Pets + yoga = a winning combo, right?
For beginners to yoga, why not make their first yoga experiences fun and easy by acting out their favorite pets through yoga poses? Pet yoga!
Yoga postures were invented thousands of years ago by yogis mimicking the flora and fauna in India, so it’s not by accident that many yoga poses resemble animals.
Maybe you’ve heard of Downward Dog Pose, Cat Pose, and Hare Pose? Introducing a pet-themed yoga class is a great way to engage children in something meaningful that they can relate to on many levels.
Below you’ll find five pet-inspired yoga poses, but if you’re looking for more ideas, don’t miss our Pet Yoga Cards for Kids with twenty poses matching twenty pets.
5 Pet Yoga Poses for Kids
Follow the five-pose flow below to act out various pets that children adore. Don’t worry if you haven’t tried yoga before—just jump in and give it a try. Clear the space, practice barefoot, and have fun. The focus is on introducing yoga to children, not on perfectly aligned poses. Be safe, but also encourage them to explore their creativity.
1. Pretend to be a puppy.
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. Pretend to be a puppy playing in the backyard.
2. Pretend to be a goldfish.
How to practice Locust Pose: Lie on your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders, and look up. Pretend to be goldfish swimming around a fish tank.
3. Pretend to be a kitten.
How to practice Cat Pose: On all fours, round your back and tuck your chin into your chest. Pretend to be a kitten taking a stretch after a nap.
4. Pretend to be a bunny.
How to practice Hare Pose: Come to sitting on your heels in a Hero Pose. Slowly place your head out in front of you on the ground. Take your hands back alongside your body. Then lift your buttocks, being careful to not put too much pressure on your head. Pretend to be a bunny ready for its snack.
5. Pretend to be a hamster.
How to practice Happy Baby Pose: Lie on your back with your chin tucked in, hug your knees into your chest, then grab the outer parts of each foot—right foot in right hand and left foot in left hand. Pretend to be a hamster on its back.
You can finish your pet yoga experience by lying in Resting Pose.
Think about how pets make a difference to our lives. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Try placing a pet toy on your stomach to feel the rise and fall of your belly.
What was your favorite pet yoga pose?
PIN IT FOR LATER
Check Out Our Pet Yoga Cards for Kids
Celebrate your pet or pretend to be a pet your child only has imagined befriending with these fun and simply Pet Yoga Cards for Kids.
This colorful deck is a wonderful way to enjoy the joys of yoga with your children.
This deck of 51 colorful cards includes:
- an index card listing the pet poses in a sequence
- instructions for 20 pet yoga poses
- 20 illustrated cards showing the poses
- 20 matching pet cards
- yoga teaching tips
The yoga poses in the index are sequenced specifically to invite flow from one pose to the next. This takes the guesswork out of figuring out which pose to do next.
Download these Pet Yoga Cards to learn through movement in your home, classroom, or studio.
The yoga kids featured in the illustrations are multicultural and from a variety of countries.
Ages 3+
Purchase Pet Yoga for Kids here.
Check Out Our Kids Yoga Book: Polly’s Perfect Pet
*WINNER OF THE 2021 FAMILY CHOICE AWARD!*
Help Polly choose the perfect pet!
In this pet yoga book for kids, join Polly and her mom on their quest to find the perfect pet for their family. We go with them to a fun pet fair, where Polly meets all kinds of different animals. She soon discovers how many important trade-offs there are to consider before deciding on a pet.
In Polly’s Perfect Pet, children will enjoy exploring the fair with Polly by practicing yoga poses every step of the way as she plays with each of the different animals. Pretend to be a puppy, a cat, a guinea pig, and a parrot—perfect beginner yoga poses!
This yoga storytime book for ages 4 to 7 also includes an index of yoga poses for kids and a parent-teacher guide for reference.
Purchase Polly’s Perfect Pet here.
