Yoga for Kids

1. Yoga for Kids Our kids live in a world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, T.V., and competitive sports. We Usually do not think of these as stressful for our kids ,but often these prove to be major factors adding stress and distractions in their life.

2. SMARTS YOGA • Holistic and complementary to academic goals • Includes Origami, art, science, music, reading, phonics, story- telling, and games • Non competitive: Importance given to building individual goals of achievements • Builds body strength, flexibility and immunity . • Reduces stress, anxiety and stress in kids • Reinforces awareness of self control in kids • Boosts focus and reduces attention related issues • Social skills are honed through yoga games and partner poses. • Fun and educational at the same time • Meditation rewires and freshens the brain • Positive attitude, ethics and values are integrated through story time and poses. • Emphasis given on good eating habits

3. Benefits of Yoga for Children • Improves their powers of concentration and focus. • Develops their brain and intellect. • Excellent for their bodies and health. Promotes balance, flexibility, coordination and immunity • Helps them cope with stress and difficult emotions. • Develops their creativity and imagination. • Sharpens and expands their awareness. • Helps them develop calmness • Builds their confidence and self-esteem

4. ABC of YOGA For Kids

5. Warm Ups • Foot Rolls from ankle – cycle of 20 • Butterfly – cycle of 20 • Shoulder Rolls- cycle of 20 • Belly Breathing – cycle of 20

6. Mountain pose - Tadasana • Stand on your feet with some distance with hands on your side. • Breathing in slowly raise your hands above and at the same time try to come up on your toes. • Try to balance on your toes for a count of ten. • Breathing out slowly come down on your feet and bring your hands down to your side. • Now hold your partners hand rise up making a chain of trees.

7. Triangle Pose - Trikonasana • Stand with your feet apart and hands on your side. • Take a deep breath , raise your hands . • Keeping hands straight bend down to touch same side foot and breathe out. • Stay in that position for count of ten and come back up. • Repeat the same steps for the other side.

8. Tree pose Vrksasana • Standing up press the bottom of one foot to the inside of the other leg, or to the thigh. • Make sure that the foot is not pressing against the kneecap. • As you get your balance, find a focal point to keep your eyes on. • Try to keep your knee on your lifted leg pointed out to the side. • Once everything feels steady, point your arms up toward the sky.

9. Bird Pose Pakshee Asana • Stand on your toes with the knees apart. • Raise your hand to your sides like bird wings bend down from your stomach. • Balance your body and keep in this posture for a count of ten. • You can try and raise one leg and balance on another if you want.

10. Cat Pose-Marjaryasana • Get on all fours. • Arch your back up really tall, as if you were an angry cat. The kids will probably enjoy hissing to complete the picture. • Gently let your back fall into a sway, then arch it back up again. • Mewing and hissing are greatly encouraged - come on, it's too fun not to!

11. Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana • Lay down on your stomach. • Place your hands directly by your chest. • Push your upper body upward as far as you can. • Now pretend you are a cobra and hiss!

12. Downward Facing Dog -Adho Mukha Svanasana • Stand with feet flat on the ground. • Slowly bend at the waist until your hands reach the ground. • Lean your body back slightly until you resemble and upside down V. • Bark, loudly, until the neighbors come over to find out what's going on.

13. Lion Pose- Simhasana • Sit on your legs with knees bent (basic hero pose). • Stick your tongue out as far as you can. • Breathe out with force while roaring like a lion. • Do this several times.

14. Boat Pose- Naukasana- Partner Pose • Kids sit facing each other. • Hold each others hands and try to lift your legs with feet touching each others. • Hold the same position for ten counts or till you can hold on.

15. See-Saw Pose- Utkatasana • Hold hands with your partner and stand straight. • Now keeping arms straight one of the partner sits down. • When first partner stands up the other one sits down. • Do it ten times each.

16. Candle Pose- Ardhasarvangasana • Lie down straight and slightly bend your knees. • Now raise your knees till they are straight in the air. • Slowly raise your body from waist up with the help of your hands. • Rest your body on your palms and try to keep your body straight.

17. Child Pose Balasana • Sit on the ground with your knees folded and arm on your sides. • Now bend down from your stomach so that your head touches the floor. • Bring your hands backward near your knees. • Breathe normally.

18. Plough Pose Halasana • While lying down raise both your feet from the ground. • Keep the legs straight and keep stretching them out till your feet go. above your head to touch the ground. • Now bring your hands back near your hands towards the feet to support them.

19. Other beneficial asanas • Tree pose- builds balance, for height • Moon Pose- stretches spine • Warrior Pose – builds concentration, focus, balance, stretches whole body • Mountain pose- increases height • Plank pose- strengthens spine, hands and increases focus • Surya Namaskar- for height and stamina

20. Join Us Today • Try our free class on every first Friday of the month and enroll your kids to make them better healthier and smarter day by day. Visit our website for more info. www.smartsclub.net • Give us a call to reserve your spot and know more about our programs.