How To Start A Family Yoga Practice

Yoga is an activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It is not just something that adults do, but rather can be done by people of all ages. Even better, it’s a beautiful practice that parents and kids can do together. Yoga can be done in your home, outdoors on a grassy field, and you can even take it with you on the road. There are so many benefits of a regular yoga practice: increased physical strength and flexibility, relaxation and stress reduction, mental clarity, and better breathing.

Let’s face it, adults and kids spend too much time connecting to their cell phones, computers, and televisions these days and instead should be connecting to one another, and especially themselves. The amazing thing about yoga is that it allows you to connect to the present moment, to embrace the here and now. This practice of mindfulness allows you to cultivate more self- awareness and in time, creates more thoughtful connections with others. Besides, it’s FUN!

How Can You Start A Family Yoga Practice?

• Start small.  Practice yoga for five minutes a day consistently during the week.
• Incorporate yoga into your life.  Find ways to incorporate yoga at any time and anywhere, whether it’s a few poses before school or yoga after dinnertime.
• Create a ritual.  Just like brushing your teeth, build your family yoga practice into a daily or weekly ritual.
• Be creative.  Encourage your children to use their creativity and invent their own poses.
• Take it with you.  Wherever you go, take your yoga practice with you–to the park, on a vacation, a visit with family, or to the beach.
• Choose a topic.  Find ways to include a theme or topic in your yoga sessions that will help children express themselves freely, integrate their learning, engage in meaningful experiences, and have fun!
• Keep it fun.  Practice playful poses like Happy Baby or Downward Facing Dog, or Frog Pose. Allow kids to make up their own yoga poses and follow their lead.

Family Yoga Resources:

https://www.kidsyogastories.com/partner-yoga-poses/

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2561/The-4-Family-Trees-of-Yoga-Poses.html