Yoga for Boys and Teens

Yoga for Boys and Teens

Yoga for Boys and Teens

If you’d like to help a child or teen understand that yoga can be fun and cool, these are helpful starting points:

Laurent de Brunhoff, Babar’s Yoga for Elephants (Harry W. Abram, 2002). This book was created by the extraordinarily talented and prolific originator of the Babar series of children’s books, Laurent de Brunhoff, who maintains a daily yoga practice himself. In this whimsically engaging book, Babar shares 15 yoga asanas and stretches sure to appeal to the child in your life, or to the child in you.

Jodi B. Komitor, M.A., and Eve Adamson, Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids (Alpha Books Press, 2000). Using the simple and fun style of the Complete Idiot series of offerings, this book will help you introduce your children to yoga, whether or not you’re a guru.

Lisa Trivell, I Can’t Believe It’s Yoga for Kids (Heatherleigh Press, 2000). Written by a certified yoga instructor and fitness professional with experience teaching yoga in public and private schools, this book features kids performing yoga in a cool way that may help inspire the children who are important in your life.

Children are often more inspired by the immediate visual impact of films than books. The following videos present yoga to kids in a fun and playful way:

E-i-E-i Yoga for Kids (Mystic Fire Video, 1996). This video, which takes place in a barnyard setting, features mature yogi Max Thomas introducing a group of children to a simple yet complete yoga practice. Thomas’s display of gymnastics and acrobatics as he presents the routine may be just the thing to inspire your child at an early age to pursue yoga as a lifelong journey.

Gaiam/Living Arts presents a series of fun 30-minute videos for children. Yoga for Kids is geared to children ages 3 to 6. Yoga Fitness for Kids is available in one version as a video for children ages 3 to 6, and in another version for children ages 7 to 12 (Gaiam/Living Arts, 1996 and 2001, respectively).