Breathing for Children
Breathing exercises taken from Global Family Yoga and Breathe, Chill by Lisa Roberts RYT, RCYT
Milkshake breath: Curl the tongue upwards with mouth open, inhale through the mouth like sucking on a straw and exhale through the nose.
Balloon Breath: Squat on the floor, hug your knees and make sure all the air is out. Inhale to inflate. Breathe in as you stand up and stretch up, bringing your hands all the way up over your head, filling your balloon with air. Let all the air out. Breathe out as you flutter to the ground like a balloon loosing air until you are lying on the floor.
Reach for the sun: Inhale and reach one hand up like you are going to grab a piece of the sun. Exhale and bring your hand down to the belly with a “hah”. Inhale and reach the other hand up, grab a piece of the sun. Exhale, press your hand onto the belly – as you breath out with a “hah”. Repeat over and over again. Then, stand still and feel the warmth of the sun radiating within you.
Choo Choo breath: First, inhale through nose and exhale saying “choo” - do it a few times. Then, have the children close their mouth and do the same breath.
Bee Breath: Humming while exhaling lengthens the exhale, which in turns lengthens the inhale. Lips are gently closed but the jaw is slightly open so the teeth don’t touch. Hum as long as possible, then inhale and hum again. Repeat again.
Firework breath: Bend the knees and lower into squat position. Draw your hands to heart center with palms pressed together. This is the tip of the firework launcher. Take a deep breath through nose, filling up lungs. Launch your firework. Keep your palms pressed together as you shoot your arms straight up like a missile and jump to a standing position, then spread the arms and legs out wide. Breathe out loudly through an open mouth as your firework explodes.
Meditations
Sa Ta NaMaMeditation:
These are the seed sounds of “Sat Nam”. It means, “Truth is my Name”. Sit in a comfortable position with the spine tall. Touch one finger for each sound
- Sa=pointer finger
- Ta=middle finger
- Na=Ring finger
- Ma= Pinky finger
What do you do?
- 3 rounds out loud
- 3 rounds whisper
- 6 rounds silent
- 3 rounds whisper
- 3 rounds loud
I Am Meditation
Sit with straight spine. Right hand will be down on leg in “wise pose”. Left had will be at your heart level. Make your palm flat with the fingers straight and pointing to the right. Look at your hand the whole time, but with eyes mostly closed. Start with hand six inches away then a little closer to your chest. Each time move hand say the word “I am”.
Websites
Books
Yoga Education for Childrenby Swami SatyanandaSaraswati. This traditional children's Yoga book has pose descriptions, games and philosophy.
Yoga for Childrenby Swati and Rajiv Chanchani. A classic children's Yoga book, it contains philosophy and mythology in simple terms.
Fly Like a Butterflyby Shakta Kaur Khalsa. A delightful book for younger children based on the practice of “Kundalini Yoga”.
YogaKidsby Marsha Wenig. Colorful photos and simple directions make this a great introduction to the basics of Yoga for children.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kidsby Jodi Komitor and Eve Adamson. This is a comprehensive review of Yoga techniques for children.
Breathe, Chill: A Handy Book of Games and Techniques Introducing Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation to Kids and Teensby Lisa Roberts. This book focuses on the key aspects of yoga that tend to have the most benefit – breathing, meditation and relaxation.