Yoga for Children

When your young son cannot sleep, and is a bit worked up, calm him down by teaching him the breath from my book (pg. 147), called "Sitalee Pranayam." This is a very easy and yet ancient breath from the yogic sciences that helps calm a person down and can be fun to do with children. Have your son stick his tongue out a little bit and tell him his tongue is a straw, and he is sucking in a delicious drink through the straw. Then have him let all the air come out through his nose. Do it with him as he is lying in the bed with his eyes closed and teach him to roll his eyes up and inward (to his third eye point) as he is breathing. Keep doing it with him until he falls asleep, and then he can do it by himself on other nights to come. It works!

Finding a children's yoga class, a good DVD, or a good children's yoga book like "Fly Like a Butterfly" is a good beginning to giving your son an introduction to yoga. Make it fun, and let it be with other children his own age—that's the best. If he is at preschool, see if you can get a yoga teacher to come in and teach a class. It is happening more and more these days. This is such a perfect age for him to begin. He is a yogi baby, and must not forget what he already knows.