How to Teach Yoga to Kids

The secret of teaching yoga to kids is to make yoga appear like a game. There are many ingenious ways in which you can do this. Start introducing them to yoga poses in which they have to mimic an animal or bird. Kids love mimicking, and so would instinctively take to poses like the cat-cow pose where you have to mimic the instinctive actions of a cat when it arches its back up and down to stretch it.

Asking the kids to mimic animal sounds and cat calls would make these poses appear more like a game. There are many such poses in yoga like the Downward facing dog pose, tiger pose, lion pose, peacock pose, pigeon pose, etc., where you can make kids mimic the animal or bird whose actions the pose recreates.

Asking kids to make a hissing sound while exhaling is a good way to get them involved in teaching them yogic breathing, where they have to breathe consciously and deeply. Tell them that they are mimicking a volcano that is spewing out lava. Introducing actions like asking kids to join hands at the level of their chest and then lifting their arms up to mimic the rise of lava as they breathe in, and hissing as they breathe out.

Due to their hyperactivity, kids accumulate a lot of fatigue. It is necessary to teach them to consciously relax. But here it is again a challenge to get kids to remain motionless, which they would be required to when they do the relaxation poses like the Shavasana. Motivate them to remain motionless, by offering candies or cookies to those who remain motionless the longest.

Also ask them to loudly repeat auto-suggestions like “the muscles of my face are relaxing”, “the muscles of my stomach are relaxing”, “the muscles of my feet are relaxing”, etc. This would involve them in the process, and keep them busy in doing (saying) something when they are to remain motionless to relax.

Introduce them to partner and group yoga poses like basket weaving pose, see-saw pose, etc. All this, put together makes doing yoga seem like game, and so they would enjoy doing it while you have to take minimal effort to make them do the exercises.

Sources:

Yoga for Kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JXmQc3_m_k

Yoga Helps Kids Find Balance in Their Lives

http://www.yogasite.com/yoga%20kids.htm

Yoga 4 Kids

http://www.yoga4kids.org/

Storytime Yoga

http://www.storytimeyoga.com/

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Dancers pose

The Yoga Dancers pose is also called the Natarajasana. This is an aesthetic, and also an acrobatic pose. It helps you to improve your ability to stretch and balance your body.

You will enjoy doing this pose as there is a fun element in it. It is also a good warm-up pose. For this reason, this pose is included in many yoga beginner sessions. It also improves the flexibility of your body.

You start doing this pose from a standing position. Ensure that you are standing straight, with your knees straight above your ankles and hips over the knees. Inhale, and engage the muscles of your abdomen by drawing your navel (belly button) inwards.

Stiffen the muscles of your right leg and lift your left foot off the floor. Raise the left foot to the level of your buttocks and hold the left ankle with your left hand.

Beginners who find it difficult to hold their leg this way, can tie a strap to their left ankle and hold the strap instead of the ankle. Now lift your right arm above your head. Inhale, and as you exhale, bend forward gradually, as you also simultaneously pull your left leg up.

Lift your left foot as high as you can, preferably up to the level of your shoulders. Initially you may not be able to raise it as high, but over a period of time, you will be able to raise it to your shoulder level. When you do this, reach forward with your right arm. This helps you to balance your weight and hold on to this precarious position.

Grounding your right foot into the floor will help you to hold on to this position. Pause here for between three to five breaths, increasing this period as you master to do this asana (pose).

This pose nourishes your hips and lower back, and stretches your quads (thighs) in addition to helping you to increase your ability to balance yourself and improve your agility.

Sources:

Improving Your Yoga Stretching: Yoga Dancers Pose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkFr7KaAR2U

Learn How At Any Age You Can Grow Taller

http://yougrowtaller.com/exercises/improving-your-yoga-stretching-yoga-dancers-pose/

Yoga Dancers Pose

http://www.ehow.com/video_4399010_yoga-dancers-pose.html

Lord of the Dance Pose

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/936

Leg Drop pose of Prenatal Yoga

Doing any exercise during pregnancy needs lot of care and caution. The Leg drop pose of prenatal yoga is an exercise which, should be done with due precautions, and after clearance from your gynecologist. This is an ideal exercise that helps you to reduce the stiffness around your hips and legs during pregnancy.

Do learn to do this exercise under the guidance of a yoga tutor and also ask a friend or family member to be around to help you out when you do it.

You start doing it by lying down supine on your back near a wall. Bend your legs from the knees to place your hips at about half a leg’s distance from the wall. Use a Yoga mat or a carpet for you to do this exercise. Before starting to do the following steps, inhale deeply and exhale for a few times, till your body is attuned to this posture and then start with the physical movements.

Ensure that your spine is not curved either to the right or left and stay connected with your hips, back and shoulders on the floor. Come into a loose cross-legged position by placing your right leg over your left ankle. Pause in this position and inhale deeply. As you exhale, lift your right leg up the wall, followed by the left leg. Stabilize your legs in this position and then make the next move.

Press your heels against the wall and reach your toes outwards to give your legs a good stretch. Stiffen the muscles of your left leg, including your glutes, quads and calf muscles. Slowly and purposefully lower the right leg towards the floor sideways. You may drag your right heel along the wall to control the downward movement of your right leg. Do not let your leg drop abruptly to the side. Controlled movement is the essence of success in this exercise.

Place your arms on either side, and move them slightly away, so that they are at an angle of forty five degrees from the torso. Place your palms, flat on the mat so that they help to stabilize your body and give a good foundation to support your leg movements.

When you drop your right leg downwards you need not bring the leg right down to the floor, but lower it as long as you are comfortable doing so. You may keep your right heel pressed against the wall, or even rest your right foot on a yoga block or on a low stool, or a stack of books. Stretch both your legs away from each other in this position.

Pause in this position for some time, and then inhale to again slowly lift your right leg to bring it alongside your left leg. Repeat this movement lowering your left leg instead of your right.

Sources:

Yoga for Pregnant Women : Leg Drop Pose for Prenatal Yoga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caY1Qouz7I4

Inverted Pose for Prenatal Yoga

http://www.ehow.com/video_2351568_inverted-pose-prenatal-yoga.html

Leg Mudra Pose for Prenatal Yoga

http://www.livestrong.com/video/651-leg-mudra-pose-prenatal-yoga/

Leg Drop Pose for Prenatal Yoga

http://pregnancyexercisevideos.info/?p=179