The other players copy the leaderвЂ™s pose as if they are looking into a mirror.

The leader chooses a pose to do and shows it to the others. This game is a good warm-up exercise to increase focus.

Optional: Close your eyes as you repeat the movements with breath, and imagine yourself flying in the sky like a bird.

Repeat in a steady motion with each breath: inhale as you raise your arms, and exhale as lower your arms.

Exhale slowly as you bring your arms back down to your sides, palms facing down.

Pretend to prepare to fly by inhaling and raising your arms (вЂњwingsвЂќ) until your palms touch overhead.

Imagine being a beautiful, strong bird.

Stand tall, with arms at your sides and feet hip-width apart in standing Mountain Pose.

Breathe out forcefully, like youвЂ™re blowing out a candle.

Take a deep breath in and hold it for a count of three.

More yoga poses for kids, as well as some other resources, can be found here. If you are a parent familiar with yoga, you can try these at home with your family. Here are some fun yoga exercises and games for kids. вЂњThrough yoga, kids start to realize that they are strong and then are able to take that strength, confidence, acceptance, and compassion out into the world,вЂќ notes Gershen. She also has found that the effects of yoga go beyond physical fitness and also allow kids to build confidence and awareness beyond the classroom. Learning physical postures builds confidence and strength as well as the mind-body connection,вЂќ Gershen says. вЂњYoga is really effective because itвЂ™s so tangible. In her yoga classes, Gershen weaves in fun games and stories with positive themes like compassion, gratitude, and strength. Jessica Mei Gershen, a certified yoga instructor who teaches yoga to children at Brooklyn Yoga Project and founder of Yoga For All Needs, recommends making yoga playful and fun for kids, whether in the classroom or at home. Yoga can be playful and interactive for parents and children at home, as well. A growing number of schools now integrate yoga and mindfulness into physical education programs or classroom curriculums, and many yoga studios offer classes for school-age children. It can also boost school performance in children with ADHD.

A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.Д®merging research studies also suggest that yoga can help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by improving the core symptoms of ADHD, including inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children as well. Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. Yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children (ages 6 to 12). children (1.7 million) did yoga as of 2012 - thatвЂ™s 400,000 more children than in 2007. Yoga is becoming increasingly popular among American children. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed.

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