Yoga is a discipline suitable for everyone, even for particular people, including pregnant women, the elderly, and children. For this reason, in recent years, the practice has also made its way among the little ones, who appreciate the approach to some positions taking it as a fun game, which brings many benefits for the osteoarticular system and the mind. Let’s see together which are the most suitable asanas and their benefits.
Yoga Positions For Children
Some yoga poses are especially good for children. More and more parents choose to venture into this discipline together with their children, who have fun experimenting with positions inspired by nature and, in particular, by animals. Many instructors take advantage of the playful aspect of this discipline to thrill them and ensure that everything happens naturally, succeeding in making them acquire all the positive aspects that a relaxing activity like this can give to body and mind.
The cat’s position is most appreciated by the little ones and is achieved by getting on all fours on the mat while breathing deeply through the nose. Then brings his chin to his chest, arching his back and blowing the air out. Meanwhile, the palms of the hands must adhere well to the floor, and the sequence is repeated at least five times. It is important to have children respect their breathing, which is an integral part of this discipline.
Another intriguing position for the little ones is that of the dog, which is set in the same way as that of the cat: on all fours on the mat and, while inhaling deeply with the nose, you have to stretch your arms and legs by vigorously pushing your palms—hands to the ground. The gaze should be on the feet while the head and neck relax. You can then return to the initial position and repeat it several times. Between animals that can fascinate children, there is also the cobra with the asana of the same name.
Babies can lie on their stomachs, touching the mat with their foreheads and inhaling while retracting their arms to the sides of the torso. With the palms of the hands well extended and parallel to the floor, they must raise themselves arching the back and raising the head as much as possible, sending it back. The mouth must be closed, and once at the apex of the asana, the air can be thrown out. They can repeat this position up to 5 times.
Some positions refer to marine animals to accompany children in this pleasant experience with yoga. In this way, it is easy to change each session and always discover something new. Among the most interesting is the turtle’s position, which is carried out by sitting down and keeping the back straight, perfectly perpendicular to the floor. At this point, the children have to bring the soles of their feet together, bending the knees as they exhale.
Immediately after, they must push forward and pass one arm under the right leg and then under the left, bringing the hands to cover the feet while the forehead touches the heels. The arched back then takes on a shape similar to the turtle’s carapace, and this position must be maintained for at least a minute. The crab asana is one of the most curious and is performed by sitting on the ground and retracting the legs towards the torso so that the soles of the feet adhere perfectly to the ground.
The hands must be brought to the hips, and then, with a push and inhaling, one must rise from the ground, creating a sort of bridge with the body. The torso should be parallel to the floor, and the head should be facing up. Babies can hold the position for a few seconds and try to move just like the crab does, back and forth.
For them, it will be a lot of fun and, before they get down and sit down, they will have to let the air out. After resting for a few seconds, the crab asana can be repeated up to 5 times. Speaking of marine animals, there is also the shark position that children can try out by lying on their stomachs, stretching their arms at their sides, and turning their palms up. As children inhale, they should lift their torso backward as far as possible and cross their hands to mimic what most likely should be the shark’s fin.
The position must be maintained for a few seconds and, after having untied the fingers, you can return to the ground by exhaling. Again, children can do a set of 5. At the bottom of the sea, there are also starfish, and yoga also contemplates this position, which children can try lying on the ground on their stomach and spreading their legs and arms. In this phase, they can remain motionless for a few seconds with their eyes closed and then bring their hands to their abdomen, listening to their breath. After 4-5 breathing movements, they can bring their hands back up and move their limbs to relax them.
The Benefits Of Yoga For Children
Yoga for children is one of the suitable activities for adults to relax the entire body and bring serenity and awareness to one’s body. In modern society, where everything runs fast, and some of them have problems related to attention deficit and hyperactivity, yoga can be seen as a method to regulate their vitality. The latter can be channeled productively, using and regularly distributing in daily activities.
A further benefit of this discipline on children is to positively influence posture, correcting any musculoskeletal dysfunctions due to prolonged incorrect positions. In this way, harmonious development of the body is favored, coordination is improved, and one learns to perceive the body’s messages more. Many children like bee breathing, which requires sitting cross-legged, closing their eyes, and pinching their ears with their thumbs while repeating “Om,” prolonging the sound.
In addition to relaxing the mind, this practice transmits serenity and concentration while the vibrations relax all the muscles starting from the cranial bones. With the positions related to nature and the mimicry of animals or trees, children also develop the creativity and the intellectual part inherent in this discipline. Over time, children also develop greater awareness of their emotions, understand when they need a moment of relaxation, and develop learning skills, thanks to better concentration.
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