The breath is at the heart of yoga, but how do we help kids focus on something so subtle? As parents we see that our kids, at a young age, naturally have active imaginations and we can use this to engage them in age-appropriate yoga practice. Another key way to hook their attention is to find creative ways for them to use their senses to concentrate and stay present.
The motion of breathing is something we can visualize. Kids can do this with a stuffed animal or just by imagining their belly and chest rising and falling with the breath. For kids that might have trouble sitting still or sensing into their body, star breathing can be a more accessible way to work with the breath. It goes like this:
Draw a 5-pointed star on a piece of paper (or find a picture or drawing with a star on it).
Sit with the paper in front of you on your lap or on a table. Feel your feet on the ground and sit tall.
Exhale all the way and relax your shoulders.
Touch your index finger to the lower left point of the star. Inhale and trace your finger all the way to the top of the star for the length of the inhale.
Exhale and trace your finger down to the lower right point of the star.
Inhale and trace your finger diagonally up to the left side (point) of the star.
Exhale and trace your finger horizontally to the right side (point) of the star.
Inhale and trace your finger diagonally down to the lower left point of the star.
That’s one round! Notice that as you continue the breath, now you’ll exhale as you trace from the lower left point up to the top of the star.
Continue as many times as you want, inhaling or exhaling as your finger traces to each point.
Younger yogis might do better with a simpler shape, like a circle or square. For the circle, inhale as you trace the upper half of the circle and exhale as you trace the lower half. For the square, inhale as you trace up one side, hold at the top of the inhale as the finger traces across the top (2-4 seconds), exhale as you trace down the other side, and hold as you trace across the bottom (2-4 seconds). Play with the length of the inhale and exhale for both circle and square breaths. To keep it simple and balanced, see if the inhale and exhale can be about the same length (usually 2-4 seconds is most comfortable).
But of course, stars are such a lovely symbol, especially this time of year. You could even do a little Star Pose before or after to bring some movement into the body.
The drawing of a star, square, or circle isn’t totally necessary; you could just trace the shape on any surface, but it does help to have the visual to keep kids on track. The nice thing about this type of simple yoga is that you don’t have to have a lot of space to do it, which makes it great for car rides, airplane rides, time spent in line or in waiting rooms, or anywhere you want to pause and take a breather with your little yogis. And, as with so many others ‘kids’ yoga’ activities, there really is no age restriction on this one! Try it yourself. It can be so helpful to engage your senses to bring focus to your breath, especially when your mind is going a hundred miles an hour.
Happy Winter (in the Northern Hemisphere), Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I hope this little breathing practice helps you welcome your own soft glowing light to twinkle and shine as you bring some breath and energy into your body.
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! This one’s a day late, but hey, now I’m posting for the full moon, too:)