In today’s contemporary world of competition, children are under tremendous of pressure; they have pressure to achieve their best in academics and to perform unparalleled in every task. Day in day out children are facing so much stress that they can’t get time to focus on their health as a result they become obese or frequently fall ill.
These days kids are exposed to a lot of new things everyday. Right from being multi-linguistic, to learning robotics and coding, martial arts to gymnastics, there is an array of classes available and children can learn some amazing competitive techniques.
However, in the pursuit to keep up with current drift, children are unable enjoy their childhood, in spite of being involved in numerous activities. With exposure to the latest gadgets there is quick boredom, lack of contentment, feel isolated and are depressed. New Technology and innovation have opened up a lot of avenues for everyone but sadly it has usurped over our time to reflect and introspect.
And here the question of balance arises. How does one maintain a sense of awareness of everything around them and still remain connected to their inner self?
Here is where easy YOGA poses come to our children’s rescue. Today Yoga and more specifically yoga for kids is recognised all over the world, the sole reason being it does not only look into one's physical well being but also nurtures emotional, mental and spiritual connect.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
* Physical benefits of yoga
• Full body exercise
• Flexibility
• Improves Coordination and Balance
• Self-awareness
• Keeps the heart, respiratory and digestive system fit
• Improves body posture
• Improves Sleep
• Developing Healthy Habits
* Emotional benefits of yoga
• Develops confidence and a sense of achievement
• Teaches self-respect and empathy
• Improves emotional regulation
• Increases attention span and concentration
• Positive thinking
• Feel Relaxed and Reduce Stress
1. Ek Padasana
• Stand with your feet together and hands by your side.
• Using your hands, lift your right leg laterally and press the sole of your foot against the left thigh as high as you can, the heel preferably close to the groin and toes pointing down. For those who cannot lift their legs so high, avoid placing the foot against the knees but rest the foot, wherever comfortable, against the thigh.
• Balance your body weight on the right leg.
• Once the balance is achieved, join both your palms in a prayer pose. Breathe normally.
• Maintain the pose for a few seconds. If your body sways or you tend to lose balance, try to fix your gaze at one point ahead.
• Bring your leg down and repeat the same procedure with the opposite leg
• Gradually increase the timing of remaining in the posture from a few seconds to one minute with each leg.
• Release your hands and bring down your leg to stand with your feet together and hands at the sides.
Benefits:
• It strengthens the muscles of the legs and spine.
• It improves your body balance, endurance, and alertness.
• Isometric contraction strengthens your muscle more efficiently and also strengthens the bone it is attached to.
• It stimulates many areas of your nervous system.
• It develops your sense of equilibrium.
• It sharpens your awareness and concentration.
• It keeps your mind in the present moment.
• It calms the mind.
2. Talasana 2
• Stand erect with hands at their respective sides. Keep the feet parallel to each other and maintain a one-foot distance between them.
• Focus the eyes at one point, straight ahead. Inhaling, raise both arms forward, for a full upward stretch to reach a vertical position. Keep the arms close to the ear. Keep both the arms straight, but not stiff.
• Simultaneously, raise both the heels, to achieve a maximum stretch of the body.
• Synchronise the first two steps, while inhaling, in 3 seconds.
• Now, balancing on the balls of the feet, with the completed upward stretch of the arms and the body, keep the gaze straight ahead and maintain the pose for 6 seconds, retaining the breath (final position).
• Return to starting position:
o Turn the palm position outward and then exhaling, keeping the arm straight, bring them down through a backward and downward circuit.
o Simultaneously, lower the heels to assume the starting position.
o Synchronise the above steps (a & b), while exhaling, in 3 seconds.
Benefits:
• Talasana enhances awareness of the present moment
• It promotes mental clarity.
• Aids to alleviate stress and anxiety while building balance and strength.
3. Utkatasana
• Stand erect with hands by the side of the body and a one-foot distance between the feet.
• While inhaling, with palms facing down, raise both your hands in front of the body, up to shoulder level.
• Simultaneously raise your heels to stand on the toes.
• Exhaling, lower your body to a squatting position till your thighs press against the calves.
• Hold for a few normal breaths and inhaling, rise up again on your toes.
• Exhaling, return to the starting position.
Benefits:
• Tones and strengthens the leg muscles
• Helps strengthen the lower back and torso
• Balances the body and brings determination in the mind.
• Increases Concentration.
Must Know: Yoga Camps for kids
4. Urdhva Mukhsvanasana
• Lie flat on your stomach on your yoga mat.
• Keep the sole of your feet facing upward, with your toes pointing down.
• Place your palms on the mat near your chest.
• Push into your palms to elevate your upper body, smoothly curving the spine.
• Lift your sternum and head while keeping your shoulders back.
• Lengthen your body from head to toe.
• Take a few deep breaths here before gently releasing the posture.
Benefits:
• It opens up the heart, helping you remove any pent-up emotions.
• Helps combat feelings of depression and fatigue.
5. Adho Mukhasvanasana
• Start by kneeling on the floor and keep your knees hip-width apart.
• Bend your upper body forward and place your hands on the floor, with your palms aligned in line with your shoulders. At this point, you should essentially be balancing your body on your knees, feet and palms.
• From this position, exhale, curl your toes and gently lift your knees off the floor. You should continue to face downward, and your heels should be in contact with the floor. This means you will now be balancing your body on your palms and your feet.
• Now, lengthen your tailbone and feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Hold the pose for 10 deep breaths then release the posture by placing your knees down on the floor and then coming back to sitting position.
Benefits:
• Calms the mind and relieves headaches, insomnia and fatigue.
• It also increases blood circulation to the brain.
6. Padmasana
• Sit on a mat spread on the floor with your legs fully stretched out without taking the support of any wall or fixture.
• Commence by gently bending your right leg inwards at the knee joint, then fold it and with the aid of the hands place the right heel on the top of the left thigh in such a way that the right foot is placed with it’s sole turned upwards.
• Likewise, place your left heel with upturned soles over the right thigh so that the ankles cross each other. Preferably your heel ends should touch closely.
• Keep both your knees pressed to the ground as far as possible.
• Hold your body comfortably erect keeping your head, neck, and trunk in a straight line. It is desirable to keep your abdomen moderately contoured inwards.
• Place your left hand just below the navel with your palm facing upwards. Place your right hand over the left hand with your palm facing upwards. Keep your shoulders and hands relaxed.
• Sit in this position, watching your breath or focus on any object of your choice.
• Relax your hands to place them on your knees or thighs.
• With the help of your hands slowly lift your top leg and place it down and relax your other leg.
• Straighten both your legs slowly as in the starting position.
Benefits:
• Flexibility of your lower extremities.
• Helps to deal with your menstrual and sciatica issues.
• Greater awareness of your body and your breath.
• It improves concentration as your mind remains attentive.
7. Marjariasana
• Come onto your fours. Form a table such that your back forms the table top and your hands and feet from the legs of the table.
• Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor, with the hands directly under the shoulders and flat on the ground; your knees are hip-width apart.
• As you inhale, raise your chin and tilt your head back, push your navel downwards and raise your tailbone. Compress your buttocks.
• As you exhale, drop your chin to your chest and arch your back up as much as you can; relax the buttocks.
• Hold this pose for a few seconds before you return to the initial table-like stage.
Benefits:
• Getting rid of fatigue and relief from chronic back pain.
• Opens up the upper and lower back muscles.
8. Ushtrasana
• Assume a kneeling position on a mat and support the body on the knees and toes bent inwards.
• Slowly Inhaling, lean backwards, and take the arms behind. Fix the palms to the ground, with the fingers pointing outward and the thumb towards the toes.
• Lift the pelvis and push the body above the waist, outward and upward.
• Allow the neck to fall backwards gently.
• Keep the arms straight, eyes open, gaze fixed at a point.
• Maintain this posture, for 6 seconds, retaining the breath (final position).
• Exhaling return to starting position using your quadricep muscles, gently draw back the upper torso and straighten the neck. Releasing the palm, attain kneeling position.
• Counter pose would be Balasana – Child’s pose.
Benefits:
• There is inverted pressure on vertebrae from small of the back towards the shoulder and neck.
• Relieves back pain.
• Improves posture by correcting drooping shoulders and rounded back.
9. Malasana
• Stand with 2 feet distance between your legs.
• Squat down entirely.
• Bring the palms together in namaskar and with the elbows try to keep the knees apart.
• Let this asana slowly and gently open up the hip joint.
• You can stay in this position for as long as you are comfortable or till 50-60 seconds.
• Slowly, while inhaling, release the pose and come back to the standing position.
Benefits:
• Good compression to the abdominal cavity.
• Opens up the hip joints and stretches the thighs.
• Aids in elimination.
10. Bhujangasana
• Lie down on your stomach on a mat with your hands at the sides of your body.
• Bending at the elbows, place your palms facing down near your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Inhaling, raise your head and neck upwards to look up towards the ceiling. Raise your upper body only until the navel and not more. Make sure that your feet remain together and not get separated.
• Remain in the final position holding your breath for six seconds.
• Exhaling, bring your head, neck and torso down to rest on the mat.
Benefits:
• Opens up the shoulders and neck to relieve pain
• Strengthens the entire back and shoulders
• Improves flexibility of the upper and middle back
• Expands the chest
• Improves blood circulation
• Reduces fatigue and stress
Read More: Yoga Asanas for Kids
11. Dhanurvakrasana
• Lie down on your stomach on a mat with your hands by the side.
• Bend your knees and fold your legs towards the back.
• Grasp the ankles of your legs.
• Inhaling, raise your head upwards and simultaneously pull legs upwards, arching the spine, keeping both the legs together
• While retaining your breath, maintain the position for six seconds.
• Exhaling, lower the legs and head. Release the grasp on your ankles and return to the starting posture.
Benefits:
• enhances flexibility of your spine.
• Opens up the chest, neck and shoulders.
• Tones legs and arms muscle.
• Improves blood circulation
• Aids elimination.
• Improves concentration.
12. Halasana
• Lie on your back on a mat with both your legs together and hands at the sides.
• While inhaling, raise both your legs together forming a right angle to the body. (You may bend the knees before you raise your legs in case it is difficult for you to raise them up straight and use your hands for support.
• While exhaling, lower your legs towards and beyond your head in a semi-circular arc to touch the toes to the floor.
• The hands remain in the starting position (however, you may use your hands, if need be, to support the hips as you raise yourself up and once the legs are in place bring your hands down to the starting position).
• The legs remain straight. You may clasp your hands in the final position.
• Maintain the final posture, suspending your breath for six seconds.
• Release the posture inhaling, in 3 seconds lift the legs up and lower your hips (with the aid of your hands if required and bending the knees) and then bring back your legs gently to the starting supine position.
Benefits:
• It helps in reducing stress and fatigue.
• It helps in remaining peaceful.
• Besides having an overall good impact on the spine and other parts of body, it makes your mind alert and bring about mental stability.
13. Anand Balasana
• Lie down on your back in Supine position, body straight and relaxed, then bring your knees towards your chest.
• Stretch both arms out between your bent legs and grasp both the feet from the outer edge. Your shoulder blades and the entire length of your spine should be against the floor.
• Your head should be resting on the floor, back flat and ankles stacked directly over the knees so that both shins are perpendicular to the floor.
• Widen your legs and allow your thighs to fall alongside your torso, legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Pull the knees toward the floor near your armpit with the help of your hands, while simultaneously pushing your heels up to the sky feel the deep stretch in your hips, groin, and thighs.
• Remain here for 10-15 seconds, adding in some rocking movements.
Benefits:
• Relieve back pain
• Deep stretch for the hip, gluteus, groin and thighs.
• Better flexibility and mobility.
• Relieves stress and anxiety.
14. Pavanmuktasana
• Lie supine at full length on a mat with your feet together and hands at the sides. Inhale.
• Exhaling, raise both legs, fold them at the knee joint and clasp your knees (or shin) with both your hands interlocking at the arms.
• Pull the knees up to your chest and keep it firmly pressed suspending your breath and maintain the posture for six seconds.
• Release your clasped hands, inhaling, straighten your leg and bring it to the starting position.
Benefits:
• It stretches your lower back, hips & thighs, the intra-abdominal compression provides good circulation and it stretches your arms, shoulders & neck.
• This posture gives relief to flatulence by quickening the movement and expulsion of the intestinal flatus.
• It alleviates mental sluggishness by enabling the release of toxins from the body and brings about mental clarity.
15. Shavasana
• Lie down in Supine position i.e., on your back, with your eyes closed.
• Take a few deep breaths in-and-out. Breaths should be slow and rhythmic.
• Any external sound should be listened with an attitude of a witness. Do not engage, entertain or indulge in any thoughts or sounds.
• Bring your attention to all parts of the body.
• Relaxation with awareness of different body parts is directed in a systematic manner.
• The rotation of awareness is done in a definite sequence- starting from toes gently move your attention to your entire foot, move up to relax your ankles, calves, knees, thighs, moves your attention to relaxing the genital area to the lower abdominal area to the stomach to the navel region and to your chest. Direct your attention to the shoulders and arms, palms and fingers, slowly relaxing them with awareness. Finally, relax the neck, facial features and top of the head.
• The body from toes to top of the head is completely relaxed and still. Take few deep breathes and remain in this still state for few minutes.
• Slowly, the awareness is externalized by becoming aware of the external sounds and objects.
• The body parts in same systematic sequence are directed to give slow movement and stretching. With eyes closed you turn to your right side and taking support of your hand, sit in Sukhasana or any other meditative pose. Slowly open your eyes and reorient yourself to your surroundings.
Benefits:
• Rejuvenates and revitalizes your mind and body.
• Important tool to relieve anxiety and stress.
Yoga is a technique best to create harmony between their curious mind and body. Yoga exercises for kids helps unleash the power hidden within them.
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