The practice of yoga for children is increasingly being consolidated: it is now quite common to find centers that offer courses in "play-yoga", "baby-yoga", "yoga-kids" and so on.

From this proven spread, we have decided to give you an idea: during the summer you generally go on vacation with the whole family and you have more time to cultivate yourself and the relationship with the people you love.

Why not carve out some yoga moments with your children or grandchildren ? It could be an opportunity to find a special contact, to cultivate a completely new harmony, perhaps unthinkable with daily work patterns.

We will give you some advice about it!

Between play and yoga, with joy

If articulating a yoga class for children is not at all a trivial task and we will leave it to professionals on the subject, sharing some very simple asanas is another matter.

It should be remembered that children are born yogis, not only from a bodily point of view, but also from a mental point of view: they are free from all our superstructures and complications and, in general, they approach the practice in an extremely spontaneous and natural way.

Therefore let us not create useless problems from which they are not touched at all. The vast majority, in the yogic context, communicates sensations and emotions quite clearly, so they often become guides themselves that show us how to proceed!

It could also be fun to perform some asanas all together, thus creating a moment of sharing and family joy.

In the photos below, we make you some proposals that you will also choose based on your experience in the field of yoga and the age of children; nothing prevents you from changing them or inventing new ones!

The position of the child

Let's start with a simple asana, generally very welcome: balasana, the position of the child. This position is excellent for calming and relaxing, especially when accompanied by deep breathing.

You can enrich it with some sweet visualization, for example by imagining yourself to be a little cloud flying in the sky, or a little leaf moved by the wind ... It would be important not to lose the components of imagination and fervent imagination, two features so wonderful and so vivid in most small that should be grown as much as possible.

Dog upside down

Here is the position of the "upside down dog", generally very funny for the little ones. Suggest that they try to feel like a little dog ironing, perhaps imitating yours if you have one at home.

If you are with a partner, you can also cross or support the position with another adult and allow the children to perform the asana under the vault of your bodies.

Position of the combined cobra

A beautiful combination consisting of the position of the cobra (the adult) and the position of the child (the small one). We advise you to take the cobra position with caution, especially if you are a beginner or if your back is not in perfect health.

To make the whole thing more sustainable, you can play with the combination : for example, a child can perform a small cobra on your legs, placing your hands on the ground next to your hips or your thighs. The weight will be better distributed and the "host" more active in the asana.

Combined sphinx position

Phase of transition between the dog looking down and the position of the bench for the mother and the position of the sphinx for the baby .

It can be a lot of fun to cross different asanas - as in this case - that lend themselves to being harmonized with each other, completing and filling each other.

In addition to the beautiful symbolism that this game bears in itself and the complicity that arises from it, it is a way to learn to know so many asanas always varying the practice!

Pillar position

Almost a taste of acroyoga in this image! From the position of the pillar, the mother supports the little girl making her "fly".

Certainly a more complex step than the previous ones, but which you can try with caution, perhaps by having a companion assist you: with this foresight it is unlikely that you will get hurt and the little ones will really enjoy a world!

Some more advice on yoga for children

We want to give you one last suggestion, perhaps the most important of all. Even if you are an expert practitioner, it would be unrealistic to propose a classic lesson to your children, similar to that of your yoga center: with the little ones all the rules jump and it would be desirable never to lose the dimension of play and lightness. We follow different "guidelines" adapted to the young age of budding practitioners.

Nowadays, even the youngest are subject to small and large pressures, often unnecessary stress fueled by confrontation with others, perhaps from the school or from the family itself. We hope that yoga is an opportunity to relax and relieve yourself of all this, not just another opportunity for anxiety and competitiveness.

You can learn more about the origins, practice and benefits of yoga for children