# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
REGIS Steel Tongue Drum 6 Inch 8 Notes, Rain Drum Style Calming Percussion Instrument for Relaxation & Meditation, Musical Gift for Adults & Beginners(malachite)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buy REGIS Steel Tongue Drum 6 Inch 8 Notes, Rain Drum Style Calming Percussion Instrument for Relaxation & Meditation, Musical Gift for Adults & Beginners(malachite): Steel Drums - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindful Motions Sensory Cards | Discover | 12 Dynamic Patterns | 2 Sliders | Calming Corner Items for Kids | Screen-Free Visual Sensory Toys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazon.com: Mindful Motions Sensory Cards | Discover | 12 Dynamic Patterns | 2 Sliders | Calming Corner Items for Kids | Screen-Free Visual Sensory Toys : Toys & Games

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Think Fun Yoga Dice Game for Boys and Girls Ages 6 and Up - Learn Yoga With a Game,Multi,1844

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazon.com: Think Fun Yoga Dice Game for Boys and Girls Ages 6 and Up - Learn Yoga With a Game,Multi,1844 : Toys & Games

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get your kids ready to conquer back to school anxiety with this collection of 30 mindfulness meditations and exercises to help kids feel calm, focused, and energized wherever they are. Breathe Like a Bear is a beautifully illustrated collection of mindfulness exercises designed to teach kids techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. Best of all, these 30 simple, short breathing practices and movements can be performed anytime, anywhere: in the car to the grocery store, during heavy homework nights at home, or even at a child's desk at school. Mindful Moments for Kids

Based on Kira Willey's Parents' Choice GOLD Award-winning CD, , this one-of-a-kind book is sure to help kids find calm, gain focus, and feel energized during the day, and encourage families to establish a fun and consistent mindfulness practice, whether at home or on the go.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
is a beautifully illustrated collection of mindfulness exercises designed to teach kids techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. Best of all, these 30 simple, short breathing practices and movements can be performed anytime, anywhere: in the car to the grocery store, dur...

# data[].attributes.body
Empathy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's been a shift in Austin schools over the years to focus on skills that don't deal with academics, things like mental health, coping strategies and mindfulness. The philosophy behind the shift is that asking a kid to focus only on academics during the school day is like asking adults not to worry about their personal lives at work.

The Austin Independent School District began focusing on this philosophy - called social and emotional learning (SEL) - six years ago.

Teachers have known for a long time that you can't expect a child to succeed academically if he or she has emotional issues. Kimberly Skinner wanted to help students with those challenges, so she left her job as a teacher three years ago and got a certificate in counseling. Now she's the school counselor at Cunningham Elementary School.

She says Cunningham is a counselor's dream school.

"Teachers really look at the whole child," she says. "Not just - 'We're here. Here's a worksheet; here's what we're doing today.' It was more: What can we do to support students to be the best that they can be?"
Success through breathing
Skinner didn't want to just pull kids out of class when they behaved poorly, so she turned to a personal habit that has helped her with relaxing, mindfulness and awareness: yoga. She implemented a school-wide yoga program for the first time this school year.

Rather than having an office to meet with kids and parents, Skinner has a makeshift studio. Almost every inch of her classroom floor is covered by rolled-out yoga mats. The lights are dimmed and soft music plays from the computer on a desk in the corner.

Every student at the school is guaranteed a yoga class every other week, but a student can ask for more frequent practice. Skinner says these requests usually come when a kid is dealing with things like a conflict with peers or an issue at home. She says being in a calm environment often helps kids feel safe.

"If I'm not in flight-or-fight response, then I'm going to be more likely to find that awareness and maybe be able to articulate exactly what might be bothering me," she says.

During a lunchtime session, around a dozen students in kindergarten through fifth grade gather in her room for a short practice. At one point, they go to flower pose, lifting their legs up by the knee.

"I am going to touch the very tips of my fingertips, creating a bloom with my fingers," Skinner tells her students. "Then I will lean back slightly, into flower pose."

Fifth-grader Kenzie says she likes coming to these classes because it's nice to spend time in a quiet space. She says yoga has been especially helpful in cases of bullying.

"People were calling me names and then we had yoga the same day," she says. "And then when we came in here I just felt better. ... It's kind of hard to explain."
Practice makes perfect
Every school in Austin ISD has some sort of social-emotional learning practice.

"Before we knew about how the brain works and about mindfulness, students who would be having difficulty in the classroom would be traditionally sent to the assistant principal and receive some sort of consequence," says Peter Price, director of social and emotional learning for the district.

Rather than punish students when they act out, the goal is to figure out why they're misbehaving.

This is something the administration at Baldwin Elementary takes seriously. The school hired a full-time counselor to focus on social-emotional learning, rather than an assistant principal, who would typically deal with discipline.

Baldwin also has a mindfulness room, a dedicated space for students to re-calibrate their emotions.

The room is full of things to help kids get out energy or aggression and tools to help express emotions. There's a trampoline, cards with breathing techniques printed on them, and various sand and putty toys. Some of these tools are also in classrooms.

On top of using these tools, teachers and staff at Baldwin do lessons on social skills every day.

In one classroom, a group of fifth-graders gets ready for an overnight field trip. An administrator asks Jianna for a specific social emotional skill she can use during the camping trip.

"Belly breathing," Jianna says. If your parents normally tuck you in at night, she adds, "Just tell yourself: 'It's going to be OK; I'll see them tomorrow.' And just tell it's going OK so you don't get nervous."

Price is impressed with the answer; it's something he wants every student in AISD to master.

"When you have students who can actually verbalize the skills that they've learned and also project how they'll use them in the future," he says, "that's absolutely best practice."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
At Austin Schools, It's Reading, Writing, Arithmetic And, Om, Yoga?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's been a shift in Austin schools over the years to focus on skills that don't deal with academics, things like mental health, coping strategies and mindfulness. The philosophy behind the shift is that asking a kid to focus only on academics during the school day is like asking adults not to worry about their personal lives at work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You know the hustle and bustle of your day -- work, school, emails, traffic -- lots of things to add stress.

Many adults are constantly working to find a way to slow it all down, find peace and relaxation.

Now, one Austin ISD counselor is teaching her students how to do that early in life, with yoga.

"Breathing in, breathing out," said Cunningham elementary counselor Kimberly Skinner.

Pre-K through fifth-grade students are learning how to balance the stress in school and life.

"Come back in to flower pose," said Skinner to the class of first-graders.

Skinner starting using yoga this year to teach social and emotional learning, skills she feels they need to learn early.

"If we can control our emotions, and understand our emotions, early on in life, it's just going to make us bigger and better change makers for our society," said Skinner. "We really focus on the whole child, so it's not only am I here to learn for my academics, but also my social and emotional learning"

She said the goal is for students to self-regulate throughout their day.

"So if I take this moment, and this mindful moment to breathe at my desk, or ask, "Hey I need a couple minutes just to kind of hang for a moment and reset,' I can be much more focused when it comes to my academics," said Skinner. "This foundation of their education is of course our elementary years, but this is the foundation for life, and so if I use these yoga principles and look at them as how can I continue to be a change maker."

From trouble on the playground, to problems at home, to the stress of school, Skinner said this is a way to find inner calm.

"They are looking for an outlet to get it out," said Skinner.

"Sometimes I'm like, 'Oh my god I forgot to my homework,'" said fifth-grader Gael Toledo.

He told KVUE that he's learning ways to cope with stress.

"Deep breaths and close my eyes," he said.

Fifth-grader Ayshia Taylor said the yoga helps her relax.

"Sometimes if I'm outside and I'm mad I'll do some poses, and I'll just take deep breaths and I'll calm me down," said Taylor.

And fifth-grader Sara Brooks also likes learning the calming poses.

"I will sometimes think or use them and it actually helps me relax my body, and everything really," said Brooks.

The students go to yoga for 30 minutes twice every other week.

Now they hope other schools in the district will do something similar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Austin ISD elementary school now teaching yoga

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You know the hustle and bustle of your day -- work, school, emails, traffic -- lots of things to add stress. Many adults are constantly working to find a way to slow it all down, find peace and relaxation. Now, one Austin ISD counselor is teaching her students how to do that early in life, with yoga.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students at Cunningham Elementary School are learning hands-on techniques to relax and get focused through yoga and meditation.

Cunningham Counselor Kimberly Skinner uses yoga as part of her guidance curriculum to have kids work on self regulation skills with SEL. Her classroom is filled with yoga mats for kids from pre-k through fifth grade to use for meditation to help them feel relaxed and focused.

"They're finding compassion not just for someone next to them, but they're finding compassion for themselves," Skinner said.

Social and Emotional Learning is a process for helping children and adults develop fundamental skills for life effectiveness. SEL teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work effectively and ethically. These skills include recognizing and managing our emotions, developing caring and concern for others, establishing positive relationships, making responsible decisions, and handling challenging situations constructively and ethically.
Watch the video below to learn more about the program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social and Emotional Learning Taught Through Yoga

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students at Cunningham Elementary School are learning hands-on techniques to relax and get focused through yoga and meditation.Cunningham Counselor Kimberly Skinner uses yoga as part of her guidance curriculum to have kids work on self regulation skills with SEL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Kids Yoga Stories | Yoga resources for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Below is a list of basic chair yoga poses, which are ancient yoga poses that have been adapted to practice using a chair. These chair yoga poses could be used in your classroom, homeschool, or in a small space for transitions, movement breaks, or for introducing a new topic. The postures serve as an inspiration guide, but please encourage the children's creativity.

Yoga poses for kids often mimic our natural surroundings and may be interpreted in different ways that will integrate into your curriculum to build meaningful learning connections for your students. Practice the yoga poses to stretch their bodies after sitting for a long time or to energize their minds and bodies for learning. Some things to consider when you are practicing chair yoga with your children:

Feel free to adapt or change the chair yoga poses to suit your needs.

Focus on having fun with movement, not on practicing perfectly aligned poses.

Engage the children. Follow their passions and interests.

Create authentic, meaningful experiences.

Cater to their energy levels and different learning styles.

Be creative and enjoy yourselves, but please be safe.

Ensure that the chairs are firm and steady so that the poses are safe to practice.

Gently introduce the idea of linking breath to movement.

Add breathing techniques that suit your needs.

Finish each chair yoga session in a resting pose to allow time for peace and quiet.

Our Kids Yoga Stories characters, Sophia, Luke, Elizabeth, Baraka, Pablo, Mai, and Anamika, demonstrate the chair yoga poses in the list below, proceeded by the yoga pose name and descriptions.

Free Breath Poster!

Pause Breath Poster! Free for a limited time.

Download your very own Pause Breath Poster today. Available for a limited time only so please take advantage today! Click on the button below.

Download Your Free Posters Now

A List of 40 Chair Yoga Poses for Kids:

Boat Pose:

Balance on your buttocks with your arms and legs straight out in front of you in a V shape, grasping the sides of the chair for balance. Keep a straight spine and open chest.

Camel Pose:

Come to a sitting position, with your feet flat on the ground and your legs together. Lift your head, open your chest, squeeze your shoulders, and place your hands on your back of the chair. Gently press your hips forward while shifting your shoulders back, slowly arching your back. Look up, keeping your spine neutral.

Cat Pose:

From a sitting position with your feet flat on the ground, round your back and tuck your chin into your chest, stretching your back.

Chair Pose:

In front of your seat, stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, and keep a straight spine. Take your straight arms up in front of you, look up, and try sinking a little deeper into your knees as if you're about to sit back down in the chair.

Child's Pose:

Sit back on your chair, slowly bend your upper body to rest on your thighs, rest your arms down towards the floor, and take a few deep breaths.

Cobbler's Pose:

Come to sit in your seat. Bring your legs up on the front of the chair, with the soles of your feet together. Keep a tall spine.

Cobra Pose:

Come to sit at the front of your chair. Open your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together, look up, and bring your hands to the back of the chair. Arch into a baby back bend.

Cow Pose:

Sit at the front of your chair, with your feet flat on the ground. Place your palms on your knees and take a deep breath to neutralize your spine. Then look up slightly, arch your back, and open your chest.

Crescent Moon Pose:

Sit comfortably on your chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Reach your arms up high over your head, bringing your palms together. Tilt your upper body to one side. Come back to center. Tilt your body to the other side.

Dancer's Pose:

Stand tall in Mountain Pose behind your chair. Then grab the back of your chair with your right hand, stand on your right leg, reach your left leg out behind you, and place the outside of your left foot into your left hand. Bend your torso forward, with your right hand on the chair for balance, and arch your leg up behind you. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose:

Come to standing just in front of your chair, facing the chair. Place your hands flat on the front of the chair and slowly step back so that your arms are stretched out straight in front of you. Straighten your spine, ensure your legs are hip-width distance apart, and look down between your legs.

Eagle Pose:

Come to sitting up tall on your chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Wrap your left leg around your right. Bring your bent arms out in front of you, wrap your right arm around your left arm, and bend your knees slightly. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Easy Pose:

Sit cross-legged on your chair and rest your palms on your knees. Close your eyes, if you are comfortable doing so.

Extended Mountain Pose:

Sit comfortably on your chair with your feet flat on the ground, look up, take your arms straight up to the sky, and touch your palms together.

Extended Side Angle Pose:

Sit towards the front of your chair with your feet flat on the ground with your legs and feet together. Tilt your upper body forward, then twist to the right, rest your left elbow on your right knee, lengthening your left hand towards the ground. Look up and reach your right arm straight up to the sky. Repeat on the other side.

Flower Pose:

Come to sit on your buttocks with a tall spine on the chair. Lift your bent legs, balance on your sitting bones, and weave your arms under your legs with your palms facing up.

Forward Bend:

Perch at the front of your chair with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place your feet hip-width apart, and flex your feet to rest your heels on the ground. Slowly bend your upper body (ensuring that your chair is stable and reach for your toes. Keep a straight spine and look down at your toes.

Happy Baby Pose:

Sit at the back of your seat and shift to balancing on your buttocks. Lift your legs up, hug your knees into your chest, and then grab the outer parts of each foot-right foot in right hand and left foot in left hand.

Hero Pose:

Come to rest upright on your seat with your palms resting on your knees. Close your eyes (if that's comfortable). Breathe deeply.

Knee to Chest Pose:

Sit tall on your seat with your feet flat on the ground. Bend your right knee and hug it close to your chest. Then place it down again. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Legs Up the Chair Pose:

Lie flat on your back in front of your chair. Then slowly lift your legs and place them on your seat. Keeping your legs together, flex your feet. Spread your arms out to either side and keep your neck in a neutral position. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

Lotus Pose:

Sit with a tall spine at the back of your chair. Then, cross your legs, weave your feet to rest on top of opposite knees, and rest the palms of your hands on your knees. Relax and breathe.

Lunge Pose:

Stand in front of your chair, then bend over and grab the front of the chair with both hands. Step your right foot back into a lunge position. Keep a flat back and open your chest. Hold for a few breaths, then bring your right foot back up to meet the left foot. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Mountain Pose:

Sit tall with your legs hip-width apart and feet facing forward. Take your arms straight alongside your body and imagine being a steady, tall mountain.

Pigeon Pose:

Sit tall with your feet flat on the ground. Bend your right leg and place your right ankle on your left knee. Place your left hand on your right foot and your right hand on your right knee. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Plank Pose:

From Downward-Facing Dog Pose in a chair, come forward to balance on your palms and on your bent toes in a plank position. Keep your arms straight and your back long and flat.

Resting Pose:

Sit comfortably in your chair. Rest your forehead on your folded arms on your desk. Rest and breathe.

Reverse Plank Pose:

Sit at the front of your chair, look up, open your chest, and place your hands at the back of your chair. Ensuring that the chair is steady, slowly lift your buttocks to a reverse plank position with your legs and spine straight and feet flat on the ground.

Reverse Table Top Pose:

Sit at the front of your chair, look up, open your chest, and place your hands at the back of your chair. Ensuring that the chair is steady, slowly lift your buttocks to a reverse table top position with bent legs.

Seated Twist:

Sit upright in your chair. Check that your spine is straight and your feet are flat on the ground. Twist your upper body to the right. Take your left hand to your right knee and your right hand back behind the chair. Repeat on the other side.

Side Bend:

Sit tall on your chair with your feet flat on the ground and your palms on your knees. Then take your left arm straight up to the sky. Tilt your upper body to the right and place your right hand on the chair. Open your chest, look up, and feel the gentle stretch on your left side body. Come back to center. Switch sides and repeat the sides.

Squat Pose:

Come down to a squat in front of your chair with your knees apart and your arms between your knees.

Tree Pose:

Come to standing next to your chair. Holding on to the chair with one hand, shift your weight and balance on one leg. Bend the knee of the leg you are not standing on, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh or calf, and balance. Sway like a tree in the breeze. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Triangle Forward Bend:

Stand tall with legs hip-width apart in front of your chair, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Take your right foot back, keeping your ankle bent at a thirty-degree angle. Place your hands on the front of the chair, ensuring that your back is flat and that you are looking straight ahead. Then slowly bend forward as if your hips are a hinge, keeping a flat back and a long neck. Check that your spine is straight. Repeat on the other side.

Triangle Pose:

From a standing position in front of your chair, step one foot back, placing the foot facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up parallel to the ground, bend at your waist, and tilt your upper body to the side. Reach your front hand to gently rest on your chair behind you and reach your other arm straight up. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Upward-Facing Dog Pose:

Stand in front of your chair. Bend down and grab the sides of your chair with your hands. Step your feet back so that your body is a long plank and you're resting on your toes. Then straighten your arms and expand your chest. Look up, keeping your neck neutral, and feel a gentle back bend.

Warrior 1 Pose:

Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Step one foot back, angling it slightly outward. Bend your front knee, bring your arms straight up toward the sky, and look up. Use the chair for support under your front leg if necessary. Repeat on the other side.

Warrior 2 Pose:

From standing position in front of your chair, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outward. Take your arms up parallel to the ground, bend your front knee, and look forward. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Warrior 3 Pose:

Stand on one leg with your arms straight out in front of you, holding the back of the chair. Extend the other leg behind you, flexing your foot. Bend your torso forward. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Wide-Legged Forward Bend:

Stand tall with legs hip-width apart in front of your chair, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Then, step your feet out wide, bend your upper body, and take your hands to the back of the chair. Bend your arms and rest your forehead on the front of your chair. Feel the gentle stretch in your legs.

Practice these 40 chair yoga poses for kids during a transition time or subject change, when you're stuck indoors, for a brain break to calm their bodies and minds, or for a movement activity when introducing a new topic. Try all your favorite poses, like Cat Pose, Tree Pose, or Downward-Facing Dog Pose using a chair. An Index and Pose instructions are included. Instantly download, print, and practice! Ages 4+.

Please note: The printed cards are single-sided to allow for game playing and flexibility to use as needed. We also recommend using a hole punch and adding a ring to hold the cards together.
Purchase your Chair Yoga Cards for Kids here.

Chair Yoga Cards for Kids

Want Individual Images? Try Out Our 40 Images to Create Your Own Personal Sequences

Download these 40 PNG chair yoga images to create your own sequences, make up your own yoga cards, or design your own yoga games for your classroom or homeschool. Our yoga kids are multicultural from seven countries.

See the Chair Yoga Poses page for description and sample keywords.

Ages 4 and up.
These yoga pose images are for personal use only. Personal use means non-commercial use of the images for making image prints or soft copy reference. The images may not be used in any way whatsoever in which you charge money or collect fees. Download 40 Chair Yoga Poses Images here.

40 Chair Images for Kids

Other Yoga for Kids Links

Sign up for our Kids Yoga Stories Newsletter

We hope that you enjoyed these beach yoga poses! For other kids yoga ideas, sign up to our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter by adding your email address to the subscription box at the top of the page. Buy our yoga stories for kids here:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
40 Kid-Friendly Chair Yoga Poses - Kids Yoga Stories | Yoga resources for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Below is a list of basic chair yoga poses, which are ancient yoga poses that have been adapted to practice using a chair. These chair yoga poses could be used in your classroom, homeschool, or in a small space for transitions, movement breaks, or for introducing a new topic.