Sunday, August 23, 2009

Yoga Postures For Kids

By Sharon Mirin

Kids get stressed just like adults do because they are placed in demanding situations where they feel they must excel. School, athletic programs, and daily tasks will tend to stress many kids to the breaking point. All of these expectations that are placed on them afford them little opportunity to relax. Yoga Postures For Kids helps children in many areas of their life, and sometimes transports them into a whole other self.

When kids begin taking yoga classes, they are guided by instructors who want them to become in tune with their mind, body and spirit. Yoga can be likened to the phrase, “thinking outside of the box.” Through the different yoga postures for kids, children can change their behavior by going to another place, and becoming a animal, bird, or mental time traveler, if only for a short time.

Many yoga postures for kids are taught in postures, vinyasas, or yoga flows. The postures have clever names such as bridge, cobra, mountain, and cat and dog. A vinyasas is a sequence of postures, and yoga flows are vinoyasas that continuously flow form one to another. Yogoa postures for kids are not speed events and are not meant to be done to the point where any type of pain is caused.

All of the yoga postures for kids serves a direct purpose and will benefit one or more body areas. One of the yoga postures for kids is the Sukhasana, which is a starting position that helps children focus on the breathing techniques, and it will help kids strengthen their lower back and loosen up the groin and hip areas of the body.

Two yoga postures for kids are done together, because one flows into the other. The Dog and Cat yoga postures for kids will help to increase the flexibility of the spine. The basic movement of the Dog places the child in a knee and hand crawling position, and the Cat movement is the reversal of the Dog movement. These postures require tiling of the pelvis and bending the spinal column.

One of the exciting yoga postures for kids is the Mountain, which is a three phase movement that improves posture, self-awareness and balance. This yoga postures for kids is deceptive, and kids think it will be so easy. The Mountain is done in a seemingly simple standing movement that requires a lot of movement and breathing exercises to be performed at one time.

The Uttanasana II is a forward bend or extension movement of yoga postures for kids that stretches the legs and spine, and provides rest to the heart and neck. The Uttanasana II also relaxes the mind of the child, as well as the body. Sports enthusiasts might refer to this movement as the standard, touch your toes routine.

The Trikonasana, or Triangle is one of the yoga postures for kids that will have kids moving in constant motion. The Triangle stretches the spine, opens the child’s torso, and help them improve their balance and concentration. Sports enthusiasts might refer to this yoga posture as the typical and laborious, windmill exercise.

The Warrior Ii, or Virabhadrasana II, is one of the yogo postures for kids that will strengthen a child’s arm and legs, and improve balance too. This posture helps to build confidence and improve a child’s concentration. Sports enthusiasts might refer to this yoga posture as the lunge exercise.