Enjoy the Benefits of Yoga For Kids with a Homeschool Yoga Practice

In nearly every Montessori classroom, you’ll find children participating in yoga. The entire class may take part at once, or a station may be set up with pose cards for the children to practice independently.  

If you think about it, these two make an excellent pair. Both approaches flow with a certain, never forced order. Both are known for their ability to bring calm, focus, and joy. Yoga for kids (and adults) can bring about remarkable benefits. When combined with Montessori education, you’ve got a winning combination! Beginning a homeschool yoga practice is easy.

How to Get Started With Homeschool Yoga

How Yoga and Montessori Go Hand-in-Hand

A Montessori education is unlike anything else. Yoga is a form of movement unlike anything else. While Maria Montessori did not teach it, she did encourage purposeful movement. We find movement with care, grace, mindfulness, and awareness incorporated into everything she taught. Children in a Montessori setting move unlike children in any other education approach. This integrates perfectly with yoga!

Personal space and order are valued in both as well. In yoga, we have our mat. In Montessori, we have our work mat. These don’t exist because we’re trying to separate ourselves. They exist for order, visual-spatial balance, space to focus, promotion of good work habits, and more. Sometimes we may do “partner poses” or work on lessons together. This only happens when both individuals are ready and willing.

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking: it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to times in which they live.”

- Maria Montessori

Both are focused on developing the whole person. With our educational approach, we develop the whole person in mind, body, and soul. Yoga for kids does the same. It isn’t about hitting the perfect pose and movement - it’s about moving with ease, grace, and awareness. Sounds a lot like Montessori speak, doesn’t it? Yoga has been proven to have profound effects on the nervous system, stress levels, brain development, critical thinking, organ health, and more. Montessori education has many of the same benefits. In both, we find a calming and centering effect on children. When used together, you bring an entirely new dimension to your homeschool.

Regular practice is often described as bringing peace. This was a key desire for Dr. Montessori - to help children find peace not only in the world, but in themselves. Peace with who they are. Peace in managing stress. Handling conflict with peace. You’ll even find a “peace object” in most classrooms. (These are excellent to have at home too!)

Getting Started

There are tons of yoga resources; you can find books, videos, cards, and classes! It can be hard to decide where to start. Here are a few things to consider:

• Find a class to attend on a regular basis - Mommy and Me classes are common at a lot of libraries and rec centers
• Teach yourself with an at-home practice
• Pre-made lesson plans are a great option
• Children can lead themselves with videos, making it easy to ensure they’re moving through the poses properly
• Cards or a book can be nice to leave out on the shelf for children to get to whenever they want
  
  When beginning homeschool yoga, begin with basic poses. If you decide to get a children’s program, they’ll all begin with more basic postures. If you decide to work through poses on your own, begin with the foundation. Throughout the practice, it’s beneficial to make sure kids are working through the poses properly. It's possible to hurt yourself when doing a pose improperly. By starting with a foundation, we allow our children the chance to get a feel for the flow and the calm before starting more difficult poses.
  
  Don’t forget about trying some of the breathing exercises. Children of all ages love Lion's Breath. Alternative nostril breathing is usually a favorite for teens. While a mat is not 100% necessary, it can be helpful. If you don’t have a mat, try a towel on top of the carpet.  
  
  

Great Poses to Start with Include:

• Cobbler's Pose

• Downward Facing Dog

• Butterfly

• Shoulder Rolls

• Child’s Pose

• Bridge

• Runner’s Lunge

• Hero Pose

• Neck Circles

• Forward Bend (seated and standing)

• Standing Spin

• Mountain

• Leg Up the Wall

• Cobra

• Warrior I and II

• Sun Salutations (a nice beginner sequence)

• Shavasana (aka “Resting Pose”) - this is typically how practice is ended
  
  Whatever you do, remember to do it with ease, joy, and a spirit of learning. It is also a good idea to check with your child’s doctor before beginning practice.