You may be wondering--can I teach my kids Kundalini yoga? Can I involve them in my practice? Is yoga suitable for small children?
The answer is: absolutely! However, you'll need to adjust the practice so it's appropriate for various children's ages. Check-in with your teacher or studio to see if they offer kids' classes, and follow the basic suggestions below to get your child involved with the life-changing power of Kundalini Yoga.
Choose Age-Appropriate Yoga
Whether you have a toddler or a pre-teen, there is a practice fit for your child. Very young children can start doing yoga classes designed for moms and tots (even 2 and 3 years old!) Different sets may be most appropriate for: pre-school (age 4-6), primary (age 6-8), junior (9-11), and intermediate (12-14). Each group will have varying developmental abilities, such as attention span, ability to be quiet, need for snacks (watch for food allergies), and need to go to the bathroom. For smaller children, extra assistance may be required if you're teaching yoga in a group setting such as a classroom.
Keep Them Stimulated and Engaged
Working with children involves getting extra creative. Invoking the child's imagination through stories, songs, poems, activities and games will help create an imaginative environment. Think like a child would. What would your much younger self be excited about?
Pretending to be animals or imaginary creatures in different exercises is a great place to start.
Keep it Short
Children have shorter attention spans, so keeping the exercises much shorter than normal will keep them engaged.
- Length of class spent in poses can vary from 15-30 minutes
- Keep the warmup short (with about 3-5 breaths per pose or exercise)
- Exercises should be kept short (20-90 seconds each)
- The rest of the time in between exercises is dependent on the child's attention span
Additional Suggestions
You want to give an experience to the child, so be playful, experimental, light and fun about it!
- Special games are helpful, such as doing yoga in pairs or having an animal puppet wake them up after relaxation
- Children can begin a light Breath of Fire at age 5
- Reduce time in pranayam, and be creative to hold the child's interest
- Guided visualization and creativity is encouraged during deep relaxation (1-5 minutes)
- Meditation time should also be short, especially in the beginning (1-5 minutes)
- Focus on the behavior of the child and not the child personally, but be firm when necessary
3HO Foundation International
