Why Is Yoga Good For Kids? 5 Best Yoga Poses For Kids​

Are you finding that your kids are struggling to release their energy? Do they need help concentrating or become overwhelmed after activities or school? Yoga can help with all of these things, especially some poses that are ideal for kids and can keep them engaged and help them enjoy the experience. You don't need a professional to begin a Yoga practice with kids, but it does help to view the poses and learn how to transition from one to the other to reduce the risk of injury.

With many benefits for people of all ages, some specific benefits of Yoga for kids can help them start healthy habits and learn to make time for themselves throughout their lives. One of the most common benefits is that they will learn to remain calm, better manage their feelings, and learn how to share those productively. It can also promote better sleep when Yoga is done before bed to slow the body and shift gears from the busy day. Practising the day can provide a time to break from all the other tasks, help reset the body and increase energy for the rest of the day. It can even help use extra energy to promote better afternoon focus.

One of the top benefits of Yoga for kids is that it sets up healthy habits. It encourages them to learn how their body moves, reduces injury for those participating in sports or activities and helps them learn to respond to pain and discomfort more quickly. Providing time to slow down before moving and making a decision can add the time needed to do it correctly, think it through, and improve the risk of injury or making the wrong choice.

Yoga helps to slow both movements and thoughts. This is key to thinking things through as an adult and understanding how to slow down, take things as they are, and move safely through setbacks. Improving focus can also result in better grades and the ability to put aside outside factors when needed to address the current focus.

Some Yoga poses are better suited for kids than others. These can often be done with smooth movements, can have sounds accompany them, or can be done in silence. They work both in group settings like schools and daycares and at home. The following are some of the poses kids enjoy the most and the purposes for which they are best suited.

Children squat down with their arms hanging loose and bounce their knees, imitating the playful movement of a chimpanzee. This pose is fantastic for releasing excess energy and preparing for a calmer activity. Kids can make fun chimp sounds, add a playful touch, or silently perform movements. It provides a smooth transition from high-energy moments to more relaxed ones.

Kids get into a low squat and practice deep breathing, exhaling like a fierce dragon while sticking out their tongues. This pose encourages mindful breathing and lets children engage their imaginations as they pretend to breathe fire. Adding sounds makes the pose even more entertaining and can promote focused breathing, calming the nervous system in a fun and interactive way.

On hands and knees, children flow between arching their backs like a contented cow and rounding it like a stretching cat. They may add sound effects, mooing or meowing as they transition between poses, which adds a playful, animal-inspired element. This gentle flow stretches the spine, improves flexibility, and keeps kids engaged with the animal theme, making it a lighthearted and effective way to move.

Kids jump forward like frogs from a low squat, making "ribbit" sounds as they hop. This active, bouncy pose releases energy while engaging in imaginative play. It helps improve coordination and body awareness. Following up with a calming pose can create a well-rounded practice, channelling their energy and preparing them for relaxation.

This sequence involves moving smoothly through poses like Warrior I and II, reaching arms up to the sky as if greeting the sun. Kids learn to focus and move with intention, feeling strong and centred. It's a grounding and calming practice that transitions well from an active phase to a quieter, more reflective time, making it perfect for winding down or preparing for sleep. Ending with a restful pose like Child's Pose can bring everything full circle, allowing kids to relax and reset fully.

Working through some sun salutations can be calming. This series has warrior and warrior two poses to help them feel strong and confident. They reach up over their heads towards the sun and move smoothly from pose to pose with concentration and intention. It can help wind down an active period and prepare them for a quiet evening or even getting ready for bed. Relaxing Yoga poses, such as a child's pose, can ease the day's Stress and help bring calmness.

Yoga can be an excellent tool for kids to learn young so they can take it into adulthood and face Stress more quickly and efficiently. By teaching your children Yoga, they will benefit from a better understanding of their bodies and emotions, manage their feelings, and find a healthy way to share them and take care of themselves. With so many great poses for kids, they can be fun, engaging, relaxing, and promote mental health. Kids who do Yoga are often found to sleep better, fall asleep faster, notice illness or injury before it worsens, and calm themselves before they become overwhelmed. Yoga teaches how to connect to the body and thoughts, interrupt processes that lead to injury and upset, and work through them before they become too much.