Spring Yoga

March 25, 2015 in Free Resources 0

Are you looking for easy yoga ideas for kids?

Welcome back to our monthly theme project that focuses on a single breathing technique, yoga pose, and yoga book. I have also included a three-pose flow sequence, a Spanish-integration idea (thanks to Spanish Playground), and links to other theme resources. This simple plan gives you one thing to focus on each month so it’s easier to bring the benefits of yoga to your children.

Our fifth theme is “spring.”

After a cold winter playing indoors, I am literally ready for a breath of fresh air. I’m hoping springtime will give us one. As we explore the outdoors with our children, we can act out what we see, hear, feel, and smell through simple yoga poses for kids.

To start, you could take a walk outside and look for signs of spring. During chilly spring showers, you can take out your favorite spring-themed children’s books.

Then make a list of things that remind you of spring, including flowers, bees, butterflies, gardening, squirrels, baby farm animals, caterpillars, rainbows, birds, and leaves on the trees. Talk about what makes spring special.

Learning about spring can come from discussions, reading books, doing related kids’ activities, and art projects, but you can also learn through breathing techniques and yoga poses. Brain research shows us that adding movement to the learning experience stimulates your child’s thinking, ultimately making learning more fun and engaging.

March Theme: SPRING

One of the challenges readers have shared over the years is deciding how to add yoga into their curriculum, classes, or home life with ease and simplicity. There are tons of ways to integrate yoga, but teachers and parents with limited time often find it difficult to focus on quick ideas.

For this reason, we have put together a monthly theme post that includes:

one breathing technique,
one focus yoga pose,
a three-pose flow sequence,
and one focus yoga book.

SPRING Yoga Practices

The “SPRING” FOCUS BREATH is flower breath.

Choose a standing or comfortable upright sitting position (such as sitting in a chair, sitting cross-legged, or sitting on your heels). Close your eyes (if that is comfortable) and begin to tune in to the sound of your breath. Imagine you are holding a flower. Imagine the color and smell of that flower. Then take in a deep breath, pretending to smell that flower. Exhale naturally. Repeat the cycle of a strong inhale and gentle exhale for a couple of minutes, if possible.

You could pretend to smell a different flower on each inhale. You could also imagine yourself sitting in a meadow of fresh flowers. This flower breath is an easy way to help your child become aware of their breath.

Image from Rachel’s Day in the Garden yoga book

The “SPRING” FOCUS YOGA POSE is Flower Pose.

Come to sitting on your buttocks in a Cobbler’s Pose by bending your knees, placing the soles of your feet together, and sitting with a tall spine. On an inhale, firm your belly and lift your legs. Balance on your sitting bones and weave your arms under your legs. Lift your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and ensure that your spine is straight. Hold your arms steady under your legs, with your palms facing up (or in a gyan mudra), and pretend to open up like a blossoming flower. Take a few deep breaths in Flower Pose then come out of the pose on an exhale. You could also practice Flower Pose with a group of people in a circle.

How to practice Flower Pose with Kids

The “SPRING” FOCUS YOGA FLOW is Hero Pose, Cobbler’s Pose, and Flower Pose.

1. Bee – Hero Pose
(Come down to sit upright on your heels, buzz with your arms, and practice a humming breath. Pretend to be a bee buzzing around the garden.)

2. Butterfly – Cobbler’s Pose
(Come to sit on your buttocks with a tall spine, bend your legs, place the soles of your feet together, place your index fingers above your head like the butterfly’s antenna, and gently flap your legs like the wings of a butterfly.)

3. Flower – Flower Pose
(From Cobbler’s Pose, lift your legs, balance on your sitting bones,, and weave your arms under your legs. Pretend to blossom like a flower.)

You can flow gently over and over through these three poses. Talk to your children about other things they see and hear during spring. Invent your own spring-themed yoga poses or check out our Yoga Poses for Kids page for inspiration.

Throughout the month, you could use these three spring yoga poses as a base and add other spring yoga poses or breathing techniques to extend their learning. Follow your children’s interests and needs. You will know if they need a more calming yoga experience or something more dynamic and active to help release pent-up energy.

The “LOVE” FOCUS YOGA BOOK is our new spring yoga book, Rachel’s Day in the Garden.

This yoga book follows Rachel and her adorable dog as they explore the signs of spring in their garden. The spring colors yoga book is available in English and Spanish.

Act out a day in the garden with Rachel. Join her as she and her puppy, Sammy, look for signs of spring. Crawl like a caterpillar, buzz like a bee, and flutter like a butterfly. Discover spring, explore movement, and learn the colors of the rainbow. This spring yoga book is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, ages two to five.

Rachel's Day in the Garden yoga book by Giselle Shardlow of Kids Yoga Stories

Rachel's Day in the Garden spring yoga story by Kids Yoga Stories

A look at our new Rachel’s Day in the Garden yoga book

What are your favorite spring yoga poses for kids?

DOWNLOAD MONTHLY KIDS YOGA THEMES EBOOK

Quick and easy monthly kids yoga ideas!

To spark your imagination, each monthly theme includes one breathing technique, one focus yoga pose, a three-pose flow sequence, and one focus yoga book. This 55-page eBook is for teachers, parents, kids yoga teachers, caregivers, and health practitioners looking for simple, convenient ways to add yoga into your curriculum, classes, or home life. Age group: Toddlers to Early Primary, ages 3 to 8.

“Great resource for children’s yoga teachers, preschool teachers, classroom teachers, and parents.” – Anita

Purchase your Monthly Kids Yoga Themes 55-page eBook here

Spanish and Yoga “Spring” Activities

Check out these links below from Spanish Playground and Kids Yoga Stories for easy Spanish-easy active ideas for your celebration of “spring” month:

Active Spanish for Spring	Yoga for Spring
Spring Colors Yoga Story	20 Fun Outdoor Spring Activities for Kids
15 Garden Books for Kids	Eric Carle Books and Garden Yoga
Animals Friends Yoga	Zoo Animals Yoga

Other Easy Spanish-Easy Yoga Themes

November: Gratitude Yoga
December: Kindness Yoga
January: Winter Yoga
February: LOVE Yoga

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