Children’s Yoga Flow: Athlete Theme

Let’s Have Some Fun! Children’s Yoga Flow: Athlete Theme

Click here for the PDF version for a grid, which can be used for children’s yoga flows or in the driveway, using chalk to make the grid as shown with the names of the poses and playing “musical yoga,” which is similar to “musical chairs” except, when the music stops, the child not in the square containing the name of the pose just called or in the wrong square is “out.”

Another game is a youth empowerment game where parents are asked to cut out each pose from the grid and children create their own yoga flows by either “picking from a hat,” “scrambling” the cut-outs, or inventing their own moves and poses, which can be incredibly empowering.

Cues:

1.     Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)

Our first position I will invite the kids to think of themselves as a gymnast ending their floor routine with this pose.

2.     Boat Pose (Navasana)

I will the invite the children to enter into boat pose where I will correlate it to an Olympic diver in pike position.

3.     Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

I will then instruct the children to transition into this position and think of themselves as a hurdler who just jumped over their last hurdle but in slow motion.

4.     Tree pose (Vrikshasana)

As the students come out of warrior III I will help transition them into tree pose where they will compare this position to a dancer mid pirouette.

5.     Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

We will then transition into revolved triangle and I will have the children think of a figure skater bending down to feel the ice as they glide down the ice.

6.     Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

I will instruct the children to come into this pose and think of a field hockey player about to score I goal bending their back leg for extra power.

7.     Wide Legged Straddle (Prasarita Padottanasana)

We will then transition into this straddle pose and I will relate this pose to a snowboarder bending down to strap into his/her board.

8.     Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

This pose will be compared to a bowler who is staring down the lane in front of them with the bowling ball held up to their face before they bowl a strike.

9.     Reclined Goddess Pose (Supta Baddha Kanasana)

As I invite the children into our final pose I will compare this pose to the feeling of relief and relaxation after running a marathon and will instruct the children to focus and work on their breathing