Home With the Kids? Do Yoga!

In my experience, and I have a little, kids love to do yoga, but they especially love to do it ith you! "o hile you could sign them up #or kids$ yoga classes %and that ould probably be orth hile in many ays&, setting up a #e mats in the living room and thro ing do n some asanas together is also a great idea, especially because it allo s you to get in some yoga time too! 'ainy eekends, hot summer a#ternoons, and any other times you hear the dreaded ()( ord %(I$m bored,(& are ideal times to ork a little yoga into your kids$ lives! You$ll all #eel better #or it! Tips: * I# you have a mat, your kid is going to ant one too! * +he more creative you get ith the narrative o# the poses, the more engaged your kids ill be! * Keep things age,appropriate and sa#e! +he #ollo ing poses are suitable #or most children #our and up, but kids$ bodies vary a lot, both #rom one another and #rom adult bodies, so expect approximations o# the poses! * Your kids may not have the attention span #or more than a #e poses! - book or snack on their mat may buy you a little more time ith younger children, but reali.e that you may have to cut the session short! * +he suggested poses belo #all into three broad categories/ nature, animals, and humans! +his allo s your child to relate the postures to shapes and experiences ith hich they are #amiliar! * Kids also love to make up their o n poses! 1. Tree Pose +ree is al ays a #avorite ith kids! Invite them to imagine that they have roots that are helping them balance! +hey can s ay their arms like branches in the bree.e! It$s also a good time to sho them that it$s ok to topple over and 0ust to have #un ith it!

Barry Stone 2. Plank Pose

1lank may look easy to them, so let them try to hold it as long as they can! Barry Stone 3. Cat- Cow Stretch 2eo as you move #rom a rounded Hallo een cat position to an arched, mooing co ! Barry Stone 4. Downward Facing Dog I# your #amily has a dog, this stretch ill undoubtedly look #amiliar to your kids! - basic hands and knees position is a simple alternative, and both provide the per#ect opportunity to ag your tail! You could also call this mountain pose %not to be con#used ith mountain pose&!

Barry Stone

5. agle Pose I# your kids are small, have them try eagle ith their butts leaning on a all! 3ncourage arm #lapping and bird calls! You could also call this pret.el pose!

Barry Stone !. Co"ra Pose 4obra is al ays a #avorite, since ho doesn$t like to slither on her belly hile hissing? +his pose al ays reminds me o# tummy time, so you could take that angle too, even breaking out old photos o# baby in her #irst cobra #or inspiration!

Barry Stone

#. $i%ard Pose 2odi#y as necessary by dropping the back knee and5or coming up on straight rather than bent arms! 3ither ay, darting the head around and sticking out your tongue makes this more reptilian!

Barry Stone

&. lephant's Tr(nk )Foot Phone* +he arm balance here is a little ambitious #or most kids, though your budding gymnasts may en0oy it! Instead, #ocus on thro ing your arm over your shoulder to make a trunk! +his can also lead to the al ays popular #oot phone, in hich you bring your #oot up to your #ace and pretend to carry on a telephone conversation!

Barry Stone

+. ,(tter-l. Pose 6lutter the legs as they take the shape o# a butter#ly$s ings!

Barry Stone 1/. 0arrior 11 2ost o# our kids poses are a little silly, but you can also ork on being a proud, #ierce arrior! Your child could imagine #acing a scary situation ith bravery or standing up #or themselves hile doing this pose!

Barry Stone

11. Sleeping 2ishn( +his one is good #or a silly laugh because o# ho di##icult it is to balance on the edge o# your side, even #or adults! I# your kids get to a place here they can stop laughing, ask them to pretend to take a nap!

Barry Stone 12. Child's Pose

Barry Stone

Kids love that there$s a yoga pose 0ust #or them! 4hild$s pose doesn$t re7uire much explanation and you can do it any time hen you are practicing!

13. 3app. ,a". Kids o# all ages en0oy pretending to be babies! Happy baby pose gives them the per#ect excuse! Barry Stone 14. Corpse Pose Barry Stone I# it seems too morbid to call this corpse pose, you could call it relaxation, but some kids are actually more com#ortable ith the idea o# playing dead than adults are! - children$s yoga teacher I kno gives the kids a (noodle test,( to see ho relaxed they are by li#ting their arms and shaking them like a et noodle be#ore letting them drop back do n!