Catch 'em young

Nowadays, children are under a lot of stress. Coping with school, extra-curricular activities, peer pressure and homework makes them feel stressed and frustrated.

Yoga helps develop better awareness, self-control, focus, flexibility, coordination and sensitivity.

Yoga also helps hyperactive and attention-deficit children. These children crave movement and sensory stimuli. Yoga asanas help channel these impulses in a positive way. They help instil a sense of calm, confidence and balance.

Yoga benefits children intellectually, emotionally and physically. It can also help a child achieve balance in the fast-changing world and prepares him for a healthy adolescence.

— Bharat Thakur is the founder of Bharat Thakur's Artistic Yoga. For questions on yoga, write to dubai.artisticyoga@gmail.com. For information, log on to www.bharatthakur.com

Tadasana (Palm tree posture)

Benefits
Helps increase height by 1 to 2 inches as it strengthens and straightens the spine.
Stretches the abdominal area and internal organs and improves digestion.

Exercise
Stand straight, stretch your hands upwards and join your palms.
Stretch your back and rise on your toes.

Standing bhujangasana (Standing cobra posture)

Benefits
Increases flexibility of the spine.
Strengthens the back and tones the abdominal muscles.
Provides relief in the neck area from tension.

Exercise
Stand straight with your palms on your hips.
Bend backwards and lower your head.
Hold for as long as is comfortable. Repeat twice.

Padahastasana (Hand-to-foot posture)

Benefits
Stretches and tones hamstring and calf muscles.
Helps overweight children lose weight.

Exercise
Stand straight.
Raise your hands upwards.
Exhale and bend your body, stretching your back.
Touch your toes with your fingers and look down.
Breathe normally. Hold the posture for 10 to 30 seconds.

Titliasana (Butterfly posture)

Benefits
Strengthens the inner thighs.
The posture makes the hip joint and groin strong. A strengthened groin reduces the child's accumulated stress and phobias.

Exercise
Sit straight with legs stretched out.
Fold your knees and draw the feet towards your groin.
Interlock your hands around your feet and keep your back straight.
Move your legs continuously up and down in a flapping motion.
Continue for 1 to 2 mins.

Ushtrasana (Camel posture)

Benefits
Stretching the stomach and abdominal area, it stimulates the digestive system and cures constipation.
Improves backaches, helps drooping shoulders and rounded-back conditions, which are quite common in children.

Caution
Children with extreme thyroid conditions should do this only under guidance.

Exercise
Kneel on the floor.
Hold your ankles and bend your back and head backwards.
Push your hips outwards.
Hold for as long as is comfortable.
To return, stop holding one of the ankles and then the other. Next, raise your back to the original position.

Chakrasana (Wheel posture)

Benefits
Stretches the stomach and is beneficial for the digestive and respiratory systems.
Strengthens the back and makes it flexible and supple.

Caution
Overweight children and those with weak wrists should avoid this posture.
This asana should also be avoided during illness.

Exercise
Lie flat on your back. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor, touching your shoulders, with fingers pointing towards the neck.
Bend your knees and place feet close to the buttocks.
In sequence, raise the hips, shoulders and head off the floor, supporting the weight on your hands and legs. Straighten your elbows and raise your hips higher.
Stretching your back completely, push your stomach outwards.
Hold the posture for as long as is comfortable.
Lower yourself by first bringing the shoulders down and then your back — without straining it.

Bhujangasana (Cobra posture)

Benefits
Reduces backaches.
Regular practice keeps the spine healthy.
This posture also has a positive effect on the nervous system.

Caution
Not for children with a hyperactive thyroid.

Exercise
Lie flat on your stomach.
Place the palms on the floor beside your shoulders.
Raise your head, shoulders and back upwards and straighten your arms.
Hold the posture for as long as is comfortable.

Parvatasana (Mountain posture)

Benefits
Stretches and tones the hamstrings and calf muscles.
Stretches the back and neck muscles.
Strengthens hands and shoulders.

Caution
Children with severe back pain and spasms should be careful.

Exercise
Stand straight. Raise your hands.
Exhale and bend your body with your back stretched.
Place the palms on the floor and look towards the navel.
Try to keep your feet flat on the floor.
Breathe normally. Hold posture for 10 to 30 seconds.