Yoga for Kids: 10 Easy Yoga Poses and Their Health Benefits

An adult enjoying sound physical and mental health through yoga is not a new thing to see. The individual's happiness as a yoga practitioner is easily observed on their face.

Overall, yoga is proven to be helpful for children as well. Young children can achieve the same benefits of yoga even if they start young.

Aside from a healthy body, various other yoga benefits can positively influence young minds and lives.

Some of the major achievements of yoga on children are listed here:

• Discipline
• Relaxation
• Better focus 
• Broadened knowledge
• Stress cutback
• Betterment of body posture
• Body flexibility
• Maintenance of healthy habits
• Achievement of such benefits in a long run

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Not only these but there is much more hidden usefulness of yoga for children. Meddy Teddy has put forward some interesting facts about this practice for young children including the above-mentioned health benefits as well.

Yoga can shape a healthy and regulated lifestyle choice for children as they have young minds and bodies.

Thus, yoga is a beneficial aid in everyone's life, despite them being an adult or a child. Children are to be encouraged to take yoga daily by school and parents at home.

The intensity of yoga practice and knowledge varies from person to person according to the various types of yoga.

In the case of children, their young bodies and mind may not comprehend the vast perception of yoga and a yogic lifestyle. Even so, they should not be discouraged in this matter but should be heartened to their best.

Below are the Top 10 easy yoga poses for children that you can teach and explain their health benefits.

1. Balloon Breathing

How to do Balloon Breathing:

This practice combines deep breathing and movement to calm the mind and body. Zero To Three has broken down this yoga in easy steps:

• Either sit or stand up and place both hands on the head.
• Breathe in and out slowly. While inhaling, raise your arms above your head, like you are blowing up a balloon.
• As you exhale, slowly bring your hands toward your head. Try to match your hand movements while inhaling and exhaling to imitate blowing into a balloon.
• Try to deepen your breath with each inhale every time.
• Continue with this exercise and arm movement for few more times.

Know Its Benefits

Also known as belly breathing exercise, this form of yoga is one of the easiest and most beneficial in the long run.

It allows kids to practice focus and deep breathing on the main page while mimicking the ballon blowing technique for fun. If done regularly, this yoga can strengthen a child's lung capacity for the future.

2. Easy Sitting Pose Aka Sukhasana

How To Do Sukhasana:

• Sit down your kid crossing both legs on the ground with a straight back.
• Put the hands on the knees facing up, or they can make a mudra, whatever they want.
• Make your child hold onto this pose briefly, asking them to breathe and mediate being relaxed.

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Lindsay Luterman from EMedi Health has noted several benefits of this yoga on children who practice it.

• Relaxation
• Focus Increment
• Posture Correction
• Strengthened back muscles 
• Flexibility in the hips and legs
• Overcoming stress

Do not perform this pose in case of any severe leg problem or any pain in the lower spine and severe knee problems.

3. Half-lotus pose (Ardha padmasana)

How To Do This Pose:

Calorie Bee has suggested an easy explanation to do this yoga for the kids.

• First, sit with crossed legs or 'crisscross applesauce' as they say.
• Help them to move one leg up on the other's thigh.
• Motivate the children to stay quiet and focused, with hands in place.
• Ask them to change the side for equal results.

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Here are the benefits of this posture:

• Relaxation
• Increase in creativity
• Body Strengthening
• Flexibility Increment in both hips and legs
• Posture Correction
• Tension releases from the upper body 

Though the half-lotus pose is an easier and bisection version of the lotus pose, it is still advantageous.  

4. Lotus Pose

How To Do This Pose:

• Sit on the floor, crossing your legs.
• Relax a little and pull each leg on the other side's thigh.
• Place your hand comfortably between the crossed legs.
• Continue in this position for a few moments and relax.

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Benefits of this pose:

• Improves circulation in the lumbar spine
• Stretches the ankles and legs
• Increases flexibility in the hips
• Promotes creativity

This pose is one of the oldest and most meaningful practices in yoga. Lotus Pose brings in some moments during the session.

5. Child's Pose (Balasana)

How To Do This Posture:

• Help the child sit on their knees with their bottoms pushing toward their feet.
• Explain to them to pull their head, arms, and upper body forward and stretch.
• While stretching, keep their arms ahead or bring their arms back against their sides.
• Make them comfortable by resting their forehead on the mat or floor.

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Benefits of Child's Pose

• Relaxation
• Reduces stress
• Feeling of Calm
• Promotes flexibility and strength in the lower body
• Releases tension from the upper body

This easy yoga position mimics a child's position in the womb. As this is comforting and grounding, it became known as Child's Pose. 

6. The Cobra Pose

How To Do This Pose?

• Lie down on the belly.
• Put the hands on the ground and lift up
• Encourage the child to use the back muscles and stretch in the process
• Hold onto the pose for a few moments and breathe 

Benefits of Cobra Pose

• A fun way to do yoga
• Focus On Creativity
• Positivity Increment
• Muscles Strengthening in the chest, arms, back, and abdomen
• Posture Correction
• Promotes proper circulation
• Sit down on the ground with legs stretched and bring the arms up.
• Bring the arms to the feet. If the hands cannot touch the feet, stretch to the legs.
• Hold onto this process while breathing comfortably.

The Cobra Pose is also known as Bhujangasana. It is part of the sequence of yoga postures in some forms of Surya Namaskar yoga.

7. Butterfly Pose

How to do this pose:

• Sit on the ground and join the feet together while the knees are out to the sides.
• Start flapping the legs like butterflies while closing the legs
• Breathe deeply during the process

Benefits of this pose:

• Creativity Promotion 
• Muscles Strengthening in the legs and abdomen
• Digestion Improves
• Decrease in anxiety
• Relieving headaches
• Reduces fatigue

The butterfly pose is another popular kids' yoga pose. This pose brings in a fun environment and super fun bonding experiences. The kids become happy imagining their flapping knees as butterfly wings.

8. Corpse Pose

How to do this pose:

• Lie straight on the ground with postured arms and legs on the sides
• Hold onto this position, doing deep breathing exercises.

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Benefits of this pose:

• Promotes Creativity
• Decreases anxiety
• Brings in relaxation
• Calms the child
• Increases focus

This posture will bring a moment of relaxation from the other postures as it only requires lying down. The children are encouraged to focus and imagine positive thoughts while in this pose.

9. Seated Forward Fold

How to do this pose:

• Bring the legs out in front of the body, flexing the feet.
• Bring the arms up.
• Fold forward as far as comfortable.
• If the feet cannot be reached, reach for the legs.
• Hold for a few breaths.

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Benefits of this pose include:

• Promoting relaxation
• Decreasing stress
• Improving digestion
• Decreasing frequency of belly aches
• Decreasing anxiety
• Relieving headaches
• Reducing fatigue

The seated forward fold is similar to the wide-angle seated forward bend. The difference, however, is that instead of having the legs out to the sides, the legs are out in front of the body, creating a much different stretch.

10. Tree Pose

How To Do This Pose:

• Stand straight and lift one foot, resting it on the other knee's side.
• Shift the weight into the standing foot while bringing the arms up or doing 'Namaste' on the chest.
• Try to refrain from moving and breathe for comfort.
• Repeat the same with another leg.

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Book Yoga Retreats has put forward a dun description of doing this pose for the children.

Benefits of this Pose include:

• Promotes creativity
• Strengthens the muscles in the legs, hips, glutes, and core
• Promotes balance
• Corrected posture

The Tree Pose helps the kids mimic a tree and remain as it is for a few moments. This yoga pose is practiced even when away from a typical yoga class.

These ten easy yoga poses for children are some of the guaranteed ways for your child to come through a part of a new lifestyle.

If done regularly, these simple yoga positions bring various health and disciplinary benefits to a child and the family as a whole. However, an expert should be sought during health conditions or problems.