Get Kids Started with Classes
Both Monaco and Dagle recommend classes for kids. An
experienced teacher helps children learn poses correctly
and can offer modifications or adjustments to things
that don’t feel right. Kids (and grown-ups) should be
reminded to do what feels right for their body. Not
every child can do every pose, and some days a familiar
pose is harder than others.
Yoga builds strength and flexibility, self-confidence and
focus. Kids get comfortable in and connected to their
own bodies and minds, and learn practices that they use
for the rest of their lives. What’s not to say Yes to?
Yoga Tips and Tools for the Whole Family
Yoga is noncompetitive. Teachers should help kids focus
on their own practice every day and create a supportive
environment. As Dagle reminds her students, “yoga is a
practice not a perfect.” Yoga benefits everyone. If you’ve
practiced yoga before, it’s time
to restart your practice. If you
haven’t, why not try it yourself or
as a family?
To find kids classes, check with local yoga studios, gyms,
or YMCAs. Monaco took her daughter to My Gym, a
franchise that caters to fitness for children 10 and under.
Dagle’s studio offers classes for kids of different ages.
Other options include Mommy and Me classes if you
have a baby and adult classes for tweens and teens.
(Some studios have an age restriction, so it’s good to
check first.) Tips for Parents
• Get back on the mat after having
a baby. Monaco encourages
new moms to get back on the
mat as soon as your doctor gives the OK. The longer
you wait, the less likely you are to get back. Just
remember to meet your practice where it is. Your
body has been through a lot.
Practice Anywhere • Practice with your kids around. Monaco put her daughter
on the mat with her as a baby. Dagle spreads out
her mat in the playroom and practices while her kids
play around (and under and over) her. If you’re used
to a peaceful yoga studio, practicing with your kids
around will be different, but you still benefits from
your practice.
Breathe: Breathing can be centering, energizing, or • Remember that your yoga is good for your kids. Dagle says,
“When I make the time to practice, I’m a better
parent when I’m with my kids.” It may feel selfish to
take that time for a class or home practice, but it’s
worth it.
Once familiar with yoga, kids can use videos and yoga
cards to practice at home. See the sidebar, “Yoga Tips
and Tools for the Whole Family,” for tips on starting a
family practice.
Classes provide a safe introduction to yoga and ongoing
support, but the beauty of yoga is that you can practice
any place and any time. Here are two practices you can
do anywhere:
calming. For parents, try breathing deeply while holding
an upset child. Monaco says “When my daughter is fussy,
deep breathing with her in my arms works every time.”
Dagle uses “flower breathing” with her toddler: sniff a
flower and let it go with a sigh, to help diffuse
big emotions.
Dagle teaches older kids to use breathing exercises to
calm themselves before a test. She encourages them to
put their feet firmly on the ground at their desk, inhale
for a count of four, and exhale for a count of six for one
minute to help them feel both calm and grounded.
Be present: Practice mindfulness and being present. That
means noticing your environment. There are lots of
ways to practice this with kids—you don’t even have to
call it mindfulness.
• Sit quietly together or go for a walk, and see what
you notice. Try closing your eyes. What sounds and
smells do you sense?
• Turn off your phone and spend some time doing
an activity with your kids, whether it’s reading,
coloring, dancing, snuggling, or building. Just focus
on what you’re doing, with no distractions.
• Describe something familiar as if it were new. In an
exercise from Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness
with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh, kids pretend they
are Martians seeing something from Earth for the
first time. Hand your kids a familiar object (the book
uses raisins, but you can use any simple object or
food kids “see” every day). Remind them that they
have never seen it before. Ask them to look, touch,
smell, listen, and taste and describe their experience.
Tips for Families
• Keep it fun. Use yoga songs and games. Let kids pick
or even lead poses. Go with the flow. If energy levels
are high, try some poses or actions to use some of
that energy before shifting to something calmer.
• Remember you can practice anywhere. Remind kids to use
their breathing when they are getting frustrated. If
you can’t get kids to take a deep breath, try taking
calming breaths yourself. It helps keep you from
getting worked up and helps change the dynamic in
the room. Try mindfulness on long car trips or while
waiting in line. Practice kindness and nonviolence.
Tools for Everyone
Here are a few resources to help your family develop
your practice:
Books
Baby Om by Laura Staton
Little Flower Yoga for Kids by Jennifer Cohen Harper
Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee McLean
Practicing Mindfulness with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh
Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel
Yoga Mama, Yoga Baby by Margo Shapiro Bachman
Yoga Pretzels, pose deck
Websites
YogaJournal.com (Poses) | YogaGlo.com
Sara Barry is a writer who has practiced yoga for 15
years. Both her daughters have taken yoga classes and
love to lead her in poses. She writes about parenting,
nature, season activities, mindfulness and where they
all intersect.
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