Meditation and Yoga for Children and Teens

Children and teenagers can greatly benefit from having a daily practice of yoga and meditation. This can help them become more well-behaved, emotionally stable, self-aware, socially conscious, and improve their academic performance. Children and teens (and adults too) often act out because they don’t know how to self-regulate; yoga, meditation, and breath work teaches this.

I firmly believe that a child or teen who is attuned to their body, mind, emotions, and spirit will grow to become an exceptional person. Look back on your own childhood, pre-teen, and teen years; I’m sure you wish you had the tools we have with yoga, meditation, breath work, and mantras to help navigate life.

The information I write here can be used for helping your own child/teen or a young person in your care develop a personal practice of yoga and meditation without causing overwhelm, and how a daily practice can be designed; this can also be useful if any of you are yoga teachers and teaching children or teens.

Asana precautions

It is important to keep in mind that their brain and bodies are still growing, which causes them to be uncoordinated and fall very frequently. Balance is difficult until they are adults.

They will fall a lot, this is normal and not to be criticized. Explain to them that falling is natural until their muscles and brains have finished developing which won’t be until they are in their 20’s. Do not display exasperation when they fall or wobble. Ensure to have a safe floor such as a large area rug or carpet for them to land on.

Be very careful regarding alignment and safety, as their muscles are not yet developed. For children, the spine is hyper-mobile but the supporting muscles are not developed yet. Just because they have increased flexibility does not mean this should be taken advantage of. Flexibility is only one aspect of yoga; strength and stability are other equally important aspects.

Keep asanas simple and modify to an easier version as often as possible. Inversions are to be avoided, especially anything that puts weight on their delicate necks.

Their attention in a practice

Disengagement and losing attention is normal and therefore to be expected. This is simply because their brain is still developing. When it happens, you can let them play for a few minutes and then bring them back into the practice by catching their attention again, or asking them how their body feels in a new asana, or giving them a new mudra to try, or any other idea you think of that works for you and the child.

Never be angry or frustrated with them for losing attention or they will associate your frustration with yoga, they may grow to dislike yoga, or they will begin to feel like they aren’t good enough to do it thus harming their self-esteem. The behavior and attitude of a child is largely influenced by your own behavior and voice.

It is unrealistic to expect them to remain still for meditation or asana practice, especially younger children. Keep a practice short, time frames based on age are given later in this post.

Having an “anchor tool” is very helpful as children enjoy consistency. Any time they lose focus, offer them a specific pranayama, restful asana, or mudra to help bring them back into themselves. This can be worked on with the child, letting them find which method they find helpful. Teach them a few, and let them choose. You can perform this anchor tool with them as they perform it, to increase the connection and bond with your child.

If they act out or have a tantrum, that’s normal. Their brains are still developing. They need support. Don’t get discouraged, and try to talk with them to let them understand to not get discouraged either. Children often become dysregulated not from a lack of discipline, but from a lack of predictable rhythm which can be found in a consistent daily practice. Regulating yourself and sitting near them will help them become regulated.

Preparing for a practice

Before trying meditation, yoga, or breath work, the child should be encouraged to work off excess energy first. They can run around, play physically active games, dance.

Children are frequently told what to do. They need to have time for intuitive movement, so allow them some time before the practice and at times during the practice to allow for intuitive and somatic movement, doing whatever feels good in the moment, even if it means dancing in the middle of the yoga practice.

Tuning in

A simple yet effective method for children to get in touch with themselves: let them place their hands on their head and ask them how their head or brain feels. Then on their heart, and ask how their heart feels. Same with arms, belly, legs, knees, ankles, feet, etc. Many children (and people in general) are disconnected from their body, this will help center them. This method will be useful through their life to take a moment to reconnect and ground.

The practice

Having a yoga mat or a large towel on the floor helps them know that they have that space, they can expand in that space, yet still know where to be for the practice. Yoga blocks are very helpful for achieving certain asanas and they enjoy playing with them creatively.

Children enjoy variety, but also consistency. For their yoga practice it is good to have the same opening, tune in, and warm up; and then the same cool down, rest, and closing every time, with the middle section of the actual practice having variety as needed.

Having music playing is also a good idea, as children prefer background sounds rather than silence. This can be the songs they enjoy, or yoga music you find online, or nature sounds with music; you and your child/teen can together discover what to listen to.

Children and teens also enjoy predictability, you let them know at the beginning of the practice what they will be doing. You can also repeat the same practice multiple times so they know what to expect.

A practice should be challenging enough to keep them engaged and not get bored, but not too challenging to risk discouraging them.

Benefits of asanas

Yoga asanas overall will help develop a healthier body as the child grows. Muscles will develop in a more balanced way, hamstrings will be flexible, core will be stronger, lungs will be stronger, and the body will have more openness and mobility overall.

Standing asanas energize and strengthen the mind and body, and help develop focus including for other daily activities (study, reading, etc).

Balancing asanas improve self-confidence as the child learns them, and teaches the mindset of how to overcome challenges in life. These help develop focus and concentration, as well as the habit of paying attention to their body and movement.

Back bends support the developing spine, improve posture, and improve breathing. Twists are healthy for the spine, organs, and refreshing the mind. Again, don’t go too far in these while they are still growing, due to the lack of supportive muscle for the spine.

Asanas that work the core improve confidence, endurance, and inner strength. This is very important especially in today’s world of social media and judgments, influencers, and too much focus on competing and comparing with others. Core work also improves digestion and posture, important for overall health.

Restorative poses give rest for the body and mind, and regulate the nervous system. They also teach the child/teen how to balance work, play, and rest.

Savasana

Until age 10-12, Savasana does not have to be the actual posture, it can be any restful way that they choose to rest. Lying on their back, side, or sitting against a wall or on the couch, any way that they decide. Their body and nervous system is still developing, they do not need to be in the actual Savasana pose. Let them decide intuitively how to lie down for each practice, it may vary from day to day.

You can let them know that you will remain nearby, this allows them to rest more as they have a grownup that they trust watching over them.

Their eyes do not have to be closed, and if they want they can place a cloth over their closed eyes to help with rest. They do not have to remain still, wiggling and adjusting is normal and fine. You can have calm and peaceful music playing.

Type and time of practices by age group

Age 2-5: A yoga/meditation class should be kept within 5-15 minutes. Avoid: breath retention and inversions.

Any asana holds should be brief, just a few moments, 30 seconds at most.

There is no need to sit still. Have lots of freedom of movement, keep it simple, engaging, and fun. Focus on making the practice like play, with laughing and dancing, toys, storytelling. Mantras can be sung.

Children this age love mimicking, so if you demonstrate a posture they will have fun copying you.

Savasana can be 1 to 2 minutes, encourage them to be as still and silent as possible for those 1-2 minutes, know that they will wiggle around and perhaps giggle or try to talk; and then they can run around and play again after. [See section above regarding Savasana.]

Age 6-9: A yoga/meditation class should be kept within 15-30 minutes.

Asana holds can be a bit longer if and when possible, but no more than one minute. Avoid: breath retention and inversions.

Challenges can be introduced, such as timing the hold to gradually increase to a minute, and some balancing poses.

At this age they enjoy learning why each asana is beneficial and how, and learning the meaning of mantras and breath work, or why a mudra helps. Be prepared to answer their questions.

Give explanations that we all have unique skeletons and muscular systems so not everyone will look the same in every asana, children this age are learning about individuality and uniqueness.

You can give them opportunities to teach something back to you, as this helps build their leadership and teaching skills and they find it fun. Teaching a pose or mudra, meditation, pranayama, helps them master it themselves.

Savasana can be 2 minutes. [See section above regarding Savasana.]

Age 10-12: A yoga/meditation class can be within 30-45 minutes; some days can be this length, some shorter to not strain them.

Asana holds can be longer than a minute if and when possible, but not difficult. Some breath retention is fine, avoid inversions.

Silence can be introduced at this age but allowing for whispering or soft laughter.

This age enjoys yoga as a community with their peer group, group or partner work, and knowing which people (celebrities, etc) they admire or look up to who also practice yoga and meditation.

Savasana can be 2-5 minutes.

Age 13-17: A yoga/meditation class can be within 30-75 minutes; some days can be this length, some shorter to not strain them.

Asana holds can be longer than a minute if and when possible, but not difficult. Some breath retention is fine. Avoid inversions that put weight on their necks (headstand and shoulder stand), arm inversions are good to introduce for short durations such as downward facing dog and dolphin.

The body changes a lot during this age and they may feel very uncomfortable in certain asanas, so it is advised to let them have their boundaries and encourage them to make their own decisions regarding what asanas to practice or not.

Offer choices between different asanas, don’t be too bossy or authoritative, and allow them to make decisions.

Many teenagers are sleep-deprived so allow for restful asanas through the practice, and longer Savasana (10 minutes or more).

Age 18-19: At this age they are basically adults. A yoga/meditation class can be the usual 30-90 minutes; some days can be this length, some shorter to not strain them.

Balance can still be a bit difficult. Breath retention is fine. Inversions that put weight on their necks (headstand and shoulder stand) should still be avoided, to protect the cervical spine.

Savasana can be 5-15 minutes, whatever is needed for that day’s practice.

Pranayama

All of these can be performed for up to 1 minute. No breath retention for children under the age of 10, none of these listed require breath retention anyway. Pranayama can be performed at the beginning or near the beginning of the practice before asanas; the belly breathing breath can be performed at the end or somewhere in the middle of the practice.

Self-Hug breath: This is a breathing exercise that makes it fun while also encouraging them to expand their breath and connect to their body. This can be done seated or standing: inhale and stretch arms out wide, exhale and give themselves a big hug. Repeat a few times or up to a minute.

Bird breath: Seated or standing. Arms out like wings, inhale lifting arms up. Exhale in 2, 3, or 4 parts as they flap their arms. One exhale will be: exhale some breath while flapping the arms down to their sides then straight up overhead, exhale some more while flapping the arms down then up, exhale the rest of the breath while flapping the arms down. Inhale arms up, then repeat with the exhale.

Alternatively this can be done in the reverse: inhale with arms in 3 or 4 strokes up, then exhale lowering arms down in one full exhale.

Choo-choo breath: So named because if you do this with a group of people, it begins to sound like a train. This is good for alleviating anger and stress. Seated, with hands in fists at the sides for the inhale, exhale through the mouth and punch one fist forward, inhale through the nose and bring that fist back to the side, exhale with the opposite fist; keep repeating alternating fists.

Start slow, increase speed to however fast they want, then slow down again.

Humming breath: Inhale normally, then hum on the exhale. They can start with a loud hum then begin to hum quieter and softer after some rounds. This soothes the nervous system.

Belly breathing: Seated or lying on the back. For children, they can hold a toy or stuffed animal on their belly and focus on balancing it as it rises and lowers with the breath.

Mudras

Children generally love mudras, having something to do with their hands. Pictures of these can be found online.

Kirtan Kriya: SaTaNaMa with the relating mudras.

Prana mudra: ring and pinky fingertips touching thumbs, first and middle fingers extended.

Anjali: prayer hands.

You can find many more in books or reputable online sources such as PinkLotus website. Let the child choose what they want, and at other times you can teach them one that relates to the yoga practice for that day. Children enjoy themes.

Meditations

General mantras are fine, but avoid chakra empowering or using mantra to raise energy (until adulthood, well out of puberty). For meditation, use visualization or breathing in energy.

-Visualizing putting thoughts in clouds and letting them float away.

-Visualization for the chakras, breathing in the color of the chakra.

-Chakra cleaning with white energy, no mantra.

-Aura cleaning with visualization of white or white-gold energy, such as the sweeping light method. (You can do this for them too of course.)

-Aura of protection with white-gold energy into the aura. Affirmation something simply like “I am always safe, secure, protected, and healthy in every way.” (You can do this for them too of course.)

-Any visualization of walking or flying in nature.

-Children’s meditation cards that have guides for you to read and walk the child through.