Before beginning a yoga practice with children, make sure they have enough room to stretch their arms wide without bumping into objects or each other. For best results, always practice with the children.

Pose #1-Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Mountain Pose is the most important pose to teach your children/students.

Think of Mountain as the base or the roots of every standing yoga posture.

Every standing posture begins in a nice, strong Mountain Pose.

Pose #2-Tree Pose (Vrikasana)

Tree Pose is the first balancing pose I teach children beginning around the age of 3.

I haven’t met a child yet that doesn’t love Tree Pose.

Tree Pose helps to develop strength, balance & body awareness.

Tree Pose will most likely be a favorite among your children/students.

Tree Pose is a posture that can be practiced in your home or classroom daily. Both you and your children/students will notice strength and balance improve quickly when Tree Pose is practiced regularly.

Pose #3-Star Pose

Star Pose is a great posture to counter-balance time spent sitting in a chair at a desk.

Star Pose builds strength and Body Awareness.

Star Pose encourages focus. Especially when children are encouraged to stay in the posture for a few breaths.

Star Pose is the root posture of all wide-legged standing postures. Including our next pose, Warrior II.

Pose #4-Warrior II (Virahadasana)

Warrior II is another favorite among children.

It is a posture that develops strength and focus.

Warrior II when held for several breaths or longer can help your children/students enhance concentration.

Warrior II is the perfect pose to do for a concentration boost, like before a test.

Ask your children/students to stand strong and breathe deeply just like strong warriors.

Pose #5-Forward Fold (Utanasana)

Forward Fold is a go-to-pose to encourage calm.

Forward fold allows the head to spend time below the heart, shifting circulation in the upper body and head space.

Spend several breaths rocking gently in forward fold, always remembering to encourage your children/students to bend their knees.

Forward Fold can also be practiced in a chair with the body draped over the thighs, head hanging towards the earth.

Check out http://www.kidsvirtualyoga.com for more about children's yoga & mindfulness.