Namaste yogis! Here are 5 yoga poses to do with your toddlers at home.
I'm sharing this post with you all in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak, which means that if you're like me, you are looking for at-home workouts! This is why I'm so happy to share this blog with all you families out there who need workouts you can do WITH your kiddos!
A few weeks ago I shared the 5 Yoga Poses to Try with your Preschooler, and now I'm bringing you the 5 best poses to do with your toddler! I explained why doing yoga with your kids is such an awesome experience in my last pose, so today we're just going to jump right in! Doing yoga with children in the toddler age range can be trickier and more elusive for a parent to grasp, so I'm excited to be here to break it down for you. Don't you worry, just keep reading and you'll have it all down(ward facing dog) before you know it!
1. Boat (Navasana)
This pose is toddler-friendly because it's double duty: you can do the pose yourself incorporating your toddler, or you can let them try it on their own. To try it yourself, lay back on your elbows and position your toddler on your shins. They should be on their tummy. Either hold hands with them or hold their torsos as you lift your shins parallel to the ground. To make this more challenging, you can lift your neck and shoulders off the ground too. From there have fun bringing your shins into and away from your chest as you give your little one a ride! You can also bounce your shins up and down. This is a fun way to engage your core muscles that your toddler will love. If your kiddo is old enough to try this pose on their own, then instruct them to sit on their bottoms with just their tippy-toes on the ground and lean back slightly. Have fun using your arms to pretend to row "your boat" side to side!
2. Standing Crescent Pose (Indudalasana)
With children in the toddler age range, I like to focus on large movement and spatial awareness. This pose helps them explore movement along the lateral plane, which is something we all don't do enough of. (Grown-ups included!) Let's change that! Stand up with your feet together, reach your arms up high and bring your palms to touch. Gently lean to one side, keeping both feet rooted down firmly. Come back up through the center, then lean to the other side. In the video below you'll see me demonstrate this pose using a TMC song called, "I Have a Rocket" that the toddles in my class love.
3. Yogi Squat (Malasana)
Yogi squat is one that I like to call frog pose with my littles. This pose is highly accessible for toddlers who are so naturally flexible. To try it, stand with your feet out wide and make sure your toes are facing outward. Sit your hips down really low - as low as they'll go without your heels lifting away from the ground. Bring your hands to your heart and bounce your hips up and down saying, "Ribbit" as you go. Ask your child to guess what animal you are! Frogs hop, so obviously we need to hop now too. Bounce up and down a few times in the squat then count off before hopping into the air. Try this several times and ask your child to hop higher each time!
4. Butterfly (Banda Konasana)
This is another clutch toddler pose. Sit down with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent. The English translation of Banda Konasana is bound angle pose, but this is commonly referred to as butterfly, so have fun flapping your knees up and down here as if they are wings. In the video below, you'll see me demonstrating this movement to a tune called, "I Have a Turtle".
5. Bumblebee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)
In every one of my Family Yoga
Step 2: Plug your ears and close your eyes as you exhale on a hum. I like to even take turn the hum into a "buzz". That's it! You can have fun repeating these steps a few times and then relax into the calm you've created.