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Introducing Children to Yoga - Lara Chandler, Yogabrats.co.uk

Introducing Children to Yoga

Yoga means to yoke, unite or join. Children’s yoga practice has a different structure than adult classes but it allows a child to express themselves without judgement of others. A child can explore body awareness and learn to find their own “edge”.

From an early age children naturally create yoga poses, or “asana”, with their limbs whether in the cot, crawling along the floor or learning to stand up. Through teaching in schools I have noticed that, as early as from the age of five, children tend to lose a certain amount of flexibility. Unless the child was regularly going to gymnastics or dance classes their bodies seem to ‘stiffen up’. I put this down to chairs (I know - chairs! You will get used to me complaining about them). This also includes excessive use of The Couch.

Children sit in chairs to learn, eat, work on a computer and even socialise. It’s part of our daily life now to sit in chairs…rather than, say, squat! Many children of school age already have adopted a ‘slouched’ posture, with rounded shoulders. It’s not a consistent pattern but I think it’s important to notice because it does happen quite often, even though children are naturally active. Over the years, when a child reaches exam time or even their summer job, bad posture and muscle tightness has set in.

Out of thirty secondary school students I teach, only two could touch their toes without an effort!

The integration –albeit slow- of yoga practice into schools has been a great success from preschool and nursery to GCSE level. Children learn about posture, alignment and how to breathe. Balance skills and co-ordination helps across the sports spectrum. The series of meditations, visualisations and relaxation sessions help to quieten and calm children.

Yoga is classed as ‘non-competitive’ fitness in schools so there should be adequate funding for this type of activity. Perhaps it should also be classified as life skills. I notice a staggering difference in children’s (and, indeed teens’) behaviour from the start of a yoga class to the end. All it takes is some simple stretching, play and relaxation to calm their minds and set them up for the rest of the day.

A child’s yoga class, depending on their age, can range from 20 minutes to a full 75 minutes. It includes breath work, balance, postures, games, meditation and partner work. Each routine is based around a theme so the child can make parallels with life situations. Sometimes it can centre around an adventure in the jungle or the beach. What’s even more positive is when family members get involved. It can be a topic of discussion and promote home practice.

Partnered yoga stretch between parent and child. Suggested ages 5 to 8

1) Adult in ‘child pose’ on mat:

o Rest on your shins, big toes touching and knees wide
o Arms stretched forward, palms down on floor
o Rest your abdomen against your thighs and forehead touches the floor.
o Rest your eyes and tune into your breath.

2) Child- in back arch

o Facing backwards from the adult, sit on the edge of their pelvis and lie back slowly, lining up your spines so you’re back to back
o Rest your head in the nape of the adult’s neck.
o Stretch your arms over head and point your toes away. Full body stretch

Lara Chandler

Lara Chandler has nearly 10 years' experience teaching yoga and is a qualified instructor accredited by the British Wheel of Yoga. She specialises in Vinyasa Flow, a discipline which uses props to achieve safe poses. She's co-Founder of Yogabrats.co.uk, which teaches children yoga in schools and after-school/holiday clubs.

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