Yoga for Children and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children (ages 2 to 7). Yoga improves strength, balance, endurance in children. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children as well.

Yoga can improve memory, focus, self-esteem, academic performance, and can even reduce anxiety and stress. 

Classes include:

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• Inspired movement sessions are brought to life with storytelling & music.

• A multi-sensory approach develops physical & communication skills

• Mindfulness & breath awareness are introduced with playful games and activities, giving children strategies for their future mental wellbeing.  All sessions are aligned to the national curriculums.

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Aims

• To inspire young children to enjoy moving while developing communication & social skills.

• Mindful movement, combined with quieter breath & relaxation lay the foundations for self-regulation and coping skills for mental wellbeing.

•To work with nurseries, schools & parents to provide children with a breadth of experiences they may not have had access to.

Development outcomes

Physical confidence, communication & concentration grow, strength, balance & coordination skills are mastered.

Self-regulation is developed and during the yoga-inspired session children precious time to relax.

“Yoga is really effective because it’s so tangible. Learning physical postures builds confidence and strength as well as the mind-body connection,”  “Through yoga, kids start to realize that they are strong and then are able to take that strength, confidence, acceptance, and compassion out into the world,” 

Simple and fun yoga exercises.

Simple yoga breath exercise

1. Take a deep breath in and hold it for a count of three.

2. Breathe out forcefully, like you’re blowing out a candle.

3. Repeat this for five cycles of breath.

 

Flying bird breath

1. Stand tall, with arms at your sides and feet hip-width apart in standing Mountain Pose.

2. Imagine being a beautiful, strong bird.

3. Pretend to prepare to fly by inhaling and raising your arms (“wings”) until your palms touch overhead. Keep your arms straight.

4. Exhale slowly as you bring your arms back down to your sides, palms facing down.

5. Repeat in a steady motion with each breath: inhale as you raise your arms, and exhale as lower your arms.

6. Optional: Close your eyes as you repeat the movements with breath, and imagine yourself flying in the sky like a bird.

Yoga games

Follow my leader/ Mirror mirror. This game is a good warm-up exercise to increase focus.

1. One person starts as the leader. The leader chooses a pose to do and shows it to the others.

2. The other players copy the leader’s pose as if they are looking into a mirror.

3. Change the leader with each round of poses, so that everyone has a turn at being the leader.

 

Yogi says

One person is selected as the Yogi. The other players must do the yoga poses that the Yogi tells them to do if the instruction starts with “Yogi says.” If the Yogi doesn’t use “Yogi says,” then players do not do the pose. Keep changing the person who is Yogi, so that everyone gets a turn.

 

Meditation

Meditation can be short and simple, and does not have to involve complex yoga poses or staying still in a quiet, dark room. 

Here are a few simple meditations for children, which can be done for as little as 30 seconds or for several minutes.

Mindful awareness meditation

1. Find a comfortable seated position or lie down.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Try to listen to every single sound in the room.

Loving kindness meditation

1. Find a comfortable seated position or lie down.

2. Close your eyes and think about someone you love.

3. Hold them tight in your heart and continue to think about that person.