I had a regular yoga practice long before kids. My practice is not only and not always the asanas, even if they do help tremendously with my back pain and my stress. As a mother, I tend to want my kids to get the best of things, but as a mother, I do know that you have to relax and embrace the chaos. Kids rarely do what you want when you want how you want. It is incredibly frustrating …

Yet, I have managed to practice and transmit some yoga to my babies now pre-teen . I even became a kids yoga teacher !, but that is another story. Below 5 tips to share yoga with your little ones.

Tip 1: make it fun!

Kids love to get challenged and show what they can do! Use it at your advantage and be prepare to giggle and / or be amazed. Here some examples:

• How long can you hold this pose ? Who holds it the longest ?

  Standing balance poses such as Tree or Warrior 3 are perfect for that. For your toddlers, just trying to stand on one leg and focus is already a big challenge.
  You can then go further by asking: Do you hold longer with arms wide, up or close? With wich leg do you hold longer?
  Give them some additional tips such as looking at one spot or doming the foot for more stability.
  And it is a wonderful game to do while waiting, as well.
  For older ones, try more difficult poses such as half moon or even crow pose (always a big hit).
  

• How long can your inhale and exhale last ?
  Start with 3-count breath for little ones up to 5 for middle-schoolers. Do several cycles of 3 to 5 breaths.
  

• Can you be quiet as a mouse ?
  Have you tried relaxation or meditation with kids. It can go horribly wrong!

  For the little ones, ask them to move or sit as quiet as a mouse. Then maybe challenge them to 30 seconds or one minute.
  Another great way is to roll on onto their mats and pretend they disappear (if you move or make a noise, I will see you again!) or sprinkle some disappearing powder.
  Or lying on their back, watch their plush toy go up and down as they breathe: let’s give a nice ride to our plush toy, it is very tired!

  If they cannot seat still, try moving as slow or silently as possible. Add a bell for extra challenge or for older ones. Walking meditation (walk like in water, walk very slow, walk against strong winds …) are a great way to introduce some mindful moments.
  Another great exercise, especially outdoor, is the “I spy” game: can you find 2 orange things, 1 blue … or 1 thing you can touch, 1 you can smell ….
  

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