“If you expect your life to be full of ups and downs, then your mind will be much more peaceful.”
-Thubten Yeshe
Kids have SO much energy...and then they don’t. They can go from wired to tired in an instant and managing that is one of the toughest things about parenting. The first step is to keep in mind that kids are kids; compared to adults, they will probably seem hyper or lazy much of the time and this isn't always a problem. We don’t have to teach them to act like a perfectly balanced people because their bodies and brains haven’t fully developed. Honestly, I can’t even act like a perfectly balanced person 100% of the time, just because I have minimal time for self-care!
So how do we deal with what might feel like erratic behavior? With fun and creativity! In my first five years of motherhood, I’ve realized that fun is essential (for me, too, not just the little ones:). Having a good time releases stress, sparks creativity, helps process emotions and thoughts, and offers us the opportunity to connect to our kids in a way that makes sense to them.
When I did my kids’ yoga training in 2013 with Kidding Around Yoga, my eyes were opened up to a whole new approach to yoga. I had already been teaching yoga for 14 years, but bringing an element of fun, games, and songs to it not only opened up another avenue of teaching for me, but it made me realize that adults could stand to have more fun, especially when practicing yoga. So, this one’s for you as well as your little ones.
When little yogis are wired or tired, I’ve found that the song Joggin’ Thru the Jungle can be a really engaging way for kids to burn off extra energy or to revive themselves when they feel bored or tired. Here’s a link to the song, and you can also extend it by just pretending to jog in other environments and getting into poses related to those settings. For example, jogging through a garden and oh, there’s a flower (do flower pose). Stop and smell the flower! Okay, let’s jog some more, all the way to that tree (do tree pose). You get the idea. Improvise!
If your kids are new to yoga poses, you could start with a game of Yogi Says (a.k.a. Simon says with a yogic twist). It’s an entertaining way to learn a bunch of poses at once, using a game all kids know!
Another way to bring some energy to kids (or burn it off if they’re bouncing off the walls) is to play another version of Yogi Says where there are two hats to draw yoga cards from. In one hat there are poses that are low to the ground. In the other hat, there are standing poses. The person calling out, “Yogi says…” pulls a card out of one hat, then on the next turn, they pull a card out of the other, and continue back and forth. This version is good for when your little ones have a hard time thinking of yoga poses on the spot, plus it gets everyone else getting down on the floor and back up again.
Getting up and down gets the energy going when we’re tired and settles us when we feel wired! Try it:). Last Tuesday I shared a ‘getting up’ sequence to complement the ‘getting down’ sequence from last month because if we’re constantly getting down on the floor to play with kids, clean, or whatever, and then getting back up, we might as well add some yoga to those transitions. Plus, it’s good for us to bring that extra movement, especially if we tend to be sedentary.
Above all, have fun! Let me know what you think and don’t wait around for your kids to try this one. It can be fun for you, too.
Every Friday I’ll post ideas and inspiration for practicing yoga with kids and every Tuesday I’ll share a micropractice that helps busy moms (and dads and kids, and really anyone) to incorporate brief yoga practices into their day. Here’s the post to kick off this biweekly series that will last until the end of the year!
Here’s a great set of kids yoga cards by Kidding Around Yoga!