How to Use Yoga with Your Kids & Family
By Laura Venecia Rodriguez, Author & Contributing Green Monkey Writer
I taught myself a gentle form of hatha yoga when I was 15 years old – just at the time yoga was beginning to become popular in the United States (don’t ask how many decades ago that was!) I benefited from the relaxation and enhanced flexibility I attained through daily practice over the next few years.
Childhood and the teen years are an excellent time to start and instill healthy habits as well as body awareness and attunement for life. The benefits can be tremendous. For example, the May 2010 issue of Yoga Journal includes a short article by teen yogi, Charlie Kelly (18), who started yoga to help complement his training as a competitive rock climber. In addition to becoming stronger as a rock climber, twice daily yoga (wow!) and meditation have enabled Charlie to handle SATs, final exam pressures, and college applications with more equilibrium and calm.
He also feels more confident in all areas of his life and in his words, he is "feeling awesome, something every teen could use a little more of." When stressful situations arise, Charlie says, “I have a “silent safety net to dive into. I have yoga.”
Charlie Kelly did not say how or where he learned yoga, but opportunities now abound for children and teens to learn the ancient practice! During the past year or so I have seen more and more information popping up about yoga classes geared towards children ranging from infants as young as 12 weeks old and on up to teenagers. Just last month (March 2010), Lil Omm Yoga, a studio geared toward teaching yoga to infants along with their parents, opened in northwest Washington, DC. The yoga classes offered there help parents bond with their children and learn relaxation. Some simple poses taught to infants also help them relieve the discomfort of gas that is so common at that age.
In addition to classes at yoga studios, yoga techniques are being taught in some schools. About a year ago I read that roughly a hundred schools in 26 states use yoga in the classroom to relieve stress. Some schools offer after-school yoga for at-risk youths who have difficulty focusing, suffer from poor self-esteem, and live in homes plagued by violence. The students are learning how to better focus and relax by being immersed in a peaceful environment.*
Rita Geller, a third-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary School in Coral Springs, Florida incorporates five-minute yoga exercises into her curriculum to help her students relax and focus. Wonderful! When asked about her use of yoga in the classroom, Ms. Geller said, "Yoga is a powerful tool to help students and teachers relieve stress and gain inner strength and concentration...The sessions are brief, specific, effective, and utilized as needed, and once children get focused, it saves time."
Just imagine if more schools followed this practice every day! It costs nothing, takes little time, and sharpens the students′ focus! In a nation where attention deficit disorder seems epidemic, rather than plying children with Ritalin or Adderall, teachers and counselors could guide students into a few moments of yoga relaxation techniques that would benefit them inside and outside the classroom!
If you have children, you can also introduce them to a few simple, fun, and effective yoga practices right at home. My 13-year old son has been receptive to meditating quietly with me a few times – I need to do it more! The following yoga warm-up technique and facial exercise are examples of the techniques I present in my soon-to-be-released book, Yoga for the Non-Athlete: Savvy Steps for You to Become Slim, Supple, and Serene, are simple enough to teach your child right away. Make it a special time for you and your child (or children). Remind them of or tell them the story of how Aladdin the genie was released from his lamp by rubbing it a special way. Say that together you are going to learn and do techniques, movements, and breathing exercises for your bodies to help you release your happiest self from the inside out. Make it fun, keep it light, and see how your children respond!
Egg Roll Warm-up/Resting Pose
Body parts targeted: Spine, shoulders, back, and thighs
How to do this pose:
1. Lie on your mat in a relaxed position; legs together and arms should be limp at your sides.
2. Inhale and bring knees up to chest (as in the knees to chest pose).
3. Wrap your arms around your knees and raise head up and curl it firmly toward your knees. Exhale.
4. Inhale and rock gently backward on your spine by tugging your knees a bit closer to your chest.
5. Exhale and push your knees up and away from your torso so your body can roll forward.
6. Rock and roll back and forth gently and slowly on your back for 3 to 5 times. Maintain a smooth, deep breathing pattern of relaxed inhalations and exhalations as you rock back and forth.
7. After completing 3 to 5 egg rolls, slowly release your arms from your knees and straighten legs, and return to a supine position on your mat.
8. Gently stretch your entire body – lifting your arms back of you on the mat and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g your arms backward as if you are a swimmer doing a backstroke. F-e-e-l the soothing stretch and enhance it by interlacing your fingers and stretching your arms back an inch or two more.
9. Bend your toes back and forth to enhance the stretch in your legs.
10. Inhale and exhale deeply.
Key benefits of this pose:
1. Is an effective, easy warm-up before a yoga session.
2. Helps work out the kink and stiffness in your body, especially in the back and legs.
3. It’s fun! You feel like a kid doing this yoga technique.Special tips
Because this pose requires rocking back and forth gently on your spine, lie on a thick mat or carpet, never on a hard wood floor or stone surface!
Lion
Although adults use this pose to keep their complexion smooth and to reduce or minimize wrinkles, it’s also great if you or your children feel a sore throat coming on and it will likely cause your children to giggle!
Body parts targeted: Face and throat
How to do the pose:
1. Sit in a comfortable position on your mat in a half-lotus pose or Japanese sitting position or in a chair with your spine erect.
2. Arch your back slightly forward and stretch your arms out stiffly at the elbows. Spread your fingers far apart.
3. Inhale deeply and then exhale strongly forcing all stale air from your lungs.
4. Open your mouth as wide as you can and your eyes as wide as possible.
5. Extend your tongue out of your mouth as far as it will go- as if you were trying to touch your chin with it.
6. Hold this position motionless for 10 seconds.
7. Slowly draw your tongue back into your mouth, close your mouth, and relax completely. Allow your hands to relax on your thighs. Inhale and exhale deeply.
8. Repeat the exercise.
Practice Time: Start by holding the pose for 10 seconds, add five seconds a week until you’ve built up to 30 seconds.
Number of repetitions: 3 in a practice session. Can also be done any time of the day to wake up your face.
Key benefits from this pose:
1. Increases energy and vitality in the face and throat – perks up the face.
2. Increases circulation and stimulates nerves in the face and neck.
3. Can stop or alleviate sore throats.
Special tips and Laura’s experience with this pose:
Exhale fully when you stick out your tongue. This can seem hokey, (kids will love it though!) but some yoga teachers suggest roaring as you exhale and stick out your tongue to enhance the pose. Keep your eyes wide open during this pose.
Laura Venecia Rodriguez is the author of the soon-to-be-released book, Yoga for the Non-Athlete: Savvy Steps for You to Become Slim, Supple, and Serene and of www.laurasathomeyoga.com. She considers herself a consummate klutz and is a self-taught yogi. She says if she can do yoga, so can you!
* Green Monkey is happy to offer instruction to certain schools around Miami. For more information email paula@greenmonkey.net.
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