Toddler Yoga

Yoga is a stretching and exercise method that his it's roots in spirituality, and is a great way for anyone to increase their flexibility, tone their body, and create balance in their life through relaxation and proper breathing.  Many adults have realized the benefits of this ancient practice, as Yoga has become pretty popular across the United States and across the world.

With a childhood obesity epidemic, many people are looking for fun ways to allow kids to be active, engage in exercise and still have fun.  This is where toddler yoga comes in.  It provides a fantastic way for kids to enjoy having fun with their parents and their peers, while also stretching and increasing their flexibility and doing some exercise that is burning calories.

I am going to give you more insights into baby and toddler yoga, and how you can get your child started doing this fun and energizing activity.

There are many great reasons to get your child started with doing yoga at a young age. Here are some of the benefits of toddlers yoga:

• Kids are able to learn stuff at a young age, and that can be saved in their mind for a very long time.
• They are quick to absorb new ideas and motions.
• Their bodies are limber, and able to do more than you think.
• Keeping them physically active allows them to stay healthy.
• It can help hyperactive children to be able to relax in a natural way without medications.
• It can be a great social activity, as well as a fantastic family bonding experience.
  

If you are pretty familiar with yoga, then teach your child to do some of the moves that you already know how to do.  Children are great at mimicking their parents and that is how they learn a lot of what they do know.  When it comes to yoga, it is the same thing.  By doing various yoga poses with your child, and directing them what to do, you'll be able to teach them many more poses than you would actually think.

If you're fairly new to yoga, but you're wanting to start and get your children involved right away with you, then you may want to look into a toddler yoga DVD.  This is a great way for you to learn, and also have a set of poses and fun activities for your child to do that is centered around yoga.  A yoga for toddlers DVD is centered around fun first and foremost, as well as stretching.  There aren't really any advanced moves or stretches, and most of the DVDs don't really focus much on the spiritual aspect of yoga, more about the relaxation and flexibility by introducing various toddler yoga poses.

Here are some great books that you can use to help your children to get started with yoga:

Here are some great toddler yoga poses that you can do with your child, that they'll be able to do:

• Sunrise/Sunset - This is a great way to teach proper breathing during yoga. You stretch when you inhale, and then you exhale when you relax. Stand tall with your hands lifted high stretching, then relax and bend at the waist and let your arms hang.
• Tree Pose - Stand with your arms raised and spread apart. Then, lift your right leg up, and place your foot right above your left knee on the side of your leg. Stand there, breathing properly for about 30 seconds. Then, switch legs and do the same thing with the opposite leg.
• Butterfly Pose - Sit on the floor with your back up straight. Then, bring your feet in and put the soles of your feet together, and try to bring your feet as close to your body as possible while keeping your feet together. This is a great way to stretch out the legs.
• Light Rest - This is a great way to relax and stretch. Lay down on the ground with your arms and feet spread a little bit. Then, wiggle your arms, head, and feet. This will allow you to loosen up. Then, lay there still just relaxing, continuing to breath slowly.

These are just some of the great poses you and your children can do together.  Definitely check out the toddler yoga books and DVDs I have listed above for more great exercises you can do.

In addition to the many health benefits, including flexibility, relaxation and lowering the risk for childhood obesity, toddler yoga is a fun activity that can be done in a group of kids, or even just with mom and dad and brother or sister.  Definitely considering adding childrens yoga to one of the activities that you introduce your child to.