Do yoga as a family
The practice of yoga is now installed in the minds of many people. So much so that different ways of implementing it have been democratized: kundalini, hatha yoga, prenatal yoga, vinyasa yoga, but also family yoga. It is a beautiful way to develop parent/child bonding while using breathing and flexibility.
But sometimes family activities are difficult to implement in a yoga center. That's why you may want to teach yoga to your child at home, and on your own. According to a survey, one out of 5 middle school students and one out of 3 high school students take classes at home.
A good reason to follow this model with yoga, and with the father or mother as an instructor! But precisely, how to recreate the spirit of group classes at home? How to initiate a regular practice of your little yogi with you, without moving from home (or almost!)? Here are all our tips!
The place to organize a family yoga session
We instinctively associate the organization of a family yoga session at home. It is often true, it is often simpler, but it is also possible to rent a small room for an hour to practice yoga postures together.
However, it is often practical to stay at home, in which case it would be more economical to register directly for a class in our area, so that we would not have to rent a room.
At home, therefore, practicing yoga with one's offspring promises to be a lot of fun, but you still need to know how to proceed. Don't panic, we are here to help you!
First of all, make sure you know how many children and parents participate in the session. If your half doesn't wish to participate, if only one child agrees to learn pranayama, this will necessarily change the organization and the need for space.
Because that's what it is all about. Depending on the number of participating family members, it is up to you to decide whether you prefer to set up the yoga studio in the living room, by pushing some furniture, in a bedroom, or outside, if the weather is good.
Either way, you'll soon realize that organizing a family yoga session yourself requires adaptability and versatility!
Materials for organizing a family yoga session
Speaking of versatility, it is important to look at the type of material that will be used in the yoga workshop. In and of itself, a family yoga class does not change much from the background of a traditional one-on-one yoga class. Why not? For the simple reason that the postures will simply adapt to the shape of the duo. Some will even be reproduced on your own, in parallel with your child.
But then, concretely, what will it take for you to organize a parent child yoga session?
• Yoga mats, the basis of all good self-respecting yogis, to cushion potential shocks,
• Small weights, depending on the exercises you choose. The advantage of organizing the class yourself is that you will be able to use everyday objects such as filled water bottles,
• Elastics, always according to the way the yoga workshop will take shape,
• Bottled water, this time for drinking. It is very important to hydrate and to communicate this good gesture to the child from a very young age,
• Adapted sportswear, in which you feel good. Jeans and sweaters made of non-breathable material are therefore prohibited. It is indeed a question of doing sports,
In reality, the release, relaxation and stretching that yoga with your child requires is all about the little things. The important thing is to spend time together and build a family bond (without ever forgetting safety!).
Family yoga postures to do at home
You found a place, at home or elsewhere? Are you well equipped? You will have to dive into the heart of the yoga spirit: the postures. Indeed, with a child, everything takes on a new meaning. A sense where it is a question of physical differences with an adult, where flexibility is not the same, just like the notion of patience or effort.
This is why certain positions, certain exercises, are more conducive to developing the link between body and mind that is highlighted by the practice of yoga. All in family!
As pillars, you will have to think about safety, of course, but also about the playfulness that an asana can take. Moreover, since we are talking about family yoga, why not take advantage of this complicity and presence during certain postures?
Among the most effective family yoga exercises, we can retain :
• The candle, an essential part of yoga, which will have the advantage of being playful and natural for the child. This posture improves blood circulation and strengthens the body in general,
• The cat, a posture that we know well and that will undoubtedly amuse your child. It consists of getting down on all fours, digging the back, head up. You exhale by rounding the back, you exhale by returning to your starting position. The cat allows you to realize how flexible the body can be, and that it is composed of muscles, yes!
• The flying carpet, a duo posture mainly thought for young children. The child comes to land on his parent's belly. This last one breathes in full consciousness, realizing each gesture that he/she is doing. It is also possible to reproduce this posture alone,
• The boat, where the challenge is, always with two people, to catch the hands of his child, face to face, and make him touch all four feet. Each one pushes, so as not to "capsize the boat". The main challenge is to work on trust in care, trust in one's partner and, by extension, to enrich the family bond.
There are many other postures adapted to family yoga, but when you organize a session yourself, it is better to be sure of their effectiveness. However, you can still find yourself lost in this flood of information, which you don't really know how to bring to light for a child. Why not get help?
Family Yoga: getting help for the first session at home
Who has never doubted the first time? Here, organizing a workshop for children is the same thing! One can find oneself helpless, or simply not wanting to make mistakes to initiate a child to the joys of yoga and breathing exercises.
That's why taking a first class with a certified teacher can be a good solution. In association, in a yoga club, of course, but also in a distance course. Always from your salon, it is possible to get some techniques from a professional, whether it is pedagogy or a sequence.
Because yes, yoga teacher, it is a real job, and it can't be improvised (too much)! If your ambition is to organize a yoga session with your family without spending too much energy, you can follow online courses? Some yoga teachers offer inexpensive online sessions, everywhere, all the time! You might as well take advantage of it!
Because the expertise of a family yoga is obviously not the same for young and neophyte practitioners as for adult yogis. When it comes to physical or mental preparation, you might as well have all the cards in hand to succeed in your own session!
Family yoga is therefore a totally accessible discipline, which it is possible to organize by oneself, at home or elsewhere. Between meditation and muscle strengthening, the benefits of yoga are numerous for children and parents alike.
Linking the two also improves family complicity, and makes playful moments as strong as travel memories. What if this is also how it works in the end, happiness?
