A yoga session fit for youngsters
Beijing’s cold winters tend to keep most people indoors, but this doesn’t mean youngsters need to give up exercising! A simple session of yoga can do wonders for your kids: strengthen muscles, improve circulation and teach ways to enhance concentration. The following poses are suitable for kids from ages 4-10.
Tree
Stand straight with the feet together. Lift your right knee and place your right foot on your left upper thigh. Keep your knee pointed outwards. Put your palms together; breathe gently and deeply to stay in balance. Exhale as you lower your right foot and stand again with your big toes touching. Repeat the pose with the other leg. If challenging to balance with your foot on your thigh, lower your foot to your calf or ankle.
Benefits
- Strengthens the legs and lengthens the spine
- Improves concentration and balance
Do
- Imagine being a tall tree with deep roots
- Find one steady thing to look at to help keep your balance
Don’t
- Sway like a tree in the wind
- Bring your bent knee forward in front of you
- Place your foot on your knee
Cobra
Lie on your stomach with legs shoulder-width apart. Placing feet flat on the ground with soles facing up, point your toes and place your palms on either side of the chest, with fingers well-spread and pointing forward. Then push against the floor to raise your chest off the floor. Straighten your arms and look forward.
Benefits
- Helps remove stiffness in the neck and spine
Do
- Tighten the thigh muscles
- Imagine you are a cobra about to strike
- Relax your buttocks
Don’t
- Raise your thighs off the floor
- Arch into your lower back
- Lock your elbows
Butterfly
Sit on the floor with your back straight and legs extended forward. Bending your knees, draw your legs in until your knees point out sideways and the soles of your feet are joined. Broaden your chest and draw your shoulders back. Rest your hands on your feet or calves.
Benefits
- Keeps the hips and knee joints flexible
- Improves the functioning of the lower abdominal organs
Do
- Try to bring your knees close to the floor
- Pull your heels in towards your pelvis
- Gently lift your knees up on inhale, release down on exhale
Don’t
- Look down at the floor or lower your head
Dragonfly
Stand straight and keep your feet together. Bending the knees slightly, place your right leg in front of the left leg, and entwine it around so that you are balancing on your left leg. Hold your arms out to either side, with palms facing up; join the index finger and thumb of each hand. Keep your balance. Repeat the pose with the left leg over the right leg.
Benefits
- Strengthens ankles
- Relieves cramps in the calves
Do
- Look straight ahead
- Find one steady thing to look at to help keep your balance
Don’t
- Entwine loosely
Frog
Squat on the floor. Spread your knees sideways and place your palms in front on the floor near the feet. Open the fingers and try to straighten your arms. Raise the hips and head. Look forward.
Benefits
- Gives strength to the arms and spine
- Improves concentration and confidence
Do
- Keep hands forward, fingers radiating from the palms like the rays of the sun
Don’t
- Look down, lower your head or arch your back
Warrior One
Stand up straight with your feet together. Make a small hop to spread your legs a few feet apart with toes pointed forward. Spread out your arms with the palms facing down. Then, turning the palms up, raise your arms and bring them together above your head. Now turn your right foot out 90 degrees and let your left foot follow at a 45-degree angle. Shift your hips to turn your body to the right. Breathe. Bring your feet together again and do the pose on the other side.
Benefits
- Increases stamina, and develops breath awareness in the lungs and chest
- Strengthens the shoulder and back muscles
Do
- Keep the base of the feet on the ground
- Be firm and strong like a warrior
Don’t
- Lean forward or arch your back
Turtle
Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward. Then spread your legs as far apart as you can. Leaning forward, slide your arms under your knees and extend them sideways. Lower your head and, without straining yourself, bring the head, chin or chest to the floor as close as you can. Go only as low as feels comfortable.
Benefits
- Makes the spine supple
- Soothes and calms the mind
Do
- Stay still for a few seconds, concentrating on deep inhales and long exhales
- Try to move your shoulders under your knees
Don’t
- Force your body to the floor
Elephant
Stand straight with your big toes touching. Rest your hands on your hips and hop to spread the legs apart as wide as you are comfortable with. Stretch your left arm forward. Place your right arm underneath, then entwine it around the left elbow and reach up to hold your nose gently with your right hand. Hold this pose for a few seconds and breathe. Repeat the pose with the opposite side.
Benefits
- Improves balance and concentration
- Straightens the spine
Do
- Imagine yourself to be a strong and stable elephant
- Breathe – and with each breath, swing your arm and torso while keeping the feet and legs still and stable
- Look straight ahead
Don’t
- Hold your breath or hold your nose so tightly that you can no longer breathe through the nose
General Precautions
- Do not practice yoga poses immediately after eating. Allow two to four hours after meals and at least one or two hours after eating a snack.
- If you’re sick, rest. But, if you have a minor problem, consult a doctor – yoga can help relieve some of these problems.
- Children under the age of 8 may not be able to accurately perform some poses because their bodies aren’t fully developed. Do not force those who can’t perform certain exercises.
- While doing the poses, try to inhale deeply and exhale slowly through your nose. But do not force yourself to breathe too deeply or to hold your breath while doing the poses.
Thanks to models Theo Want, Yasmin Spencer, Ingrid Lamont and Sophie Holtus for demonstrating these poses, and to Yoga Yard (www.yogayard.com) for helping with the postures and explanations. To learn more about kids yoga or for information about classes, contact Ange Gervan at info@yogayard.com or by calling 6413 0774. Also see the Directory under Sports. To learn a few poses for prenatal yoga, check out the blog "Prenatal Yoga for Mothers-to-be".
