Yoga for Anger: Calm Anger with 5 Kids Yoga Poses (+Printable)

Below is an excerpt from a post titled “5 Simple Ways to help Children Calm Angry Feelings with Yoga” that I wrote for Lemon Lime Adventures, a popular parenting resource created by a former teacher and parent to a child with sensory processing challenges. Follow the link below to read the whole yoga for anger article and to download the Calm Down Anger with Yoga Printable Poster.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to help my daughter manage her intense emotions and teach her to self-regulate in a way that honors her feelings without suppressing her personality. We’ve read books on anger, and now I’m exploring how yoga can help us both in this journey of managing big emotions.

So, today, let’s imagine our children using yoga poses and the power of their breath to release their anger. Teach this yoga sequence below when you and your child are both calm and happy. Once you are both comfortable with this anger-reducing yoga sequence, it’ll be easier to go through the flow of the yoga postures when you start to feel the signs of anger.

Yoga research has proven to help us move from our amygdala (fight-or-flight response) to our prefrontal cortex (regulating emotions and problem-solving), so that we are able to think more clearly and make good choices. Our ultimate goal is to help our children (and ourselves) to regulate big emotions before we hurt ourselves or our loved ones mentally or physically.

5 Yoga Poses for Kids to Reduce Anger

Join us for a pretend journey to the African safari through these animal-themed yoga postures, which are specifically ordered to invite flow from one pose to the next and help to reduce anger through movement.

1. WIDE-LEGGED FORWARD BEND – PRETEND TO BE AN ELEPHANT

How to practice Wide-Legged Forward Bend Pose: Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Step your feet out wide, bend your upper body, clasp your hands together, and pretend to be a wise elephant.

Wide-Legged Forward Bend for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Wide-Legged Forward Bend

2. DOWNWARD-FACING DOG POSE – PRETEND TO BE A JACKAL

How to practice Downward-Facing Dog Pose: Start out on all fours. Spread your fingers and press your palms flat onto the floor. Lift your buttocks, straighten your legs, and make an upside-down V shape. Send your heels gently to the ground. Relax your head and neck and look down between your legs to pretend to be a jackal.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Downward-Facing Dog Pose

3. PLANK POSE – PRETEND TO BE A CROCODILE

How to practice Plank Pose: From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, come forward to balance on your palms and your bent toes in a plank position. Keep your arms straight and your back long and flat. Pretend to be a crocodile.

Plank Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Plank Pose

4. CHILD’S POSE – PRETEND TO BE A HIPPO

How to practice Child’s Pose: Come to sitting back on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, rest your arms down alongside your body, and take a few deep breaths. Pretend you are a hippo resting in the water.

Child's Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Child’s Pose

5. RESTING POSE – PRETEND TO BE A LION

How to practice Resting Pose: Lay on your back with your arms and legs stretched out. Pretend to be a lion resting in the sun.

Resting Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Resting Pose

After your yoga session, your child might be more willing to talk about the cause of their anger, or practicing the yoga poses might just be the trick for bringing them back to balance without discussing further. Honor their emotions and trust in yourself.

I’m learning to accept myself and my daughter, too. The more I resisted our intense anger, the worse it got. These yoga practices help us both to calm our minds and help us to reconnect. I hope they work for you, too!