Animal Yoga

Animal Yoga

Yoga is a great tool to use with children. As a teacher and trainer I believe that yoga is an activity that can be learned at school and shared at home.  These exercises are based on various animals.  So get ready to road and try Animal Yoga!

Lion

Sit up with your back straight and clench your fists.  Close your eyes and mouth. Stick out your tongue as you inhale and exhale through your mouth as your open your eyes and mouth as open as possible. Stretch your face muscles as far as you can. Take a deep breath and return to the closed eyes and closed mouth position. Completely relax the face and let go of any tension. This exercise energies the mind, body, builds self-confidence, improves communication skills and lessens physical tension.

 Cat

Start on all fours then inhale and exhale  as you round the back like a cat.  Press in your hands to the floor. Lower the head and press the chin against the chest.  Take a deep breath as you lift your head and push the spine down until it curves or arches and then  look up.  The cat increases flexibility of the spine and is a great warm-up movement to wake up and straighten the core.

Butterfly

Butterfly is a sitting pose. Get down onto the floor and bring in your feet so that the soles of both feet are touching.  Make sure that your knees are touching the floor and that your back stays as straight as possible.  This exercises strengthens the back and teaches balance and coordination of the upper and lower body.

Up Dog

To start the exercise get down on the floor and keep your legs straight behind you and lay your palms in the floor. Prop yourself slightly off the floor and keep your stomach from completely touching the floor. From there, you push yourself up with your arms,  and stretch your back.

Down Dog

In down dog, you get down on your hands and feet again. However, rather than going down on your stomach, you raise your posterior in the air, with your head down. Try to have your hands and lay feet flat on the ground.

The dogs energies, strengthens  and the hands, wrists  and inner thighs.  It also helps keeps posture straight when you are sitting.

Star  Fish

Lie on your  back, arms and legs comfortably stretched. Raise one arm at a time toward ceiling and lower. Next, lift one leg at a time toward ceiling. Later, try lifting one arm and the opposite leg at the same time. The star fish encourages deep breathing and relief from mild symptoms of asthmas and bronchitis.
 

Turtle

Lie on back, legs touching, knees flexed up toward the chest,
arms resting on floor above head. Keeping lower back pressed to floor throughout
extend legs towards sky while pointing toes.  Lower legs as far as possible without releasing back from floor.  Raise legs, flex in and repeat. The turtle is good for calming and relaxing.

Snakes

Lie on back, legs touching, knees bent, bottom of feet on floor, arms along side of body on floor. Lower spine below waist presses to floor, upper back is relaxed. Breathe in  and contract abdominal muscles and hold for three seconds. Relax. This exercise keeps the spine healthy and improves communicate between the brain and the body.   So when you feel stress and need to have a break let the animal out in you and try some Animal Yoga!  Yoga is a great way to relax and these exercises have no age limit.