I love doing a yoga practice with my kiddies at least once a week, though usually I try to do it more often. Yoga is a great way to keep fit, especially for strength, balance and discipline. It is also an excellent calming technique for when you can feel the energy buzzing in the room, and you need to wind it down.

For older students I allow them to sit in place and take their shoes off. With the younger ones, it is a nightmare with undoing and redoing shoelaces so I expect them to leave their shoes on.

I encourage all students to have a go. Practice makes perfect, and they will get better at it the more we do it. I tell them to ‘try your best and have fun, that is the main thing’.

I put on music while we are practising. Some days it may be quiet, soothing tones, other times I will use powerful strong lyrical songs. It just depends on my mood. I expect no talking, just listening. Students need no distractions so that they can concentrate fully. It is essential each student has sufficient space and should not be touching another.

I start with a warm-up which includes taking five deep breaths in and out. This is a sample program you may like to trial with your class.

Warm up

Roll shoulders forward, backwards

Stretch arms overhead

Put a hand up overhead and lean to one side, change sides

Put arms out to your sides and rotate them in little circles forwards and backwards

Sunrise

Hands beside body, feet together, raise arms up, palms together, look at the sky

Stand on tiptoe and reach up

Sunset

Spread legs shoulder-width apart, try to touch the ground

Turn to the right side and pull down

Turn to the left side and pull down

Stretch legs further apart, try to touch your toes

Walks hands forward and poke bottom to the sky

Crouching Tiger

Bend down, put hands on the ground in front, take one leg and place it behind, take the other and put it behind, poke bottom up to the sky

Spread legs apart, turn one foot forward and the other to the wall, stretch arms out to the side. Bend down, bend a little further

Turn both feet towards the wall, as you lean forward, put two arms out in front, slowly raise back leg to keep balance on one leg. Turn the other way

Tree

Plant feet deep into the ground

Put one leg up on knee, maintain balance and press hands together at your chest then slowly raise them to the sky

Swap legs

Put one leg up on your knee and squat to intensify the stretch, move arms in and out to fly

Swap legs

Cooldown

Take five deep breaths, breathe it out

Stretch arms out

 

Do you also practise yoga with your class or even a group of classes? Do you feel it makes a difference? Feel free to share some of your child-friendly poses with us below.