This section provides a step-by-step description of the main yoga postures as well as more advanced poses—face, eyes, brain yoga—and yogic games. The standing, sitting, and lying postures are analyzed elsewhere in this volume. When you prepare your yoga session plan, combine the ideas from each section (see p. 5) to maximize your child’s yogic experience and its subsequent benefits.
As you will see, the exercises in this book promote the health of the entire body. The standing poses develop concentration necessary to maintain balance. Standing poses that imply bending work on the muscles and joints. “Hand support” standing poses strengthen arms, wrists, and shoulders. By simple virtue of gravity, the “head down” standing poses increase the blood flow to the brain. The “legs apart” standing poses reinforce the leg muscles and open the pelvis. Eye yoga maintains eyeball muscles and improves vision. Face yoga resorts to funny faces to engage the numerous facial muscles. To further motivate your child to practice yoga, suggest yogic games that include making sounds, screaming, and breathing. These are generally quite a hit!
During the exercise, help your child improve their form, making sure the process is always gentle: the muscles and bones of this young body are still growing. Depending on age, interest, and flexibility, a session can last from fifteen to thirty minutes (a little longer if there is a real motivation), with a maximum of one hour. It is recommended that each pose be repeated three times. If the exercise calls for repeating the pose three times on each side, alternate sides!
Summary
Standing poses - activities 33 to 50
Sitting poses - activities 51 to 66
Lying poses - activities 67 to 83