Kids Yoga
With yoga for Kids, the child is enabled to:
· Experience fun, playfulness, and collaboration with others in the
learning process
· Acknowledge and nurture their special gifts and strengths
· Learn to role-play (cows, cats, snakes etc)
· Learn to relax and rest the body
· Improve flexibility, posture, balance
· Stretch the body
· Improve body-mind co-ordination
· Re-energise & learn about their bodies
· Identify and learn about the major bones, muscles and organs of the
body
· Build self-esteem
· Stimulate the body systems respiratory, nervous and endocrine.
With the combination of yoga movements and breathing techniques the glands,
hormones and hemispheres of the brain are balanced, e.g. in the Eyes Around
The Clock posture, the circular movement of the eyes engages the brains
superhighway (corpus callosum) to maximise the potential of the whole brain.
· Access the imaginative and creative side of the brain.
Content of yoga:
1. Breath work (Consciously breathing in and out)
The breath oxygenates the organs, muscles and cells of the body, as well as
soothing and calming the nervous system.
Examples of breath work:
The bunny breath (the children inhale and make a face like a bunny)
Take 5 (the children count on their hands)
Volcano (the children lift their hands into the air and breathe out and create
a volcano effect)
2. Postures -
Animals: butterfly, cat, cow, snake, lion, stork, eagle, polar bear
Nature: mountain, tree
Triangle (using Im a Little Teapot rhyme to make the shape)
Row your Boat, Pedal Laughing, Shake like Jelly, Rag-doll
Birthday Candle
Warrior Series
3. Relaxation
Magical Cloud Carpet Ride lying down, closing eyes, and imagining
a magic carpet takes you to fun places
Integration with the Curriculum
· English ABC poses e.g. R is for Roar, S is for Snake
Teaching sounds and rhymes
Teaching the names of the parts of the body
· Maths Counting, shapes and patterns
· SESE Animal and nature poses help to share facts and
environmental tips
· Music - Simple songs are added to the movements
· Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Children are
learning how their bodies work.
Under the Myself and Others strand of SPHE the children should be enabled
to learn how to interact with others