Kids’ Yoga Resources
Starting a daily yoga practice with the children in your life is easier than you think with our kids’ yoga resources, such as frequently asked questions, free kids’ yoga lesson plans, and key research.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yoga for Kids
1. How long should young children hold a yoga pose?
Children should practice yoga at their own pace and according to their own unique abilities. That being said, the general rule of thumb is that each pose should ideally be held anywhere from 10-15 seconds or longer, depending on the age of the child.
2. How many poses should a child do in one session?
Our books each contain many yoga poses, and children need not do every pose each time they practice. Instead, they can pick a handful to practice at a time.
3. What are some of the benefits of yoga for kids?
Yoga for kids develops discipline, increases focus and concentration, builds balance and flexibility, tones internal glands and organs, and promotes calmness and eases stress. It also strengthens fine and gross motor coordination in children, improves their visual-motor and auditory processing, aides in the cognitive functions of sequencing and memory, and heightens body awareness and self-control.
4. Why should kids practice yoga?
Yoga is a healthy outlet to balance the busy lives of today’s children. Not only is it the ideal way for kids to naturally unwind and obtain physical activity at the same time, but yoga also paves the way for life-long tradition of health and fitness. Lastly, it is a non-competitive form of exercise, suitable for children of all ages and sizes and varying degrees of athletic abilities.
5. How do you instill a desire in our youth to take up yoga?
The key to encouraging children to practice yoga is making it fun. The goal is to make yoga enjoyable for kids so that they can stay engaged with their yoga practice to learn fitness, relaxation, concentration, and awareness. The key is maintaining the children’s interest in what they are doing. Retaining a light tone and intermixing games with the poses keeps the young child’s attention while at the same time fulfilling the educational goal of yoga for kids.
Free Kids’ Yoga Lesson Plans
Free 20-minute yoga lesson plans for ages 3-8 developed by kids’ yoga expert and educator, Teresa Power.
Suitable for home, preschool, daycare, elementary schools, yoga studios and more!
Kids’ Yoga Research Links
- Yoga Therapy and Autism Spectrum Children – NIH
- Yoga and Childhood ADHD- NIH
- Benefits from Teaching Yoga at Schools – NIH
- Medical Yoga Therapy – Children – MDPI
- Mind-Body Therapies in Children and Youth – American Academy of Pediatrics
- Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions for Anxiety Reduction Among Children and Adolescents – American Journal of Occupational Therapy
- School-based Yoga Programs in the United States: A Survey
- Implementing yoga within the school curriculum – Journal of Children’s Services
- Yoga in school settings: a research review – New York Academy of Sciences
- Use of movement therapies and relaxation techniques and management of health conditions among children.
- Yoga for children and young people’s mental health and well-being: research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga
- Clinical Applications of Yoga for the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review – NIH