Yoga Asanas for Children

Yoga is gift of yogis to mankind and is practiced since ages for obtaining healthy mind and body. If parents make an effort to help children learn yoga, children can reap benefits of practicing yoga at an early age. Read on to find top 10 yoga postures which can be practiced by children and which prove beneficial for them for their wholesome development.

Teaching yoga asanas to children is a wonderful way to encourage them to a healthy lifestyle. You can start adding few postures in daily games and teach them while playing and during playtime. Anything taught playfully remains in any child’s mind forever. Researchers believe the effects of yoga asanas are great in children. They find that these children have better grades in their exams and they are able to handle stress more calmly.

Benefits of Yoga Asanas in Children

• Increases concentration and focus
 
• Helps stay calm
 
• Relieves stress


• Makes healthy
 
• Develop team skills


• Overcome feelings of jealousy, revenge and other negative feelings


• Builds self-esteem and confidence


• Develops creativity and imagination


• Makes them sharp and improves awareness

How to Teach Kids Yoga

• There are lots of yoga postures that are helpful for kids. But remember, when you are starting you need to start with the simplest ones. This is important and you should also not imposture anything on him.

• Let him learn and play and think yoga asana as a game. It is for sure that if your child makes it a habit, it will help him have the maximum use of his potential. 

• Start with investing very less time as 1 minute per exercise. Total time can be around 15 minutes.

• Encourage the child to posture in the right way paying attention to thebreathing. Never try to force him.

• Demonstrate the posture instead of explaining it to the kids.

• Pay attention that the tummy is not full of the kids before doing yoga asanas.

• Never compare one kid with another. This will simply discourage them.

Top 10 Yoga Asanas for Kids

1. Dhanurasana (Archer posture) – This is good for developing confidence and focus in children.

2. Mountain posture – This helps stretch the entire body and is good for expanding energy level.

3. Tree posture – This posture helps children build balance and alertness. It also helps in the development of the brain and improves concentration in kids.

4. Tadasana – This yoga asana helps children improve their balance and height gradually.

5. Sukhasana – Children can learn to sit straight and get the feeling of meditation.  It will help them in future.

6. Sethu bandhasana – Children who do this asana are able to have connection with their inner self and stay calm in their life.

7. Savasana – It helps in making kids feel relaxed and handle stress and strain in their life more efficiently.

8. Bhujangasana – This yoga asana helps children get a stretch for their back and helps in proper digestion and overall health benefit as well.

9. Ardha sarwangasana – This Yoga posture will help children get flexibility in their body and they will be able to perform various activities properly.

10. Virbhadrasana – This helps build confident, calm and balance in children. 

Although these yoga asanas have their benefits, children should not be forced to do exercise in any way. If you are able to teach them when they play and gradually help them practice yoga regularly, it will have its benefits. Always keep in mind this will take time and you will have to handle it patiently and sensibly. You can help them understand the asanas with their names and relate them to the animals after which the names have been given and they will imagine themselves like them.