These days, some children are as stressed out as their parents! You can see their dry, dull eyes, stooping shoulders, bulging stomachs, lazy walk and know that all is not right. Some kids suffer from poor health. Competition and commotion just makes things worse. Why not turn to yoga? Here are some important dos and don’ts while practising yoga:

MIND: Children should be attentive while practising yoga. It will help them to develop concentration and confidence. They should try to bring out their sporty, adventurous spirit and have fun too while doing yoga.

BODY: Children explore their flexibility while performing asanas. They will gain from knowledge of their bodies and identifying their weak and strong areas. They should explore themselves without fearing injuries.

BREATHING: They shouldn’t get bogged down with breath worries during yoga. Breathing normally and not forcing the breath in or out through the nose is essential. They should follow the guru’s instructions.

FOOD: There should be at least three to four hours between the last big meal and a session of yoga. One or two hours interval is enough after snacks.

CLOTHING: Good fit, light, cotton clothes are comfortable for yoga. No socks or shoes — bare feet are a must to keep a grip and to bond with floor/earth.

AGE: Seven-plus is an ideal age to begin yoga as the muscles are well developed then. But kids are so supple and curious that even if they begin earlier, they will benefit overall.

TIME: Best time for yoga is the morning before breakfast or evening before dinner. Three or four times a week is fine if hard-pressed for time, otherwise a daily practice of 20-30 minutes is good.

Note: It is important to perform Shavasana between asanas. They shouldn’t rush to pile up postures, a few done regularly with a few changes can work out as a good yoga programme.

recommended

Children can perform practically all asanas but not all the pranayamas. It’s not necessary for them to be as spiritually aware as physically to know their physiology. Here are some asanas they can perform:

Standing asanas like Vikhasana, Veerbhadrasana, Garudasana, Trikoneasana, Konasana, Ardochandrasana, Utkatasana.

Sleeping asanas like Matsyasana, Uthanpadasana, Pavanmuktasana, Salvasasana, Halasana, Bhujangasana.

Sitting asanas like Ustrasana, Shashangasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana, Bhadrasana, Paschimottasana.

Seetali Pranayam, Shitakari Pranayam and Surjoved Pranayam can be done too.