Crib Sheet for Little Yogis
For those who have tried yoga with me this school year, here is a reminder of some things you can try at home over the summer and beyond. Keep it simple and fun. Doesn’t need to be for too long. Try to do something every day if you can! Get in touch with any questions. Have fun.
Have a mindful moment if feeling distracted or a bit stressed.
Can you think of:
1 thing you can taste
2 things you can smell
3 things you can feel
4 things you can hear
5 things you can see
You could ask yourself, ‘What’s my weather like today?’ Remember how we feel can change from day to day and many times a day! If you are feeling cloudy/rainy/thundery, it might not feel so nice but it is normal. Remember, just like the weather outside, your weather is always changing. You will feel sunny again soon. It can take time to learn how we are feeling, sometimes you might feel you’re not sure. Learning to check in with ourselves and how are are feeling is helpful for us to put in to words our feelings but also to share with someone we trust if our feelings are really strong and we don’t feel okay. Hopefully you will find some yoga poses, breathing and relaxation help you feel a little sunnier and steadier.
Even if you have 5-10 minutes, see if you can:
Stretch your spine forwards and backwards - Cat/Cow stretch is great for this.
On all fours, breathe in as you slowly drop your belly towards the floor and look up as you gently draw your shoulders back and arch your spine.
Breathe out slowly as you round your back and look towards your belly button, lifting up in between your shoulders, rounding your spine.
Can you do 5?
Then you could come back and:
rest in Child’s pose/Mouse/Rock.
With your bottom on your heels and forehead on the floor, arms by your side, fingers towards your feet. If this is not comfortable you could take your knees wider , let your belly drop towards the floor, stretch your arms out in front of you or even lift your bottom in the air a bit and rest your head on the back of your hands. Stay here a little while, watching your breath. See how you feel. This is a great one before bed if you have trouble sleeping.
Come up into a cross legged position. You could do this with a friend/sibling/parent if you like? Sit back to back, nice and close if so. We are going to:
wake up the spine with a Seated Twist.
Sit up tall, take your right hand towards your left knee and either put the left hand behind your left glute/(bum muscle!) or on your partner’s right knee. Feel the twist through all of your back, chest and shoulders, not just your neck, as you twist your body to look behind your left shoulder. If working with a partner, they will do exactly the same. Can you feel their body as they breathe too? After 5 slow breaths, gently release and swop to the other side so you are balanced. Check you are still sitting tall, stretching upwards. Bring your left hand to your right knee and place your right hand behind your right glute or on your partner’s left knee. Twist with all of your torso and see how if feels. Stay for 5 slow breaths then release.
If you feel like it, you could do some cross legged cat stretches here. Same principle as on all fours. Hands on your knees and as you breathe in gently stick your chest out and look up, drawing shoulders back and arching your spine. As you breathe out, slowly look towards your belly button, letting your shoulders drop, chin to chest. Now time to come to standing.
time for a side stretch with Swaying Palm Tree.
Stand up tall with feet under your hips. Raise your arms up and interlace your fingers, palms skyward. Imagine you have lights on the front of your hip bones (bones out to the sides from your belly button). Keep those lights directed forwards as you stretch your arms to the left as you slowly breathe out then inhale slowly as you come back up and breathe out as you stretch to the right. Do this 4 more times either side. Can you feel the stretch? Lower your arms and get ready to:
balance with Tree pose.
Remember about your foundations and building each pose, don’t rush. Remember a big oak tree can withstand strong winds if its roots are steady and strong. Raise the toes of the right foot and stretching them wide, place them back down. Let your toes ‘hug’ the floor or mat. Remember you can change a more challenging pose so it’s the right level for you. You could start by placing the heel of the opposite foot against the inside of the standing leg, keeping the ball of the foot on the floor. Stand up tall, gently drawing your tummy in. Focus on a point in front of you that is still and you can slowly raise your arms overhead, hands opened and fingers reaching upwards. Stay for a few breaths before swopping to the other side. If you feel like a challenge, you could try placing the foot against your calf muscle or press the foot along your thigh, toes pointing towards the floor. You can place the palms of the hands together in front of your heart instead if you like.
Find it tricky? Go to the first position or even do this by a wall for support. Keep practising this before moving to the next position or away from the wall.
Fancy a challenge? Go for a slow blink or two…
Something fun and interactive? Lizard on a rock! Try to do this with someone of a similar age/body size to you. Remember to ask the rock how they feel and move slowly and respectfully on to their body.
Lizard will lower themselves slowly, lower back to lower back on to Rock (other person who is in child’s pose/mouse) facing upwards. Lie down with back of head to back of head. Legs of lizard can be stretched out or knees bent for a bit more support and stability. Lizard arms can be out to the side with palms facing upwards or overhead with backs of the hands on the floor. Try to stay still for 5-10 breaths. Check in with Rock. Rock - keep your forehead towards the floor. Hopefully you will enjoy a deep stretch to your spine. Lizard can then gently slide off to one side then you can swop. How does it feel? What was different about each position? Anything you liked or didn’t like? It’s your body, you can’t be wrong. It’s what feels right for you.
Want to move a bit and challenge yourself to remember the Sun Salutation? (For Position 6 - the funny one where everyone gets a bit stuck - instead of the image here, bring knees, chest, chin to floor before coming up in to your scary Cobras!
raising feet/legs higher than heart with an Inversion - legs up the wall or on a chair.
Make sure your bottom is fairly close to the wall or chair so you don’t strain your back. If using a wall, raise your legs up and either have them straight or for a stretch of your inner thighs you could stretch them wide like a V. Hands can rest on your lower abdomen (below your belly button) or arms out to the side, palms facing upwards. If using a chair, have the calf muscles on the seat. Stay for a few minutes, resting and breathing slowly. Your toes and feet may feel tingly and go pale. Notice how you feel. When ready to come down, push away from the wall or chair and rest on one side for a moment or two before moving again.
Now for some breathing hacks:
Lie on your back with knees bent, hands on lower abdomen or a favourite cuddly toy. As you breathe in, notice your hands or cuddly slowly rise up then as you breathe out and gently pull your tummy towards your spine, notice them lower down. Repeat this - number of breathes = your age.
or
Slowly blow on each of your fingers and thumbs. Feel the breath. Go as slowly as you can, in and out. Sitting tall!
As well as the breath, an important part of yoga is to rest and relax - in Savasana or Crocodile:
Savasana - lying on your back with arms slightly out to the side and palms of hands either facing up or resting on your lower abdomen. Chin a little bit towards your chest. Relax your jaw, shoulders and forehead.
Crocodile - lying on your belly, bending your arms so you can either rest your forehead on the backs of your hands or turn your head to one side then swop to the other side half way through.
Watch your breath, breathing in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds if you find that helpful. Think S-L-O-W. Try to feel soft and relaxed without tension in your body. Remember it can take time to relax and unwind. You are learning a valuable life skill. Be kind to yourself if you feel fidgety. Do your best to be still and quiet, quiet and still….
Think about balance in your life. Have you been sitting still staring at a screen or book for a while? Get up and move around. Get some fresh air. Been working hard with school work or running around playing sport having a busy day? Do something slow, quiet and gentle. Yoga could be something like mindful colouring, having fun playing sleeping lions or really noticing the sights, sounds and feelings around you.
Enjoy your yoga!
Helen x