During times of uncertainty and chaos, yoga is an excellent and convenient tool for self regulation and stress reduction as it can be done just about anywhere! Yoga teaches you to be patient, calm, and in the moment as you attend to how your body is moving and feeling. Yoga has been around for a long time and it is not only beneficial for adults, but kids as well. Whether someone is doing yoga for the purpose of core strengthening, improving balance and coordination, increasing focus, relaxing after a long day, or keeping one’s emotions in check, everyone has something to gain.
The practice of mindfulness through yoga and deep breathing can be challenging at first. However, with practice and patience, yoga can be a wonderful calming strategy that can be incorporated into your daily routine as well as your child’s daily routine. When practiced consistently, yoga is an amazing tool that kids can turn to when they encounter challenges or conflicts in their lives.
Here are some ways to start applying yoga to your daily life:
- Set aside a little bit of time each day- even if it’s just 5 minutes when starting. Increase the duration as you make progress.
- Dedicate a calm space in your home to do yoga where you are free from distractions.
- Make it fun for kids. Create yoga stations or turn it into a game to see who can hold a pose the longest.
- Follow along with a virtual yoga video. Cosmic Kids Yoga is one we frequently recommend to our families! They use storytelling and themes as a way to keep kids engaged.
- Do yoga as a family and make it a bonding experience.
- Making yoga a part of the bedtime routine can help you and your little ones wind down and get a better night’s sleep.
However you use the activities in this blog, I hope it brings you some comfort to know you are not alone. We are all in our separate corners of the community, living similar struggles right now. When we can share resources, even virtually, we can stay connected and support each other through this tough time.
Please email us at to learn more about individual sessions for yourself, as parents struggling to re-invent the daily life of our family in your many roles OR to inquire about 1:1 virtual OT or SLP visits for your child, typically covered by your health plan at no cost to you. Find us on Facebook at @BostonSensorySolutions or online at www.BostonSensorySolutions.com
