The Life-Changing Magic of Relaxation for Children

Oct 26, 2016

Squirmy six-year-olds may seem impervious to an adult’s gentle request to, “close your eyes, soften your body and relax”.  And yet, it’s an endeavor every children’s Yoga teacher takes on every class. 

This is Savasana. Children lovingly refer to this final relaxation segment of a Yoga class as the “rest part at the end”.  It is both the most beneficial and often most requested.

Bouncy, giggly, wiggly, silly kids oftentimes don’t know how to be still. But they can be taught.  And once they are skillfully guided to a deep state of rest, they want it again and again.

You can get kids to relax.  Here’s how.

1. Believe.  Or, you may be thinking, just wave a magic fairy wand, right?  The truth is, our perception IS creating our reality.  If we approach this with a belief that kids can’t be still or won’t relax, we are generating that energy. If there is a strong vision they will, it’s much more likely to be the case.
2. Be consistent.  Everyone falls into a routine.  If a 3-5 minute relaxation period is part of the routine, kids will get used to it. This can be in your kids' Yoga class, before a test in the classroom or after school.
3. Relax at 3 levels – body, breath and mind. An easy and effective way to get kids to relax their body is to suggest to them that their heels are heavy on the floor, the back of their legs, bottom, rib cage and shoulder blades, back of the hands, backs of the arms and back of the head are all heavy on the floor. The sensations of heaviness and warmth trigger parasympathetic dominance. This is the rest and digest side of the autonomic nervous system. Then, invite them to feel their breath in their body.  Finally, give them an image to relax their mind, like riding a cloud on a beautiful sunny day. 
4. Hold space. Give the children at least 1-3 minutes of silence after talking them through the three phases of relaxation described above.
5. Reinforce. I treat “the rest part at the end” as a special treat.  Afterward, I ask the kids how they felt and ask them if there is ever a time in life when they want to feel that way.  It connects the experience to a benefit and reinforces their interest in it.

The benefits are profound.  It is in a state of rest that the body grows and does repair work.  Memory and learning only occur when the body is calm. A relaxed mind and body is a field for unlimited potential, and that is the life-changing magic of relaxation.