Child’s pose

Child’s pose

Child’s pose is an excellent pose for helping children calm down. This pose helps children focus on their feelings and fosters introspection. It slows children’s heart rate and calms their nervous system. Practice this pose for a few minutes and they will immediately reap its benefits.

Basic instructions for child’s pose:

• Get down on your knees, set your buttocks on your heels.
• Slowly, press your forehead on the floor.
• Place your arms on either side of your body, stretch them out in front of you, or place them under your forehead, like a pillow.
• Close your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly.

How to teach children to do child’s pose:

• Open, print, and laminate the following document: (Open child’s pose).
• Show children the picture and let them see you doing child’s pose.
• Give them the basic instructions listed above.
• Do the pose with them.

When should you use child’s pose?

• Child’s pose is perfectly suited for the beginning of the relaxation phase of your yoga session.
• To help children calm down.
• I frequently use child’s pose as a transitional pose between an active pose and the final pose, where we lie on our back for the relaxation phase.

A few variations:

• Slide your forehead and your arms towards your knees to “curl up in a ball”.
• Remain in child’s pose for the entire duration of the relaxation phase.

Maude Dubé, Specialized educator