One of the most significant aspects of yoga is its easy accessibility to people of any age or skill level. Since most of the yoga poses can be practised anywhere, it’s also quite natural to conduct yoga sessions in classrooms and school playgrounds. After all, most yoga asanas for kids carry great benefits such as improving their sensory inputs and physical strength and reducing their mental stress. 

Recently yoga has become an important part of various schools’ curricula and programs. In addition, doing asanas for kids at home can be a great bonding experience for everyone involved. But, what is asana for kids and what are some easy yoga poses for kids? Let’s discuss such questions in detail. 

How Can Young Kids Include Yoga Asanas in Their Everyday Routine? 

Before beginning with anything, it’s important to realise that yoga is quite different for kids than it is for adults. So, it brings up a question: Which is the best yoga for kids anyway? Unlike sitting in a quiet or calming environment, yoga asanas for children can be done through dancing, singing songs, storytelling and other activities. Moreover, there are several easy yoga asanas for kids that require very little effort to learn.

Also, most kids generally rely on their yoga teacher for clear instructions to learn about any new pose. Hence, it’s quite important for yoga teachers to understand the difference between yoga asanas for kids and adults. 

7 Easy and Helpful Yoga Asanas for Kids

For now, let’s have an insightful look at some of the easiest yoga asanas for kids with names.

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Tadasana or Mountain Pose is one of the most recommended yoga asanas for kids since it helps restore the body’s natural alignment as well as increase height. In addition, doing this yoga pose can help with opening up your clogged lungs and let you breathe properly. 

How To Do It

• Stand on the yoga mat with your feet slightly apart and hands alongside your body. 
• Inhale deeply, slowly raise your arms upwards and then interlock your fingers. 
• Now, raise your heels, stand on your toes and feel your body stretched while looking up. 
• Slowly, put your weight on your toes and stretch out your shoulders, arms and chest. 
• Hold this position for a few moments, exhale and then return to the starting position. 

Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)

The Tree Pose or Vrikshasana is often one of the favourite yoga asanas for kids. It’s worth mentioning that the asana has various variations and each variation can be considered, based on the learner’s age and ability. Most of those variations are a great way to develop the learner’s balancing skills as well as their core muscles. 

How To Do It

• Take a standing position on the yoga mat with your feet slightly apart. 
• Start shifting your weight onto one foot and bring the other foot to your shin or thigh. 
• Focus on your breathing while also maintaining your balance. 
• Hold this position for a few moments, return to the first step and then do the same with the other foot. 

Thoppu Karnam (Super Brain Yoga)

The next yoga pose became quite popular from its English term i.e., Super Brain Yoga. However, this asana is not an alien pose since it’s locally known as Thoppu Karnam or Uthak Baitak. Apart from reducing stress and tension, this yoga pose is ideal for sharpening memory. Moreover, it is quite helpful for kids with ADHD, Autism and other disabilities. Let’s learn how to do this one of the easiest yoga asanas for kids.

How To Do It

• Stand straight on the yoga with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward. 
• Now fold your right arm across your body and hold the left earlobe with your thumb and index finger. 
• Then cross your left arm over your right arm and hold the right earlobe with your thumb and index finger.
• Inhale deeply, slowly lower yourself to a squatting position and hold the position for 2-3 seconds, if possible. 
• Now exhale slowly while getting back up to a standing position and repeat the squatting action. 

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

One of the most fun and inspiring yoga asanas for kids, Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose is a great way to build upper body strength. Apart from stretching the spine and back muscles, this pose also elevates the mood and improves circulation throughout the body. 

How To Do It

• Firstly, lie on your belly with your legs stretched out behind you. 
• Now, place your palms beside your shoulders and join the legs together. 
• Inhale deeply, press into your palms and begin to lift your upper body. 
• Gently lift your head, chest and shoulders off the ground while looking straight ahead. 
• Hold this position for a few moments and slowly return to your original position. 

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the few yoga asanas for kids that’s ideal at the beginning and for new learners. Due to its ability of a calming yet quite energising pose, this asana can improve blood flow in our body while also improving our focus. 

How To Do It

• Start on hands and knees in the tabletop position. 
• Now curl your toes under and start lifting your back up. 
• Then bend your knees a little and tilt your back further up. 
• Keep your head between your arms, maintain this position for a few moments and then slowly return to the first position. 

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Another one of the most calming yoga asanas for kids, the famous Bridge Pose helps reduce stress and builds strength in leg and back muscles. Similar to Tree Pose, this asana also has quite a few variations that can be chosen based on the learner’s age and abilities. 

How To Do It

• Slowly lay down on your back and rest your arms on the floor. 
• Start bending your knees while keeping your feet flat on the floor. 
• Then lift your hips in the upward direction and hold this pose for a few moments. 
• Focus on your breathing and then slowly lower your hips back to the floor. 

Paschimottan Asana (Seated Forward Fold)

While this yoga pose may seem a bit challenging at first, it’s one of the few yoga asanas for kids that can relieve belly aches, headaches and digestion issues. In addition, there are a few variations of this yoga pose where it can be done with different props or a strap. 

How To Do It

• Bring the legs out in front of the body. 
• Bring the arms up and then start folding forward as far as comfortable. 
• If not feel comfortable reaching your feet, then reach for your legs instead. 
• Maintain this pose for a few moments and then slowly return to your original position. 

Final Thoughts

Due to such vast benefits of yoga, it’s an excellent tool for kids and children that’s beneficial in their physical and mental development. Most of the above-mentioned yoga asanas for kids can be easily done anywhere. However, it’s still recommended to seek an expert’s guidance if you’re trying yoga for the first time. So, sign up with your little ones in our yoga classes for kids today!