child practicing meditation sitting on the sofa at home in lotus pose

Being a kid means having big emotions, lots of energy and not yet having the tools to manage it all. Yoga and meditation are great tools for learning how to navigate the world as a child grows and develops. As an adult I discovered the benefits of yoga and how easily it lowered my stress levels. Later I began to try meditation and quickly discovered that even five minutes of it could drastically improve my ability to handle what ever comes at me throughout the day.

Imagine how different our ability to manage life would be if we were all taught as children how to set time aside to simply breathe. As yoga and meditation become more widely practiced it isn’t unusual to see children participating and reaping the benefits of the practice.

Some of those benefits include ways to manage stress and anxiety both of which are often triggered by too much information, too many emotions, all of which can feel overwhelming. Meditation teaches children how to focus on one thing, to gently push all the noise away and focus. This not only reduces anxiety but it greatly improves focus and concentration. Along with learning how to quiet the mind, children learn how to regulate their emotions. They are more likely to take that breath and be present in the moment.

Evening meditation can be a helpful way to wind down for the night, quiet the mind, and get better sleep. Better sleep is also beneficial to reducing stress and anxiety so your child is really getting a double benefit in this area.

Yoga is great for building strength and flexibility, increasing balance, and building muscle. Yoga is physically challenging, as children learn new poses and how to breathe, they will also develop confidence as they gain new skills and a positive outlook.

Introducing yoga to your kids doesn’t have to cost money, there are many great free resources as well as some streaming platforms that you might already be using. The benefit to doing it at home is that you can do it along with your child, providing a little self-care for you and the knowledge you are helping your child develop habits that will serve them throughout their lives.

Finding yoga videos is easy, especially with so many families already using streaming services. It makes kids’ yoga options available without having to spend an additional dime. YouTube offers a lot of videos, one that is highly rated is Cosmic Kids Yoga, which is also available on Amazon Prime Video. Cosmic Kids Yoga also offers an app for on-the-go fun. Each episode takes kids on an adventure with various themes and locations. Do you have an Encanto fan in your house? Cosmic kids has a yoga sequence inspired by the film with Isabelle tree pose and Bruno vision. Episodes are typically around fifteen minutes, perfect for short attention spans.

If you have a Gaia subscription there are several great yoga videos tailored for kids. The different videos range from two minutes to 30 minutes. The variety of topics include breath work, bedtime yoga and stories. Paramount+ offers the show Yoga Friends, but currently there are only four episodes of the show, which is part of Noggin from Nick Jr.

The show focuses on calming exercises that encourage kids to move, stretch and build strength through yoga. PBS offers Breathe Yoga for Kids, these videos run about 27 minutes and are best for older children. They focus on meditation and mindfulness. These would be a great step for older elementary students.

While there are currently no local class options scheduled for younger children, if you have a teenager and a membership at a gym such as Round-Up Athletic Club in Pendleton, your older child can take yoga. The RAC offers yoga as part of their group fitness line up. Also keep an eye out for local yoga studios and Parks & Rec programs, as both will occasionally offer a yoga class tailored for children. No matter how you fit it into your life, yoga and meditation can do wonders for every member of the family.