Introducing kids to yoga can be a fun and rewarding way to help them develop healthy habits, manage stress and build emotional resilience. Yogi Beans chief visionary officer Lauren Chaitoff’s debut book, 108 Awesome Yoga Poses For Kids, released in July 2023, provides a playful yet impactful approach to yoga, emphasizing its benefits for stress reduction and emotional regulation. Here, Chaitoff explores some of the best poses for kids to help them enjoy the many benefits of yoga this summer.

1. Mouse Pose (aka Child’s Pose)

Mouse pose is great to practice anytime you are feeling overwhelmed and need a break. Come on to your knees and sit back on your heels. Bend forward and bring your forehead to the floor. Can you be as quiet as a mouse and rest for three breaths?

2. Octopus Pose

This pose promotes core strength and balance while also keeping the focus light and playful. Can you move your arms and legs and imagine if you had eight of them?

3. Tree Pose

Tree pose is familiar to many children and this balancing pose is also great when it comes to fostering focus and concentration. It is also a great reminder of the Yogi Beans affirmation: “yoga is a practice not a perfect.” If your tree is wobbly, perhaps it’s just a windy day!

4. Sphinx Pose

A simple spine strengthener. This pose can be done while a child is watching television, for instance. Sphinx pose can also help to open the chest, and counter rounded shoulders and poor posture, which we have all become injured to as a result of our devices.

5. Lumberjack Pose

This is a great pose to release energy or frustration when you need to calm down. Inhale as you reach your arms up. On your exhalation say “HA!” and swing your arms down as if you are chopping wood.