Incorporating Yoga into Your Children’s Combination Classes
Children are natural yogis. They love to spin with their arms stretched out wide, then lay on the grass and feel the buzz of energy swirling through their charkas. They crawl on the furniture and arch their backs, stretching into inversions for enjoyment and the pleasure. They delight in swinging on the monkey bars and tumbling on the grass.
For the very young dancer (3-5 years), I find the best way to introduce Yoga is in the combination classes. Offering twenty minutes of tap, twenty minutes of ballet and twenty minutes of mat work (which is actually Yoga) is a tried and true formula. It keeps the children interested, the class moving, and with a well-structured program they can accomplish a great deal.
I remember assisting my teacher Dee Marcelli as a teenager in her baby classes. As she led the little girls around the room walking on half-pointe to the music “Tip Toe Through the Tulips,” I rolled out the old-fashioned black mat that had been used there since the ‘60s. I noticed that the children in her program, which was a hugely popular class with all of the mothers in town, had beautifully formed bodies. They looked elegant, confident and relaxed. The veterans of the class had maintained their natural flexibility and developed good coordination, rhythm, and following skills. Although twenty minutes doesn’t sound like much, for this age group it works perfectly. It also takes time for the children to change from their tap shoes into ballet shoes. They can keep their ballet shoes on for the mat work, although traditionally Yoga is done barefoot to expose the nerve endings in the feet. Below are some Hatha Yoga poses that young children can do in a fun and playful way.
Cobra: Lying on the stomach, with the hands by the shoulders, elbows bent, the children press up and “make a basket” by bringing their feet up to touch the head. My teacher used to go down the line and ask each child, “What color egg do you want in your basket?” Then she would pantomime dropping in the egg. Cobra pose opens the back and increases overall flexiblility. It balances the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. It also helps the kidneys.
Bow: “Rocking Chairs.” Still on their stomachs, the children reach back for their ankles and arch up, balancing on the belly button. They rock forward and backward for two counts of eight. You can cue them by clapping your hands to the rhythm and calling out, “Front and back and front and back…” Bow pose keeps the waistline trim and adjusts the pulse at the navel point.
Camel Pose: The children stand on their knees at the edge of the mat. The teacher goes down the line, supporting each child’s back as they bend backwards, one at a time. She guides their head toward the floor and helps them back to the upright position. Camel pose opens the heart. Later in life it can help to prevent breast cancer in women.
Stretch and Grow: Lying on their backs, the children reach their arms and legs as long as they can, elongating the spine and reaching through the fingers and toes. Stretch and Grow creates space between the vertebrae.
Bicycle Ride: Still on their backs, the teacher cues the children to put their “hands on the handlebars and feet on the pedals…Ready…Go!” The children pedal as fast as they can. You can urge them to go faster, and tell them they are almost there. Before starting this exercise, my teacher used to go down the line and ask each student, “Where do you want to go on your bicycle ride?” Each little student would answer her own destination. It might be to Disneyland, to the park, or to get an ice cream cone.
Bridge: Still laying on their backs, have the children hold their ankles and press their hips up very high in the air. You can assist them by lifting up their hips.
Wheel: Many dance teachers call this bridge. It’s a backbend, starting from a laying down position. Initially, some of the children will need help pressing up and holding their body weight. As their strength develops, they can do it on their own. Later you can add a backbend from a standing position. Wheel pose sets the navel point, makes the spine more flexible, helps digestion, and elongates the abdominal muscles.
Plow: “Legs up and over and touch.” The children roll back and swing their legs up and over behind them. They support their low back with their hands. They can also bend their knees by their ears. Plow pose stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands. It stretches and releases the upper back.
Forward Rolls: Although these are not technically Yoga, children love them. Once they master the movement, you can have them start at the edge of the mat and “Run forward and jump. Stretch arms in the air, front roll, and jump!” The rhythm helps them to get right up after the somersault.
Headstands: Children definitely need to be spotted on this one. If you have an assistant, he or she can stand with the children who are waiting in line while you guide them up into a headstand. Later on, they can take a forward roll out of the headstand. Headstand is good for circulation and realigns the internal organs. It also stimulates the pineal gland, which stays active in a child until they are about nine years old. Doctors used to think this was a dead gland, but in adult Yogis it is alive and working. It gives children that “glow of wonder” in the face. In adults, headstand is good for rejuvenation and can help to prevent varicose veins.
Wheelbarrows: Still in line, one at a time you can walk the children down the mat while holding their ankles. Wheelbarrows build strength in the abdominal muscles and the upper body.
Dogs: One by one, ask each child, “What kind of dog do you want to be?” Their answers are usually very funny. They might choose to be a Dalmation, a German Shepherd, or a Labrador. They get down on all fours and scurry down the mat, barking as they go.
Stephenie Lawton was blessed by Yogi Bhajan to teach Kundalini Yoga. She teaches Dance and Yoga in Los Angeles.