Yoga Pants; Work Clothes and PE Attire

Hopefully this post finds you settling into a routine that anchors you and your children. I hope you are getting up, showering, and putting on regular people clothes (at least most of the time). I personally continue to do the whole shower, hair, makeup, work clothes routine, but with comfier clothes. I have adopted what some would think of as the mullet of fashion; fancy on the top, stretchy pants on the bottom. It’s easier to record videos for online courses that way. Please do something each day  that makes you feel normal. If we slip toward nothing but pajama pants and tank tops/sweatshirts, we may never be able to go back to a real adult wardrobe. This too shall pass and we will all be sporting slacks again before you know it. This focus on yoga pants as a daily clothing item got me to thinking about yoga. So, below I have included some poses helpful for breathing, stretching, focus and balance, and calming. I am not a yoga instructor, so I took guidance from The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids by Dr. Lawrence Shapiro and counselor Robin Sprague. I am going to start using a wider range of activities for PE with the kids. This week it was stair climbs. Unfortunately, my calves have been so tight since that I have sworn off climbing for a while. So, on to the stretching that my sore muscles and scattered mind needs. See below descriptions and illustrations. I pulled these from the web and included either pictures with logos or URLs so the origin gets some credit for their great work. Nama stay in my yoga pants all day tomorrow. Long live Saturday!

The Mountain-Breathing

  1. Stand with your feet slightly apart and parallel
  2. Feel your feet anchored to the floor
  3. Keep your legs straight and your weight on your heels
  4. Lift your toes up with heels down and then sway to lean up on toes slowly for a minute
  5. Use nice deep breaths where you feel your chest expand when you inhale and pull your belly button toward your spine when you exhale
  6. Rotate your shoulders back and down for a minute

The Cat-Breathing

  1. Kneel on all fours with your palms flat on the floor
  2. As you breathe out, hollow your back down so that your stomach arches toward the floor, keeping your arms straight
  3. On the next breath out, arch your back
  4. On the next out breath, come back to the original position

The Rag Doll-Stretching

  1. Stand up straight and tall with your arms straight over your head
  2. Inhale, then when you exhale, bend forward with back straight from the hips, keeping your waist even at the hips
  3. Gently sway your arms and head from side to side with arms hung limply down to the floor
  4. Slowly roll back up to the standing position

The Dog-Stretching

  1. Start off on all fours with the palms of your hands on the floor
  2. Breathe out, tuck your toes under, and lift up your hips and bottom
  3. Slowly straighten your legs
  4. Now stretch, leaning your weight back to your heels and straightening your arms and legs. Your body should be in the shape of a triangle.

The Boat-Focus and Balance

  1. Sit tall on a mat with your feet on the ground, hugging your knees
  2. Lean back and put your arms behind your back
  3. Point your toes and lift your legs
  4. Your upper body and lower body should form a “V”, with your arms extended straight from the shoulders to balance you

Flow and Grow Kids Yoga

The Airplane-Focus and Balance

  1. Stand straight and tall
  2. Stretch one leg back while you breathe
  3. Focus on how your breathing relaxes you
  4. Spread your arms out like airplane wings
  5. Switch to complete pose on other side

Go Go Yoga Kids

Quiet Mouse-Calming

  1. Kneel on a mat with your knees and feet together. Your toes should point backward
  2. Lean back on your heels, sitting straight and tall with your bottom on your heels
  3. Breathing out slowly, lower your upper body until your head touches the floor
  4. Stretch your arms out in front of you
  5. Each time you breathe out, let your chest get closer to your knees
  6. Keeping your shoulders relaxed, pull your arms back so they are close to your feet

Dead Man’s Pose-Calming

  1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent
  2. Cross your arms over your chest
  3. Now breathe and stretch out your legs
  4. Let your arms flop down beside you, with your palms facing up. Let your body feel heavy on the floor, getting heavier every time you breathe out
  5. Hold this pose for several minutes, focusing on your belly breathing and heavy feel of your relaxed body

Share:

More Posts

Info Form

Please share your information so you can learn about the services we provide at Kids BRAIN

Info Form

Please share your information so you can learn about the services we provide at Kids BRAIN