Cool Down With Relaxation

It's summer, and it's hot out! Snow Angel Pose (classical Savasana Pose) is a great way to find calm, cooling, or whatever our bodies may need. On one level, finding rest and stillness can help our bodies cool down in (try complimenting that effect with some cool water and dimming the lights!). On another, a restful pose like Snow Angel can allow us to visualize and imagine whatever might feel good for us in the present moment -- which could be making a snow angel on a beautiful snowy winter day! 

Tips: In general, the older the child, the more time they'll be able to sustain rest without wanting to move and find some sort of external stimulation (children are wired to discover through exploration and play, after all). Adjust the length of time for this pose according to their age. A good guide is up to one minute per age of life, though that might need to be adjusted in certain cases. You can also try mindfulness exercises and simple meditations, such as those detailed below, to keep kids resting for longer. When you see children beginning to stir, it's likely time to lead them out of rest. 

 How To

1. Lay on your back.
2. Press your whole back of body into the floor.
3. Let your legs completely relax, so that they fall a bit wider than your hips -- your heels turning in and your toes turning out.  
4. Turn your palms up and let your arms move farther away from your sides as they also totally relax. 
5. Let your breath be fluid and full, but also natural. Don't push it to be something different. Can you notice it as it is? 
6. Scan through your body, from head to toes. What can you relax more? Settle into rest as much as you can. 
7. When you are ready, slowly and gently come out of your stillness and rest. Roll unto one side and push yourself up to a seat, or draw your knees into your chest to roll up to a seated position. 

Exercises with Kids 

• To get out any last wiggles, so long as children have enough room around them, have them pretend they're making snow angels. What does the snow feel like? What do they see, taste, hear, and smell, as well? 
• Offer a color wash meditation, asking children to pick a color that makes them feel calm (or cool, or energized, or whatever you might sense that they need) and then having them imagine a ball of that color moving out from their heart center through the whole body. 
• Have children picture a place in which they feel happy and calm. What does it feel like to be there? What do they taste, smell, hear, and see? Can they come back to this place in their minds when they feel sad, anxious, or scared? 

Benefits 

• Promotes calm in the body, mind, and spirit 
• Cools the body 
• Builds the ability to find sustained rest and stillness 
• Helps to recenter in emotionally or mentally challenging times, build the ability to do so whenever needed 

Interested in learning more about how to teach children how to care for themselves with yoga and meditation? We have trainings and products for that. We're here to help!