3 Summer Poses for All Ages

By Kathryn Boland, Flow and Grow Kids Yoga Blog Manager and 95-hour Training Graduate

Do you like yoga in the summer? Yes, it’s hot, but we can practice in ways that nurture our bodies rather than overheat them. It’s also a wonderful time to connect with the beauty of nature and the warm weather through poses, breathwork, and mindfulness. Kids yoga and mindfulness in this season can involve lots of fun with summer animals and activities! Below are three summer-themed poses to enjoy with the young ones in your life!  

When Lara was a new kids yoga teacher, she taught theFlow and Grow summer sequence. The kids invented a sequence of poses to resemble a shark intimidating a pirate ship by combining shake and boat pose. They loved the drama of acting it out and did it over and over again.

For older children, we can go beyond symbols of summer by asking questions about the seasons and how we notice their effects on our energetic state. Children can observe that it’s harder to wind down at night if the sun stays out later. They can relate to feeling grumpy in the heat. Focusing on the seasons can be a great tool in yoga for kids!

Crab Pose

1. Sit on your bottom with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your hips on the ground.
3. Press your hands and feet down as you lift your hips up high.
4. Lengthen your belly, chest, and back of the neck. Think of making the front body into a straight line.
5. Release your bottom down.

Boat Pose

1. Sit down on your bottom with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your heart up tall.
3. Keep lifting your heart up as you lift up one leg.
4. You can also lift the other leg, or simply switch which leg you lifted.
5. Once your legs are lifted, squeeze them so you feel strong.
6. Then, lower your feet back down to the ground into your original position.

Octopus Pose

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms by your side.
2. Swing your arms and allow your legs to roll in towards your body.
3. Move in a fluid manner, like an octopus would.
4. When you are done, release your arms and legs and lie on your back.

Interested in more sequences like these for kids and youth? Check outour shop! Interested in learning how to design sequences like these yourself? We just held our Summer 2021 Lesson Planning course, but you can join us in the fall -- on October 19 and 20!Take it individually or as part of our Fall 202195-hour Kids Yoga Teacher Training! Questions? Email the Teacher Trainer Lara Hocheiser at lara@flowandgrowkidsyoga.com, or book a call with her here!