Kids Yoga Postures For Stress Relief

New studies show that Yoga offers big benefits in stress reduction for kids, especially in specific Yoga postures that we’ll discuss here. The fact that Yoga helps children should be no surprise, for adults have been turning to it for years for benefits in stress reduction & general well-being, which is why the practice of Yoga in the United States has grown by over 50% in the last four years.

In general, Yoga helps to stretch the muscles and relieve tension that occurs under daily stress, but it’s more than simply a physical exercise regime. Yoga is a holistic practice that involves body postures, focused mindfulness, and intentional relaxation that helps people deal with stress in physical, mental, and emotional ways. It’s safe enough that event pregnant women can do it, and doesn’t require special tools or equipment to get involved with it.

As Yoga has grown in popularity, it’s only natural that parents who see benefits from it would introduce their children to it. After all, children have stresses with school, peer pressure, sports, and oftentimes anxiety that comes with the challenges of growing up. For kids, Yoga teaches postures, breathing, and mindfulness that helps them deal with life’s challenges. Instead of simply reacting to stimuli, yoga provides them with a tool to deal with it mentally and physically. It also helps them get more in touch with their inner self, and learn how their body and mind react to situations as they become more aware of themselves – and studies are beginning to show its effectiveness.

Studies Support Yoga Stress Relief For Kids

In the 2014 NIH study, Yoga for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being, by Ingunn Hagen and Usha S. Nayar, the authors argue that stress levels have increased for children due to pervasive media exposure, and suggest that kids yoga could be one approach to reducing stress and anxiety. They state:

“The dominant presence of multimedia devices and the time spent on them by children are clear indicators of the shift in lifestyles and priorities of our new generation. While these media technologies are valuable resources in children and young people’s lives for communication, learning, and entertainment, they also result in constant competition for youngster’s attention. A main concept in our article is that yoga may help children and young people cope with stress and thus, contribute positively to balance in life, well-being, and mental health. We present research literature suggesting that yoga improves children’s physical and mental well-being. Similarly, yoga in schools helps students improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills pertaining to emotions and stress.”

“The dominant presence of multimedia devices and the time spent on them by children are clear indicators of the shift in lifestyles and priorities of our new generation. While these media technologies are valuable resources in children and young people’s lives for communication, learning, and entertainment, they also result in constant competition for youngster’s attention. A main concept in our article is that yoga may help children and young people cope with stress and thus, contribute positively to balance in life, well-being, and mental health. We present research literature suggesting that yoga improves children’s physical and mental well-being. Similarly, yoga in schools helps students improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills pertaining to emotions and stress.”

In a Harvard Health blog, More than just a game: Yoga for school-age children, author Marilynn Wei writes:

“Yoga is becoming increasingly popular among American children. A national survey found that 3% of U.S. children (1.7 million) did yoga as of 2012 — that’s 400,000 more children than in 2007. Yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children (ages 6 to 12). Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children as well. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.

Emerging research studies also suggest that yoga can help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by improving the core symptoms of ADHD, including inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It can also boost school performance in children with ADHD. A growing number of schools now integrate yoga and mindfulness into physical education programs or classroom curriculums, and many yoga studios offer classes for school-age children. Yoga can be playful and interactive for parents and children at home, as well.”

The 2018 article School-based yoga can help children better manage stress and anxiety, published in Science Daily by Tulane University, says that “Participating in yoga and mindfulness activities at school helps third-graders exhibiting anxiety improve their wellbeing and emotional health”. According to principal author Alessandra Bazzano, associate professor of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health:

“Our initial work found that many kids expressed anxious feelings in third grade as the classroom work becomes more developmentally complex. Even younger children are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety, especially around test time….The intervention improved psychosocial and emotional quality of life scores for students, as compared to their peers who received standard care. We also heard from teachers about the benefits of using yoga in the classroom, and they reported using yoga more often each week, and throughout each day in class, following the professional development component of intervention.”

Finally, according to a 2011 article, published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health found that students who practiced Yoga demonstrated improved overall behavior and ability to concentrate. Additionally, the kids practicing Yoga were less likely to perseverate on negative thoughts, often associated with depression and anxiety.

Kids Yoga Postures For Stress & Anxiety Relief

Kids experience stress and anxiety just like adults do, from situations like school, athletic programs, and various academic and social pressures. Kids Yoga for Kids helps in many areas of their life, and all of the yoga postures below help kids not only relief muscle tension, but also alleviate mental and emotional stress as well. Here are some easy yoga poses capable of providing safe, powerful stress relief to your child:

1. Dog & Cat Poses: These two yoga postures are done together, because one flows into the other. The Dog and Cat kids yoga postures will help to increase the flexibility of the spine. The basic movement of the Dog places the child in a knee and hand crawling position, and the Cat movement is the reversal of the Dog movement. These postures require tiling of the pelvis and bending the spinal column.
2. Mountain Pose: This is a three phase movement that improves posture, self-awareness and balance. This kids yoga posture seems easy, and is done in a standing movement that requires a lot of movement and breathing exercises to be performed at one time.
3. Triangle Pose: The Triangle posture will have kids moving in constant motion. It stretches the spine, opens the child’s torso, and help them improve their balance and concentration. Sports enthusiasts might refer to this yoga posture as the typical and laborious, windmill exercise.
4. Warrior Pose: The Warrior Pose is one of the yoga postures for kids that will strengthen a child’s arm and legs and improve balance. This posture helps to build confidence and improve a child’s concentration. Sports enthusiasts call this yoga posture the lunge exercise.
5. Easy Pose with Forward Bend: The next time your child needs to find calm, try helping them into this posture. Sit down cross-legged, and then take a nice big inhale, and on the exhale bend forward. Rest your head on your forearms. Stay here and breathe. Next, take a few slow inhales and exhales, and then sit up. Straighten your legs and shake them out.
6. Standing Forward Bend: This pose will help release stress, worries, and muscle tension in your shoulders. To begin, stand tall, slightly bend your knees, and clasp your hands behind your back. Breathe in, and as you breathe out, bend forward and bring your arms over your head. Feel the stretch between your shoulder blades and at the back of your thighs. Stay here and breathe several times, and with your hands on hips, slowly come back up and stand. This posture will help relaxes the mind of the child, as well as the body.
7. Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend: This pose will help your child calm their mind and quit worrying. You’ll want a yoga block or pillow. Now, stand with your feet wide apart, hands on your hips. Take a big breath in, and as you exhale, bend forward and bring your hands to the floor or to blocks. Bend your knees slightly or walk your hands forward. Let your forehead rest on a pillow to help calm your mind. Stay here and breathe – a few calm inhales and exhales – and then with hands on hips, slowly come back up and stand.
8. Rabbit Pose: If your child is feeling highly stressed, let it all go in rabbit pose. First, start in child’s pose. Now, clasp your hands behind your back, lift your hips and carefully roll forward onto the crown of your head. Stay here and take a few breaths in and out. When you’re ready, lower your hips back down and release your arms. Relax in child’s pose.
9. Thunderbolt Pose: Start by kneeling down and sitting back on your feet. Extend your arms straight in front of you and then bend them so your palms face you and your fingers point straight up. Place your left elbow into your right – pass your right hand in front of your left – bring palms together, or even just a few fingers on to the left palm. Hold your posture and breathe in and out. Feel the stretch between the shoulder blades. Now, switch arms, breathe, and release.
10. Side Stretch: Begin by sitting on the floor in a comfortable position. Walk your right hand away from you and drop your head toward your right shoulder. Inhale, stretch your left arm over your head and notice where you feel a stretch. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed as you breathe in and out. When ready, switch sides, breathe, and release.
11. Plow Pose: Begin by lying on your back. Now, pull your knees into your chest and start rocking forward and back until you can safely swing your legs up over your head. Be careful with the weight on your neck – bring your hands to your back to support yourself. Your legs can stay vertical, or your toes can touch the floor behind your head. Stay here and breathe, at least 3 – 5 breaths, and then slowly roll out of plow pose.
12. Resting Pose: In the resting posture, lie down on your back, with your eyes either opened or closed. Take a big breath, open your mouth and then exhale deeply. Feel your arms and legs rest heavy on the floor. Inhale and exhale loudly two more times. Stay here and breathe easily until you’re completely relaxed.

Yoga Safety Tips For Kids

Kids Yoga provides a number of physical, mental & emotional benefits for children, including stronger muscles, increased flexibility, improved balance, and reduced stress and anxiety. However, like any other form of physical exercise, there are risks of injury involved. Therefore, it is important to be aware of these ten Yoga safety guidelines:

1. Make sure your child’s doctor approves them to for Yoga. It’s important the doctor understands exactly what the child will be doing in Yoga class when making this assessment.
2. Find a qualified Kids Yoga instructor with a diploma from a specialized Kids Yoga teacher training program and specialized knowledge in safely teaching Kids’ Yoga programs.
3. Find a small Yoga class that has ten or fewer students. Smaller classes are safer because the teacher is better able to address the needs of each individual child.
4. Let parents know that if the child needs to eat, make sure he or she does so at least two hours before class. This will help avoid any digestion issues that could arise, as a result of having food in the stomach, while practicing Yoga.
5. Make sure kids stays on their own mats during class. This will help reduce the risk of accidents that could occur during Yoga practice.
6. Teach kids to stay within their limits. If they’re feeling pain or discomfort during Yoga class, they should stop and let the teacher know.
7. Beware of over-extending the joints. Kids are much more flexible than adults, but must develop strength and stability to support their flexibility.
8. Start with easy Yoga posture before moving on to more challenging postures. Once kids are comfortable with basic posture, they can build on their knowledge.
9. Include Yoga resting & counter postures in the practice. This will help avoid over-exertion of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
10. Keep the length of the Yoga practice appropriate for kids. Children may get bored and lose focus if the class is too long.

How Yoga Helps Kids

There are many different ways that Yoga benefits children. Practicing physical postures may increase the production of endorphins and generate feelings of well-being. Breathing techniques can help regulate the nervous system, and guided relaxation techniques can provide kids with a safe, healthy techniques for responding to emotional stresses. Yoga also helps kids to increase awareness of their mental & emotional state, and can help them replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

By learning Yoga at a young age, kids not only internalize valuable techniques for dealing with the stresses of childhood, but they also gain a level of mental, physical & emotional mastery over themselves that can provide benefits throughout their  lives. Yoga helps children relieve stress, and does so in a non-competitive manner that teacher children compassion, mindfulness, and introspection – which are all valuable life skills they will need as adults.

Children are our future. If adults embrace Yoga to enrich their own lives & relieve stress, then why not share that gift with kids now, providing them with important tools early on in life. It makes sense to teach them techniques to deal with stress early on to make this valuable tool available for them when it’s required, rather than having them embrace it later while they’re already struggling with life’s stressors.