the best postures to relax him

Yoga is a gentle discipline that is totally suitable for children. Why not share it with them during family sessions?

More than a fashionable practice, yoga is a philosophy of life in which we find balance and harmony between body and mind. Practiced regularly, this discipline helps to release mental and physical tensions for adults as well as children. It is also a great tool to channel their (sometimes) overflowing energy. We offer you today a complete yoga session for children with 5 exercises

The Benefits of Daily Yoga

Children are subjected to different forms of daily stress that stress their mental and physical. Practicing yoga regularly with your child helps him to release all his tensions.

More specifically, here are the benefits of yoga on the body:

– Develop self-confidence
– Learn to perceive your breathing
– Improve coordination of movements
– Develop memory and concentration
– Find calm and relaxation in body and mind
– Acquire balance
– Have a flexible, toned and strong body envelope
– Become aware of your body and space
– Discover your own potential and its limits

The 5 key elements of a complete yoga session

Yoga is not a series of unrelated exercises. This practice combines body and mind, but also connects us with the world around us. Man (the microcosm), just like the world (the macrocosm) is made up of 5 elements which balance each other: fire, air, space, earth and water.

Yoga matches these 5 elements with the 5 fingers of the hand. Beyond the practice of yoga of the hands (mudrâs), which plays on the stimulation of such or such element, this correspondence elements / fingers of the hand is a mnemonic technique allowing to realize a complete yoga session. In this way, nothing is overlooked in the relationships between the mind, the body and the world. Parents and children hold more easily because the fingers of the hand become a common thread.

In summary :

  • The thumb is associated with fire. It refers to warm-up, the preliminary to any physical activity. A good warm-up facilitates the realization of a session.
  • The index finger is associated with air. It's breathing. Good breathing helps to gain energy, concentration, and better relaxation.
  • The middle finger is associated with space, which represents emptiness. This is the time when we go into meditation, to silence our mind.
  • The ring finger is associated with the earth. It is the search for balance, which is a constant in the practice of yoga.
  • The little finger is associated with water. It represents the relaxation which allows a lightening of the body and the spirit. Any yoga session ends with this moment of calm.


Let's go for a session!

1 / Heating of the elastic: chain of postures

This warm-up will prepare your child's body for simple yoga postures that train the muscles and joints of the neck, arms, legs, and knees. It also helps to relax the spine and prepare the muscles for unusual stretching. Here are some warm-up postures.

  • Mountain : standing, legs slightly apart, inhale by raising your arms to the sides until you stick your palms above your head. Hold the position for a breath.
  • Moon back : while inspiring, lean slightly back.
  • Falling Giraffe: When exhaling, lean forward to the maximum of your ability, while keeping your arms in position. Repeat this movement 2 times in a row.
  • Moon on the side : Arms above the head, palms joined, lean on the right side while exhaling. Return to the initial position while inhaling. Do the same on the left side. Finish by bringing the arms along the body. Repeat this exercise 2 times, alternating the right side and the left side.
  • Helicopter : spread your legs and stretch your arms out to the side making sure they are parallel to the floor. Swivel your upper body to the right, then to the left. Repeat this movement 2 times, alternating the sides.

2 / Breathing: posture of the ball

During breathing exercises, be sure to keep your spine straight and sit comfortably to sit for several minutes at a stretch. If necessary, take a rug, blanket or sit against a wall.

  • Start by breathing calmly through your nose, focusing on your breathing.
  • Put your 2 hands on your belly.
  • Inflate the belly to the maximum when you breathe in, then also deflate it to the maximum when you breathe out. Your stomach should move like a balloon that inflates and deflates.

Repeat this exercise for 5 to 6 breaths.

If you want, you can close your eyes to help you focus.

Breathing techniques, called "Ranayama" are used to prepare the child's mind to relax and focus. This facilitates the following meditation phase because, to meditate and be relaxed, you must above all be focused and know how to breathe well.

3 / Meditation: the Mudrâ of concentration – eyes open

As with breathing, make sure you are sitting comfortably (and your back straight) so that you can stay in this posture for a long time.

  • Sit cross-legged cross-legged or in the most comfortable position
  • Relax the shoulders, neck and jaw.
  • Glue the 5 ends of your fingers, without your palms touching.
  • Put your forearms on your thighs or knees if you are more comfortable.
  • Breathe, focusing on the air entering and leaving your nostrils.

Stay in this position, breathing calmly for 1 or 2 minutes with small children, and up to 5 minutes if they are older.

During this exercise, try to keep your eyes open and fix your attention on a point in the room, an object, an image, etc. The bottom line is that the element you will focus on is still. If possible, try not to blink at the start of the exercise. Let the few tears flow, then, when you feel the need, close your eyes and stay in this state of meditation for a few minutes.

This exercise, which resembles hand yoga, combines concentration and breathing to balance the body's 5 components (fire, air, space, earth and water).

4 / Balance: the posture of the Dragon

For this balancing act, help your child take the correct posture, but taking care not to force. The child is in full growth, it is therefore advisable to adapt the exercise according to his age and his flexibility.

  • Standing, feet together, raise your arms above your head while inhaling.
  • As you breathe out, lean forward while lifting your back leg. Try to keep your arms, trunk and raised leg in line with the ground. To keep your balance, fix a point on the ground or in front of you. Hold the posture for a few seconds while breathing normally.
  • Return to the initial position, without moving your arms, while inhaling.
  • As you exhale, bring your arms back to your sides.
  • Repeat the figure by changing legs.

This exercise is to be performed 2 to 3 times, for each side, alternating the legs.
This standing yoga posture develops the concentration necessary to maintain balance. For exercises where the legs are in flexion, it is the flexibility of the muscles and joints that you will work on. Similarly, the positions in which the child rests on his hands can strengthen his arms, wrists and shoulders. Finally, for any posture where the child will have to put his head down, it allows him to irrigate his brain.

5 / Relaxation: the posture of the Hare

Relaxation exercises in yoga are simple and beneficial gestures for the child to calm down. They can be done at any time of the day, ideally in a quiet location.

  • Get on your knees, and sit on your heels.
  • Raise your arms above your head while inhaling, then lean forward so that you touch the ground with your forehead while exhaling.
  • The arms remain above the head, and the palms turned towards the ground.
  • Hold this position for a few seconds, breathing slowly, while relaxing the body. Relax.

Relaxation postures help de-stress, calm your mind and replenish your energy. It’s a moment of relaxation that ends the yoga session.

Some tips for practicing yoga with your children

Presented in the form of games, yoga can be offered to children from 4 years old. At this age, the postures will not be perfectly executed, but it does not really matter, the main thing is to initiate them. Growing up, around the age of 6, they will be better able to do the exercises correctly, with your help to position themselves properly if necessary.

There are yoga classes for children, even baby yoga for the little ones. During these sessions, parents are welcome to practice at the same time as their little wolf.

Yoga can also be practiced at home, and even with the family for a moment of full relaxation.
Prefer a calm and bright place, and plan sessions of 30 minutes maximum. Beyond that, it is more difficult to maintain the child's focus on this activity.

If possible, install yoga mats on the floor for better comfort and dress so that you are comfortable performing the movements.

Your child is not doing all the exercises correctly, it doesn’t matter. There are surely postures which he will prefer more than others. Don't worry, take advantage of this moment to relax and have a good time with your family.

Source:
The great book of Yoga for children – 50 postures and endless possibilities. A book by Shobna R. Vinay published by Éditions Mango, illustrations by Oreli Gouel.

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Video by Anne-Laure Mayor