7 Yoga Poses for Kids in School (Plus How to Teach Them Each Pose)

Yoga for kids in school is so important.

Teaching children can be a difficult task due to their high energy and low concentration levels.

Providing yoga for kids in school can be a great way to refocus their energy, and it’s also really good for their physicality and overall health. Different poses are great for certain times of the day depending on what is going on in the school day schedule.
 

Yoga for kids in school is an amazing gift to our youth and helps set them up for success in school – and beyond.

 
If the kids are getting a bit tired and sluggish, but they still have a lot of work to get through, there are some great yoga poses to help provide the students with focused energy for the rest of their day. If the students needs to calm down a bit, there are yoga poses for calming and grounding.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of yoga for kids? Here Are 9 Important Benefits of Yoga For Kids

Whatever the needs of you and your students are, the following yoga poses can be great additions to your lesson plan to help your students succeed.

Ready to discover yoga for kids in school? Read on!
 
 

Yoga for Kids In School: 7 Poses to Help Them Focus and Stay Grounded:

Yoga for kids in school is an amazing gift to our youth and helps set them up for success in school – and beyond.
 

1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This is a classic yoga pose that can be a great way to ground and calm frantic energy. It can also be described as an “upside down V” to help with imagery and describing the shape to the students.

Downward Dog also helps stretch the hamstrings and hips which can get tight after sitting at school desks for the majority of the day.

Let’s try it:

• Begin in a Table Top position with your hands shoulder-distance apart and your knees hip-distance apart
• Tuck your toes, spread all fingers wide on the mat, and press down with your hands and feet as you straighten your legs and lift your hips up and back, creating that upside down “V” shape
• Allow your head to hang heavy to release your neck muscles
• Press your heels down and lift your hips up at the same time
• Hold for 3 to 5 deep breaths

 
Want a Downward Facing Dog Tutorial? Watch this video!
 

2. High Lunge (Alanasana)

This is a simple and easy-to-follow pose that helps to strengthen the legs, ankles, and arms. If the students are getting a bit tired after a lesson, this pose will provide an energy boost along with a great way to release static energy after sitting still for long periods of time.

Let’s try it:

• From Down Dog, step one foot forward between your hands
• Stack your front knee over your front ankle
• Stay high on the ball of your back foot, keeping your back knee lifted (micro bend as needed)
• Engage your core to lift your torso
• Raise your arms over your head, spiraling your pinkies inward and relaxing shoulders away from ears
• Hold for 5-7 breaths on each side

3. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Warrior II Pose is very empowering and energizing. However, since it needs to be held in a strong manner, it can also provide students with a sense of focus. So, if the students need to be refocused, Warrior II is a great yoga pose to do.

Let’s try it:

• Start in High Lunge Pose
• Pivot and plant your back foot 45 degrees on the mat so the arch of your back foot lines up with the heel of your front foot
• Lunge deep into your front leg as you keep your knee stacked over your front ankle
• Engage your core to keep your torso upright
• Open your hips towards the long edge of the mat
• Reach your arms out like wings in opposite directions with the palms facing down
• Bring your gaze over your front middle finger
• Hold for 5-7 breaths on each side

4. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

This pose is a fun and grounding way to stretch the sides of the body, the legs, and hips. It’s also great for opening the shoulders, which can also get tight when reading, writing, or sitting at a desk for hours.

Let’s try it:

• Start in Warrior 2 Pose
• Keep your feet as they are, but straighten both legs
• Reach your front arm forward until you feel a stretch in your back hip
• Bring your front arm down to rest on your front thigh, shin, a block or the floor
• Bring your opposite arm straight up to maintain your outstretched wing shape
• Gaze towards your top hand or down at your front foot
• Hold for 5-7 breaths on each side

5. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Goddess Pose (also referred to as Horse Pose) will help stretch the inner part of the legs and hips while strengthening the quads and arms. This yoga pose helps promote feelings of empowerment and strength – great for helping students succeed and feel accomplished in their school work.

Let’s try it:

• Begin in a wide-leg stance with you feet placed as wide as the distance of your own leg
• Turn your heels in, toes out and bend into your knees
• Make sure your ankles are directly under your knees, and if you look down, you can see your big toes
• Keeping your thighs parallel to the ground and your torso upright, reach your arms out to a “T” and then bend your elbows, spreading your fingers wide
• Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders to keep your arms engaged
• Hold for 3 to 5 deep breaths

6. Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Prasarita Padottanasana is a very calming and relaxing pose. However, since you remain standing in this pose, it will allow the students to feel calm without falling asleep. This is helpful if they have a lot of frantic energy, but they still have some learning left to do that day.

Let’s try it:

• From Goddess Pose above, straighten your legs and press your heels back, toes forward
• With a straight spine, hinge the torso forward and place your hands on the ground shoulder-distance apart
• If your hands do not reach the ground, bend your knees or place yoga blocks under your hands
• Allow your head and neck to release and completely hang heavy towards the floor
• Hold for 3 to 5 breaths

7. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Tree Pose, or Vrksasana, is a fun balancing pose that is great for giving the students an energy boost while also helping them focus inwards. It also helps improve balance and strengthen the legs and core.

Let’s try it:

• Begin by standing with your feet parallel to each other and your hands on your hips
• Bring your hands to your hips and lift the right leg
• Find your balance and when you’re ready, place the bottom of the right foot on the left inner thigh (be sure to not place the foot on the knee joint)
• For help with balance, press the bottom of the right foot against your inner left ankle
• Press your palms together at heart center
• For a more challenging balance, raise your arms above your head with the palms facing each other
• Hold your balance for 3 to 5 breaths and repeat on the other side

 
Looking for more ways to help your child or student find more focus? Here Are 15 Fantastic Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids

Yoga for Kids In School Can Help to Reground and Refocus Energy!

These yoga poses are great for stretching and strengthening muscles, which is important for all bodies, including (and especially) our little ones. Our bodies are not meant to sit for as long as we do in today’s society, so giving this gift to your students and children is a great way to keep them healthy.

Yoga can be a great tool for kids to add an exciting and invigorating reset button into a school day at school. Yoga can also be very helpful in directing their energy to a more focused and grounded place.

Once the students are refocused, they can come back to their studies feeling refreshed and ready to finish their day successfully.

Adding a bit of yoga into a child’s school day can be a really helpful tool in aiding their learning and overall health and wellbeing!

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