How to Build a Growth Mindset through Yoga Poses for Kids

Below is an excerpt from a post titled “Growth Mindset Yoga Free Printable” that I wrote for Moments A Day, a popular parenting resource created by Chelsea Lee Smith, a mother and certified parent educator. Follow the link below to read the whole growth mindset yoga article and to download the Growth Mindset Yoga Printable Poster.

“I can’t read like her, Momma,” my daughter told me.

I was visiting her first grade classroom during a special family reading event. My daughter pointed out the children around us who were reading picture books, as she was working through her early readers. Her devastation broke my heart into a million pieces.

My concern for her lack of self-esteem led me to pick up Dr. Carol Dweck’s book Mindset again, and I dove into recent research on growth mindset. We took out a bunch of growth mindset books from the library to read together. It’s easy to assume that our children will have a positive outlook and have a love of learning like us, but research says that isn’t often the case.

Growth mindset is defined by Dr. Dweck as someone who embraces challenges, builds their confidence, and welcomes feedback. Alternatively, someone with a fixed mindset runs from difficulty, compares themselves negatively with others, and believes that success is based solely on intelligence or talent, not effort.

I then realized my daughter generally has a fixed mindset.

Instead of despair, I felt this overwhelming excitement that I could begin a slow process of planting the seeds of growth mindset into our daily life.

Another way to reinforce these ideas of growth mindset is to practice daily affirmations through yoga poses. We know that learning through movement helps children retain the information, so below you’ll find five yoga poses inspiring us to think using a growth mindset.

5 Growth Mindset Yoga Poses for Kids

1. I am hard-working. How to practice Warrior 1 Pose: Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Step one foot back, angling it slightly outward. Bend your front knee, bring your arms straight up toward the sky, and look up. Imagine working hard through a problem and embracing challenges. Say, “I am hard-working.” Repeat on the other side.
2. I am creative. How to practice Dancer’s Pose: Stand tall in Mountain Pose. Then stand on your right leg, reach your left leg out behind you, and place the outside of your left foot into your left hand. Bend your torso forward, with your right arm out in front for balance, and arch your leg up behind you. Imagine using your creativity to face setbacks in a different way. Say, “I am creative.” Switch sides and repeat the steps.
3. I am focused. How to practice Chair Pose: Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, and keep a straight spine. Take your straight arms out in front of you at a 45-degree angle. Focus on giving your best effort to hold this difficult pose as long as you can. Think of when you could use focus and effort to master a task in real life. Say, “I am focused.”
4. I am open-minded. How to practice Lunge Pose: From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, step your right foot forward to rest just inside your right hand. Keep a flat back and open your chest. Imagine being open-minded enough to listen and learn from someone giving you constructive criticism. Say, “I am open-minded.” Switch sides and repeat the steps.
5. I am curious. How to practice Downward-Facing Dog Pose: Step back to your hands and feet in an upside-down V shape, with your buttocks up in the air. Think of ways that people around you have experienced success. Be curious and inspired by their successes. Say, “I am curious.”

READ THE ENTIRE “GROWTH MINDSET YOGA” ARTICLE ON MOMENTSADAY.COM >>

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Growth Mindset Yoga Poses for Kids

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Teach children about growth mindset through yoga poses and promote positive self-esteem that can last a lifetime.

Discover new and creative ways to promote a growth mindset in children through practicing yoga. Fostering a growth mindset and practicing yoga are important gifts we can give our children.

Download these 53 digital Growth Mindset Yoga Cards to learn through movement in your home, classroom, or studio. The deck includes an index card, growth mindset and yoga tips, pose instructions, 20 yoga pose cards, and 20 matching growth mindset mantra cards. The multicultural yoga kids are from seven countries.

Purchase your Growth Mindset Yoga Cards here.

Growth Mindset Yoga Cards for Kids

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Comments

Maia says

January 3, 2019 at 7:50 pm

Giselle,

What an important topic to be sharing! I am a kids yoga teacher in schools and I see kids who struggle with growth mindset every day. I did a yoga sequence similar to yours above where we said affirmative phrases while doing different poses. We did it every day for several weeks and I saw it help some of them tremendously.

The other thing I try to do to inspire a growth mindset is to use language that encourages progress and effort, instead of praising them only when they accomplish something. I try to say “Look how much time you are putting into that!” Or, “!ow you have tried that pose every day, even when you are frustrated. That helps your brain learn!”

Thanks for another great post, and I love the mandalas on the cards, they are great.

- Giselle says
  
  January 4, 2019 at 2:42 pm
  
  Maia –
  Thanks so much for sharing what’s working for you. A growth mindset is so important and we knew it was time to begin integrating it more into our work. I’m thrilled to hear that you are as well. All the best to you on this amazing yoga journey! – Giselle