Just start with 5 minutes in Child’s Pose
Time is precious and scarce, and with the best of intentions you may find that you love the idea of doing yogawith your children but just never get around to actually doing it.
The beautiful thing is, you don’t actually need to dedicate a lot of time to it to feel the amazing benefits. 5 minutes is all you need.
A quick and easy way to incorporate yoga into your everyday routine is spending just 5 minutes together with your child – in child’s pose.
You don’t need a mat. You don’t need a yoga outfit. Just 5 minutes when you’ve come home from a busy day or as part of a bedtime routine.
Child’s pose is the perfect starting point – because it’s a resting pose it’s accessible for adults and childrenalike and can be held for longer periods of time with little effort.
The benefits?
(for children and adults)
1. Calm your mind
How often do you find it’s time to wind down in the evening but your mind is still racing after a busy day? Like you, your children have likely also been on a tight schedule and been active throughout the day so taking a few minutes of stillness in this pose can be the perfect way to slow down mentally and restore balance.
2. Stretch your body
Child’s pose stretches the muscles along your spine, hips, thighs and ankles so it is perfect to counter the back compression we get from sitting at desks at work and school. If you have really tight hips you may initially feel some tension in this pose, but you’ll find yourself warming into it with time.
3. Relieve stress and anxiety
Because child’s pose is a grounding pose, it helps us feel trusting and secure. Tucking yourself into this pose, almost as if you are in a cocoon or back in the womb, signals to your brain that you are safe and reduces cortisol.
4. Relax the body for sleeping
Breathing in this restful pose slows down your heart rate and reduces tension in your body as your muscles start to relax, creating the perfect internal conditions for sleep.
5. Digestion
By compressing your stomach onto your thighs this pose massages your intestines and stimulates and the digestive system, perfect for evening times after dinner.
Getting into the pose
Don’t worry about alignment in this posture, it’s all about following your feeling to adjust your body into a comfortable and relaxed position. Your kids will most likely do this naturally without any preoccupation with the accuracy of their posture, so follow their lead!
In short:
Starting on all fours, lower your bum towards your heels with your legs together or wide apart.
Tuck your chest and your belly into your thighs and rest your forehead on the floor.
Extend your arms in front of you, or tucked behind you.
Just close your eyes and be aware of your breath, breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
For an extra relaxing atmosphere, turn the lights off with pillows under your head and blankets around you. If you like music, some chilled out tunes can help too – this can also be a really good way to monitor the length of time in the pose. Encourage your child to sit still in child’s pose until the song finishes.
You children may fidget at times or get restless, and that’s okay. Just gently remind them that the challenge of yoga is staying still and remind them to think about their breathing. You may find that 5 minutes is a long time for you to sit still too and you may feel your mind wandering. Just go back to focusing your attention on your breathing.
And don’t worry if you don’t make the full 5 minutes to start. The length of time spent in the pose is not the main thing. As this becomes a more integrated practice with time you will both find that this becomes moreand more effortless and your body and mind will learn to crave and enjoy the stillness.
