children watch and learn how to play and listen for the sound of the bowl singing.
• Interacting with others – Teaching singing, dancing, game playing  and partner yoga.  Kids Yoga:  consider partner yoga bicycle legs (see picture).  For toddlers try adult/child partner yoga, with the adult moving a child’s legs like they are riding a bicycle.  Then switch and let the toddlers grab the adult’s feet while they slowly bicycle.
  
  

  Partner Yoga - Bicycle Legs

In the Young Yoga Masters kids yoga teacher training we emphasize choosing postures and activities appropriate for the age group. Remember for toddlers merely standing up is a balancing posture.

Exploring Develops Confidence

When kids Explore they not only develop problem solving skills and motor skills they also develop emotional strength in the face of hardship. Kids faced with a hard task or a complex movement will struggle and learn to deal with struggling.
Kids’ yoga teachers need to be keenly aware that stress can be devastating for children; nevertheless, they shouldn’t be too quick to help a struggling child. Struggle in the right doses helps kids go from not being able to do something to being able to do it easily. We don’t want to deny kids this lesson as it is one they will benefit from for their entire lives. Ziggy Marley and Paul Simon explain it perfectly in song, “Walk tall, walk tall, even if you fall get up.”

The Teacher, Prepare Self

The Mindful Montessori blog has come to fruition as a goal for my Montessori classroom in 2011-2012 school year. Every year, the Head of School will give all staff members a Professional Development and Goal Setting form that will has several questions. The final question is "What are your two goals for next year?" In the years past, I remember having....finish my Montessori training.....a clean and organized closet...consistent daily record keeping....and now nurturing the spirit. Over time, this has been an area of my montessori environment I have not given as much attention to as I  would like. As time has gone by I began to observe playing the "Silence Game" and Grace and Courtesy lessons are not a Montessorian's only option to establish mindfulness. So where do I begin?...with myself.

This is my summer plan to begin my practice.

• Reading...Nurturing the Spirit, In Non-Sectarian Classrooms ...and any books that I come across I will share.

• Workbook...Shining Through, A Teacher's Handbook on Transformation
• Yoga classes,  2-3 times a week
• Daily Meditation
• Journal writing 

Mindful Montessori will include topics of The Teacher's Preparation, The Environment and Mindfulness Practices. I am looking forward to a Mindfulness year.