Searching for effective ways to strengthen your children’s immune systems and resilience as we approach colder months?
Curious about holistic approaches to support your children’s well-being during coughs, colds, and flu season?
We’re here to introduce a powerful tool: yoga therapy.
As a parent, educator, or dedicated professional guiding children, prioritising their well-being is essential. Knowing how to help children eliminate the seasonal issues, like colds and flu, helps them sail through Autumn enjoying the changing colours and cosy moments with you.
Autumn brings seasonal challenges, especially for the little ones. As an educator or kids yoga teacher, you may notice your young yogis grappling with issues like allergies, colds, lack of focus, and low energy levels.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can nurture your young yogis through these autumn adventures with the help of meridian-based yoga therapy techniques.
Mindful Breathing Exercise:
Start your session with a mindful breathing exercise. Have children find a comfortable seated position, gently close their eyes, and focus on their breath. Invite them to take slow, deep breaths, filling their lungs with air and exhaling any tension. This practice helps create a calm and focussed space and starts the process of opening and cleaning out the lungs.
- Plank: Start by guiding children into a Plank pose. Have them come into a push-up position, with their palms flat on the ground beneath their shoulders and their legs extended straight behind them. Encourage them to engage their core muscles and maintain a straight line from head to heels. Plank strengthens the chest, shoulders, and core muscles, helping to improve lung function and respiratory health.
- Push-ups: Transition from Plank into Push-ups. Instruct children to lower their bodies towards the ground by bending their elbows while keeping their body in a straight line. Then, they push back up to the starting position. Push-ups build upper body strength and promote deep breathing, aiding in clearing congestion and improving lung capacity.
- Tapping on the Lung Meridian Line and Chest: Guide children to sit comfortably and gently tap along the lung meridian lines on their chest and back. Encourage them to tap with a light and rhythmic motion, starting from the center of the chest and moving outward towards the shoulders. This tapping technique stimulates circulation and helps clear blockages in the lungs, promoting optimal respiratory function.
Yoga Therapy Exercises for Digestive Health:
- Downward Facing Dog: Lead children into Downward Facing Dog by starting on their hands and knees, then lifting their hips towards the sky while straightening their arms and legs. Encourage them to press their palms and heels into the ground while lengthening their spine. This inversion pose improves blood flow to the digestive organs, aiding in detoxification and promoting digestive health.
- Leg Lifts: Have children lie on their backs with their arms by their sides and legs extended straight. Instruct them to lift one leg towards the ceiling while keeping the other leg grounded. Then, switch legs and repeat. Leg lifts massage the abdomen, stimulate digestion, and relieve discomfort associated with digestive issues.
- Cycling: Transition children into Cycling by having them lie on their backs with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Encourage them to mimic a cycling motion with their legs, pedaling slowly and steadily. This dynamic movement stimulates peristalsis and encourages bowel regularity, supporting overall digestive health.
By incorporating these yoga therapy techniques into your sessions, you can help children thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally, supporting their well-being in every season.
Loraine x
PS To learn more about yoga therapy moves for helping children with the top ten issues, go here: Yoga Therapy 4 Kids
