By Hannah Bullimore

Children’s yoga usually looks quite different to adult yoga, particularly for children below the age of 11. I am a vinyasa and children’s yoga teacher and have a few tips to help you get started. What often works with children is to incorporate stories to help the children feel comfortable practising yoga and to make them feel involved – like they’re the ones in charge!

This guide will help you set up the space for children’s yoga at home, prepare your child for a yoga adventure and offer recommendations for online resources you can use straight away to help your child keep fit and healthy while having fun.

What is children’s yoga?

Children’s yoga is a way to get children moving and keep calm. It includes simple movements that are safe for children to do and it also includes things like breathing techniques to help them reduce anxiety.

A lot of children’s yoga is also story based, this means that the child feels as though they are going on adventure. It also means there is usually a moral or lesson within the story, such as being kind to others.

Children’s yoga doesn’t have any religious or spiritual connotations, although sometimes words like ‘namaste’ are still used. It is a simplified version of adult’s yoga so some of the postures look similar, but there is no pressure for children to look a particular way.

Setting up a yoga space

Luckily, yoga doesn’t require a lot of space, particularly for little ones. While a yoga mat is a good idea, children can usually manage without. If children are practicing yoga on a hard floor make sure they aren’t wearing socks as they are more likely to slip if they are.

Begin by making sure that the space is as clear as possible, with nothing breakable in easy reach of little arms and legs.

Children should be dressed comfortably, just as they would be dressed for running around having fun or doing PE at school. No fancy sports clothes needed –  they could even practice yoga in their pyjamas.

Warming up

Most online yoga videos include a warm up, but if you’re practicing without one it’s important to make sure little muscles are well warmed up before doing anything that requires a lot of flexibility. This will protect muscles and joints throughout the practice.

In-person classes will sometimes include fun games such as musical statues but using yoga postures when the music stops. You could have a little game of musical statues before starting up your yoga practice to make sure your child is nicely warmed up.

For teenagers

The best way to get children practising yoga safely at home is by using online resources. If you’re living with a teenager they will probably prefer something grown-up, such as a yoga video that you could follow along together such as Yoga With Adriene.

Supporting local

Unfortunately, many studios offering online classes aren’t currently catering to little ones. However, Yoga Mike is a local children’s yoga teacher offering classes in schools in Teesside and Durham. Yoga Mike TV is a great online platform offering yoga and mindfulness videos for children. The platform works as a monthly subscription but a free trial is available. Schools in the North East have been used to film many of the videos so they create a lovely atmosphere for little ones who are missing school at the moment. Plus, you can support a small local business during this really tricky time.