© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
By Akshar
With summer at our doorstep, children are all set for their yearly break. It’s time for parents to decide the best way to nurture their little ones. Yoga is all encompassing, educating one on culture, athletics, mental well-being and so much more. Children, with their fresh minds, are best suited to be introduced to the art of yoga, which not only aids their physical growth but emotional and mental well-being too. The asanas help in their physical growth while the pranayama practices help in their concentration, calmness, mental growth and all-round development.
Here is a basic guide to a few asanas you can introduce to your child to cultivate a taste for yoga as you practice together. With names and postures that mimic various animals and other forms of nature, the child can easily relate to these poses as they perform them.
Get down on your knees.
Tilt your pelvis and position your chest parallel to the ground as you place your palms on the floor.
Inhale as your look forward and ensure that your spine is arched inward.
Exhale as you look down and hunch your back.
Begin by sitting on the ground with your legs stretched out forward.
Move both feet backwards, lift the hips up, straighten the knees and elbows, and form an inverted ‘V’ shape.
Now keep the hands shoulders width apart. Fingers must point ahead.
Put pressure on your palms and open your shoulder blades.
Try to push your heels to the floor.
Hold the position for a few seconds. Keep your eye focused on your big toes.
Lie down on your stomach.
Take your arms behind you.
Join your palms by intertwining your fingers.
Slightly lift your chest off the floor as you inhale gently.
Lie down on your back with your legs stretched out forward.
With the support of your arms, lift your head and neck off the floor.
Now place the crown of your head on the floor.
Place your arms beside your body on the floor.
Breathe normally.
Stand straight with your arms beside you.
Lift your right leg off the floor.
Hold your right foot with your hand and place the sole of your foot flat over your left inner thigh.
Once you achieve your balance, join your palms in pranam and look forward.
Breathe normally.
Begin by lying down on your stomach with your legs outstretched.
Bend your arms at the elbow and place your palms beside your chest on either side.
Lift your upper body off the floor.
Lie on the floor, slowly raise your trunk and head with the support of the palms alone.
The arms should be bent at the elbows.
Arch your neck slightly backwards.
Make sure your navel is pressed against the floor.
Begin by sitting on the ground with your legs stretched out forward.
Move both feet backwards, lift the hips up, straighten the knees and elbows, and form an inverted ‘V’ shape.
Now keep the hands shoulders width apart. Fingers must point ahead.
Put pressure on your palms and open your shoulder blades.
Pull your heels off the floor.
Hold the position for a few seconds. Keep your eye focused on your big toes.
Sit in Dandasana/Staff Pose, back straight and legs stretched out forward.
Inhale and lift both legs up to an angle of 30 degrees.
Extend your hands to the side.
Engage your core and avoid hunching your back.
Try these postures with your children this summer to form a healthy bond while reaping the benefits of this beautiful art form. Practice yoga together for a healthy and happy family.
(The writer is Grand Master, Founder & Chairman, Akshar Yoga.)
