Fun Yoga Moves for Halloween
Oct 11, 2020
Stress is scary! Try these fun Yoga moves to help the kids in your life prepare for and recover from sugar and stress this Halloween.
Having a theme or story line that carries the student along through a practice is a hallmark of children’s Yoga classes. Holidays are ideal themes and Halloween - a favorite kid holiday - makes for a colorful, creative and creepy class.
While the practice stays pretty much the same, the poses, breathing exercises and relaxation take on different nature features, animals or characters to go along with the chosen theme. Here are some ideas to turn your kids Yoga classes or practice at home into some spooky fun!
During the Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), opening the arms out to the sides becomes a Vampire - mwa-a-a. Folding forward (Uttanasana) is a tree stump in a haunted forest. Instead of barking in Down Dog, howl like Werewolves.
Triangle (Trikonasana) becomes a witch's hat. You can cast spells, make a witch's brew and fly on your broomsticks. Trees (Vrksasana) become gnarled in the haunted forest where the witches craft their magic. I like to weave in stories about how the witches create candy full of sugar, which truly makes us sick and cranky. They use their magic to make it all colorful and delicious as a way to trick us into eating the poison that sugar really is! Don't be fooled! (Seriously, reducing sugar intake is one of the most important steps we can take towards better health - especially mental health.)
Most children love ghost stories, and while they tend to create arousal rather than rest, they can be turned into an awareness building activity when the children are invited to become aware of bodily sensations while listening to scary stories. Being scared is a "loud" sensation so it's a great one to start working with. Welcoming in sensation as it arises is a powerful skill for children to learn, helping them develop emotional intelligence and stress hardiness.
So go ahead, get crazy and get creepy and know you are helping your children develop lifetime habits for personal health.
Visit our lesson plans page for a complete "Spooky Fun" Halloween-themed lesson plan.
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