We’re All In This Together – Invite Your Kids to Take Part in Your Next Yoga Practice
As stay at home orders become the new norm, my daily yoga and meditation regimens have become sacred
moments that help me maintain my own well-being. As a dedicated yoga family with three young children, we also love to practice yoga at home together. This family playtime helps to keep us healthy, entertained and connected.
Here are a few of my easy tips:
1. Establish A Routine: Each day we try to dedicate a small space in our home to take a few minutes to
stretch and play. We lay out our yoga mats or kids gymnastic mats. You can use a beach or bath towel if
you don’t have a yoga mat.
2. Build It Up: Yoga requires concentration of the body and mind, so as you introduce this to your kids, start with shorter 10-minute workshops and frame it up as playtime. As your kids’ focus grows, gradually
increase the class length over time. After a few days/weeks, you’ll notice differences in their attention
span and their ability to translate this increased focus to learning and other tasks.
3. Make It Fun: Keep a high energy with upbeat music and encourage creative movement, such as jumping and dancing. Incorporate animal named poses and noises into the practice: a woof for adho mukha svanasana (downward dog); meow and moo for marjaryasana (cat) and bitilasana (cow); a hissing snake noise for bhujangasana (cobra); and a frog’s ribbit for malasana. Get the whole family involved and make poses together to build trust in one another…my kids love to fly like an airplane on their dad’s feet! Turn pranayama (breathing techniques) into a game – challenge your kids to inhale to a count of six and exhale to a count of six while their hand is on their tummy.
4. Impart Life Lessons: If you start to regularly practice relaxation with your kids, you will help them learn toself-regulate and promote mindfulness in their early development. In stressful or overwhelming
situations, your kids might start to remember these practices to help refocus. At the beginning of each
class, set an intention and ask your children: “What are we grateful for?” Finish the practice with
savasana and meditation to slow the body. This is also a great technique for them to use in bed at
naptime.
Cherish this time with your kids – 15 or so minutes each day will help teach them the importance of human
connection and create lifelong memories to carry over into their adult mindfulness practice.
