Sharing leisure time with your family members has many more advantages than just "having a good time", but that too!
Enjoying sporting activities together strengthens bonds, generates endorphins and boosts their self-esteem. And as we all know, children learn from our example, so instilling an active lifestyle and healthy habits in them is one of the best things we can do for them!
- They learn to breathe consciously
- Strengthen muscles
- Enhance flexibility
- Increase balance
- Improve concentration
- They become aware of their own body
- Stimulates their creativity and imagination
- Influences the immune system
The ideal time for this activity with our children is 30 to 40 minutes, as children have a lower capacity for concentration than adults, although this should be adapted to the age of the children.
For the practice with children we will use fun and recognisable postures to bring them more naturally into the experience.
Download the card and show it to the little ones, it will help them understand the postures better!
The cat: imitates the movements of a cat while stretching.
Children should place their hands and knees on the floor. Taking a deep breath in, they should lift their head and arch their back downwards. After a few seconds in this position, they should arch their back upwards, bringing their chin as close to their chest as possible as they exhale.
The dog: Woof woof! Stretching the back of the body
Now, they should place their hands and knees on the floor and, while breathing in deeply, stretch their legs and arms into an inverted V-shape. In this position, we can ask them to relax their head while looking at their feet for a few minutes before they begin to exhale the air and return to the starting position.
The tree: We keep our balance like a tree!
Stand with your legs together and your arms outstretched. In this position, they will bend their right leg, resting it on their left calf or thigh. Those with more balance can bring the palms of their hands together in a straight line above their head. In this position, ask them to take a deep breath in through the nose, and exhale as they return to the original position. The exercise is repeated with the other leg.
The mountain: What child wouldn't like the challenge of becoming a mountain?
This yoga technique will do the trick. First, we will ask you to sit with your legs crossed, your back straight and your palms together at chest level. While breathing in through their nose, they should stretch their arms above their head as if they wanted to touch the sky. After a few seconds in this position, ask them to exhale while slowly lowering their hands.
5. The child: Back to the beginning.
The technique consists of imitating the position of a foetus in its mother's womb. To do this, we ask the children to rest their knees on the floor so that their buttocks are resting on their heels. In this position, they should stretch out their arms while resting their foreheads on the floor. An ideal position to combine with breathing exercises.
6. The snake: Ideal for stretching and strengthening the back
Lying on your back with feet together, knees bent, soles of feet flat on the floor and arms extended on each side of the body.
You should rest your lower back firmly on the floor while relaxing your upper back.
Then breathe in very deeply, so that your chest fills with air, while you contract your stomach. Stay like this, mentally counting to three...one, ...two and ...three.
7. The archer: One of the best yoga postures for children to work on body balance, strengthen legs and arms.
Standing, we stretch our right leg forward and bend our knee in front of the toe. We close our right fist and open our thumb upwards and stretch our right arm parallel to the ground. Left arm backwards. Inhale and exhale deeply, holding this position for five to ten seconds. Return to the starting position and rest.
We hope you enjoy some great family moments practising yoga with the little ones 😉.
