Calming yoga poses for children-Katie Louw, Over the Rainbow Yoga

Yoga Poses to help with Anxiety

Child's Pose (Balasana)

Benefits:

·       Calms the mind and body

·       Encourages strong and steady breathing

·       Releases tension in the back, shoulders and chest

·       Flexes the body’s internal organs and keeps them supple

·       Recommended if you have dizziness or fatigue

·       Helps alleviate stress and anxiety

·       It lengthens and stretches the spine

·       Relieves neck and lower back pain when performed with the head and torso supported

·       It gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles

·       Normalizes circulation throughout the body

·       It stretches muscles, tendons and ligaments in the knee

Tree Pose (Vrikasana)

Benefits:

• Calms and relaxes your mind and central nervous system.
• Develops balance.
• Increases your mind / body awareness.
• Strengthens your thighs, calves, core, and foot muscles.
• Strengthens your posture.

 

Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Benefits:

Legs up the Wall Pose is a restorative, relaxing and gentle inversion:

• Eases anxiety and stress
• Calms the mind
• Relieves lower back pain
• Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
• Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
• Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and insomnia
• Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause

Benefits of Yoga for Children

·       improves flexibility, strength and body awareness

·       encourages kind peer and social interactions

·       enhances self-expression and imagination

·       increases self-esteem

·       helps increase awareness of breathing

·       teaches discipline and responsibility

·       cultivates a peaceful, relaxed state of body and mind

·       gives tools for stress management

·       provides a playful, fun way for children to learn how to relax


All photos used with permission of Over The Rainbow Yoga

Katharine (Katie) Louw is a specialist Family & Community Yoga Teacher & a trained Mindfulness Curriculum Teacher, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Katie founded Over the Rainbow Yoga over two years ago and has worked with a number of kindergartens, schools  and community groups in Christchurch, with her yoga programme based in mindfulness, community and fun. 
www.overtherainbow.com          www.facebook.com/OvertheRainbow