First 5 LA’s Five Yoga Poses for the Whole Family

September is National Yoga Month! Yoga promotes good balance, flexibility and strength. Yoga also clears the way for effective learning by developing concentration and decreasing stress. Here are a few poses the whole family can try:

Easy Pose

Sit cross-legged on the floor/mat and rest hands on knees, palms up. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths — in through your nose and out through your mouth. Have your child take a deep breath in through their nose and let it out through their mouth.

Cobra Pose

Lay flat on your tummy, placing your palms on the floor beside your chest. Raise your chest and look straight ahead, leaving your legs outstretched like a long snake with the tops of your feet flat on the floor. Breathe in and out, then lower yourself back down.

Bow Pose

Lay flat on your tummy with arms at your sides. Bend your knees and bring heels towards thighs. Gently lift your chest and grab the outside of your feet/ankles (whichever is most comfortable). Ideally, this pose should look like a half-circle or an archer’s bow.

Standing Poses

With your child, stand tall in Mountain Pose and take big, deep breaths. As you breathe, bring hands to the sky, stretching fingers as wide as they will go and raising arms as high as possible.

Can your child lift one foot off the ground? How long can he or she stand on one foot? For Tree Pose, start by standing tall. Place the sole of your foot on the inner thigh or calf of the opposite leg and bring your raised knee out to the side. Try to avoid placing your foot on your knee, as this can put tension on the joints.

Happy Baby Pose

Lie on your back and bring knees to chest, with foot soles to the ceiling. Grab the outsides of your feet (like a happy baby!) and gently rock side to side.

For more yoga poses from First 5 LA, visit Yoga for All.