Your child leads a stressful life. Hey, now – stop laughing! It’s true. Maybe the pressures on them don’t reach the level of a Fortune 500 CEO, a leader of one of the world’s nations or a mother of three, but to a kid, life is so hard.
Left unchecked, stress can negatively affect one’s health. Since Health and Fitness is one of the pillars of Kiddie Academy® Educational Child Care’s Life Essentials® philosophy and curriculm, we know it’s never too early to equip children with effective coping mechanisms. One effective method we use is child-friendly yoga.
Yoga is a system of poses and breathing that benefits the body and mind. It enhances flexibility, strength, balance and concentration. It’s also a terrific way to relax and de-stress and there are plenty of age-appropriate poses available for children.
We wanted to see firsthand how a typical Academy incorporates yoga into its day. So, we sent our fearless reporter, Ms. Rachael, to Kiddie Academy of Abingdon in Maryland, where she joined Ms. Jen and Ms. Cindy’s Pre-K students for a spirited workout. You can see in the video above that Ms. Rachael did her best to keep up with her classmates.
One of the great things about yoga is that it’s easy to do together at home. Here are some of the poses the class practiced:
Meditation
Sit on the floor or stand for this pose. Place your hands on your thighs and sit with your back, neck and head straight to align your body. Take a deep breath and let it out. Focus only on your breathing.
Seated Forward Bend
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front, slightly separated. Fold forward from your hips, stretching your arms out to reach and hold each foot.
Downward Dog
The arms are stretched straight forward, shoulder width apart; the feet are a foot apart, the legs are straight, and the hips are raised as high as possible with your head down.
Child’s Pose
Start on your hands and knees. Spread your knees apart, but keep your big toes touching behind you. Bend forward, extending your arms straight out on the floor.
Table Pose
Come to the floor on your hands and knees, hip width apart. Keeping your back straight, lift your head upward to stretch your back. You can rock back and forth to extend your stretch.
Tree Pose
While standing, slowly lift one leg up, knee bent and pointing out, bringing your foot to rest on the inside of your opposite thigh. Then bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest. Repeat, changing sides.
Nap Pose
From a comfortable position, curl up with a warm blanket and shut your eyes for just a few moments. You’ve earned a break.
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