Welcome to Yoga Sprouts!

Yoga Sprouts! Child & Caregiver Yoga Adventures promote health and wellness in children of all ages and abilities. These classes are designed to share the fun and benefits of yoga with the entire family and especially our youngest members. Yoga Sprouts engenders a positive mindset and promotes healthy choices. Welcome and Enjoy!

Class is relaxed and children are encouraged to listen to their breath as they move their bodies. Everyone is different and each day is different so a little chaos on some days is expected! The best way to encourage your child to participate in class is to embody a positive attitude and to participate to your best ability as well. Some children may be shy at the first class and will warm up as class progresses. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. We encourage parents to soothe their children as needed. Nursing babies are always welcome. 

When you are ready to begin, spread out your yoga mat in a clean, spacious area. Please wear comfortable clothing in which you can move easily. It is best to do yoga on a relatively empty stomach and barefoot. We tune-in to our body’s rhythm by listening to the breath. We sing the letter “O” three times to create a body memory to begin our practice and help keep focus. We also sing our Yoga Sprouts “Namo Song” to promote community and to get a little loud before we quiet down. We then follow a sequence of exercises in order, and all may feel free to relax in between poses.

Beginners will vary their length of postures. Some poses are more advanced and will be done for shorter periods of time; also modifications will be explained. Some postures require assistance or a partner. This is a good opportunity to connect with your child or to let your child explore new friendships with other children in class. Try to always breathe through the nose unless otherwise instructed. Try to relax the muscles as you stretch for five or more counts. Movement exercises may be done for 1 – 3 minutes, but you are always welcome to shorten the time, starting with 30 seconds and adding 30 seconds more when ready. 

It is always fine to take a short 30 seconds to 1 minute rest in between the exercises. Either sit in Flower Pose or lie on your back. Close your eyes and listen to your breath during these short periods of rest. When you are ready to continue, take a deep breath then exhale as you slowly open your eyes or Rock n’ Roll to sit back up.

To end a set, we lay down and rest for several minutes. Lay on your back with your arms at your sides, palms up. You may listen to soothing music or cover up with a blanket. Our sets call this Worm Pose or Mummy Pose and it is important to relax and let go for a few moments at the end of each set. Some may doze a little during this rest time. When we are ready to finish, we wiggle the fingers and toes, stretch, and come back to a seated position. We close our sets by singing the “ahh” sound of the letter A, three times. Again this creates a body memory to conclude the yoga set. When you finish your yoga practice, it is good to drink a big glass of water. Smile and thank your body for working so hard!

You may recognize some yoga poses and notice it has a different name. For instance Horse Ride is the same as Camel Ride and Downward Dog is the same as Pyramid Pose. Feel free to draw these parallels to your child's attention when you notice them. Repetition helps us remember the postures both physically and mentally.

When working with children, it is important to keep your practice light-hearted and fun. Always try to embody a positive attitude when you practice yoga. Caregivers and children should try not to push themselves too hard too fast or worry if they are using a modification to the exercise. We can only do our best and our best will change at any moment. Our feelings and emotions are important and deserve attention. How we act on our feelings is what determines our character. We should notice when we feel upset and we should explore the origin of that feeling. However, we should try to think nice things about ourselves and say nice things to those practicing with us during yoga practice. Remember it is yoga practice not yoga perfect!