Who says yoga is only for adults? In fact, yoga can also be great for children, helping them build important life skills that support their success and positively impact their well-being.

The 7 benefits of yoga for children

1. Help children manage anxiety. Breathing exercises and relaxation techniques learned through yoga can help children manage stress. Teaching them to reduce stress in a healthy way is an important skill that will benefit them as adults.

2. Improve emotion management. Helping children stay in the present moment, relax, and reach a peaceful state of mind supports their ability to manage all emotions, both negative and positive.

3. Increase self-esteem. Yoga can do wonders for self-esteem. Mastering a pose or improving balance and flexibility can give children a sense of autonomy and confidence.

4. Increase body awareness. Practicing a series of yoga poses helps children become familiar with their bodies and the movements they can make.

5. Improve concentration and memory. One of the main benefits of yoga for children is that the different movements require them to focus and strengthen their memorization skills—both of which can support academic performance.

6. Develop strength, support a growing body, and improve flexibility. This can also reduce the risk of injuries.

7. Teaches discipline and reduces impulsiveness . Yoga can reduce challenging classroom behaviors by giving children a healthy physical outlet for expression. It also teaches discipline in work, helping them clear their minds.

How to start practicing yoga at home with children?

Doing yoga with a child isn’t always easy. As they get a bit older, they might cling to your back or start chatting right at the most relaxing moment.

How can you establish a consistent, relaxing yoga routine for yourself and/or your children at home? And how can you encourage your children to do yoga with you at home?

• Advice 1

Start with meditation, a few breathing exercises, and a short sequence of beginner-friendly poses that involve holding your baby in your arms.

Mothers sometimes breastfeed or change their babies during simple sequences—it’s not a big deal!

• Advice 2

Make this activity part of your daily routine. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day just for yourself.

• Advice 3

If your child is older and able to speak, use meditation time to ask a few questions—for example, about their emotions and how they feel—and listen carefully.

How long after birth can baby yoga be started?

Wait until your baby can hold their head up without adult assistance (usually around 3 months of age) to ensure the practice is safe and includes a variety of positions.

Safety tips for yoga with children

Although yoga classes for moms and dads should be designed with your safety and your baby’s safety in mind, keep these tips in mind:

1. Ask your doctor. Be sure to get approval from your child’s pediatrician and your doctor before practicing yoga with children at home.

2. Verify the child's abilities. Can you lift and hold your child above your head on your own? If not, postpone. Practice will be much safer once you can.

3. Don't exaggerate. If a movement feels too intense for you or your child, talk about it. If you still feel uncomfortable, skip it. Safety always comes first!

For moms:

1. Protect your belly. If you are recovering from rectus diastasis, avoid positions that engage the core muscles (such as the boat pose) and skip deep push-ups.

2. Gently stretch yourselves. Since the body continues to produce hormones that loosen the ligaments even after childbirth, don’t overdo it with stretching.

Your child comes first. Care for them throughout the practice, and if your little one cries for a feed or a diaper change, that’s okay—comfort them and continue when you’re ready.

Yoga positions for children to try at home

Here's a playful position you can practice with your little one: the butterfly position!

This hip-opening exercise will help you feel good and give you and your baby a moment of relaxation.

How to do it?

Sit on the mat in front of your seated child, supporting them with your hands (or wrapping your hands around their torso).

Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to your pelvis as possible, letting your knees open to the sides. Place your child’s heels together (so they mirror your position).

Keep holding your baby as you gently move your upper body from left to right and forward and back, moving together.

You can hold this position for as long as you like, but five inhales and exhales is a good starting point; of course, adjust based on how your baby responds.

If you wish, lay your baby on their back and keep their feet together, with their knees apart. Gently sway their feet back and forth, softly massaging their back against the mat.

Remember that it’s best to practice yoga in a class with an experienced yoga teacher, who can help you perform the poses correctly and safely.