Yoga for Children – The Cat-Dog-Cobra Utility For Pre-Schoolers

Yoga for children

Many are still unaware of the untapped potential that the primeval practice of yoga has on the toddler generation. Yoga helps boost physical and mental ability by strengthening the spine and increasing concentration, developing a sense of well-being and self-worth. It is never too early to get your toddler started on the simplistic exercises making it as enjoyable for the child, starting with 20 second duration yoga poses and eventually increasing the time as the child grows older.

Children afflicted with spine and brain related ailments like Scoliosis, Autism and Cerebral Palsy are known to show significant improvement with better muscle tone, improved hand-eye coordination and limber bodies.

Before embarking the child on any stretch a great warm up is essential. Make the child stand erect in straight posture, feet firmly to the floor, make them move their arms up and down slowly with deep breathing for a few times.

The cat and dog poses are excellent for your child to develop greater litheness in the spine. The cat pose can be taught to the child by making the child stretch out the arms while maintaining upright back position, with slowly stretching down towards the floor, similar to a cat in a vicious, aggressive posture. The starting position is with eyes focussed ahead and up with outstretched arms starting at 90 degree, gradually altering position by rounding the spine with resulting constricting of the abdominal area and finally stopping while seeing downward and stopping near the thighs resembling an arc shape. This process can be done many times.

The cat pose can be followed by the dog pose where the child should raise up their hips with the spine arched down, with arms kept straight to resemble a dog posture. One can make it a delightful exercise by inculcating animal sounds while carrying out the poses to make it interesting and at the mean time immensely helpful to the body.

The cobra pose can be performed by making the child lie down flat on a surface with knees bent, the soles of the feet touching the floor and the arms placed close to the body alongside the floor. Emphasis must be laid that the upper back is in a comfortable mode and the lower back is completely touching the floor. Now make the child breathe in and hold the breath to count of three and release the air. This can be followed frequently to give optimal result.

One needs to undertake proper advice of one’s health care practitioner or yoga instructor before starting the child off with any new exercise.

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