Children's Yoga Cards – Exercise is Fun!
Author: Karen Mee
Mother
Exercise is fun! When I was little I played outside a lot and did (not all at the same time) dance lessons, swimming lessons, football, judo, running and yoga. I would like to pass on the idea that exercise is fun to Lin, my daughter who is now 5.
But because of her (severe) physical disability, moving mainly consists of making a lot of effort to get something done and then often also at the request of some toddler. Not always fun. That's why I wanted to do something with Lin myself. Something fun, something crazy and something to do together. That's how we ended up with the yoga cards of Helen Purperhart .
When we open the box, we see all sorts of brightly colored cards with people drawn in animal suits on them. Together with Lin, I look at the pictures. I immediately put a few away because they are (still) a bit too much for me or Lin. "Do you want to imitate this?" I ask her when we see the Beaver. "Yes," Lin answers. Together we look at what the pose looks like exactly. I help her to put her legs down properly and put her down on her arms. And lo and behold, she can stay in the pose herself, leaning high on her arms. I didn't expect that. Lin rolls over with enthusiasm and we lie on the ground laughing.
Then we try the Dolphin. This position is not possible all by yourself, so we do it together. I lie down on my back on the floor and pull Lin over me. She places her feet correctly herself and then I help her intertwine her fingers. Leaning on me, she is still in the Dolphin position.
Finally, we do the Spin. I sit behind Lin and try to keep her in position without us falling over while taking a selfie. Crazy fun! And right after the photo, we still fall over.
It is wonderful to move together with Lin without it being a mandatory exercise. And even though she is physically quite limited, yoga with two people is perfectly doable and great fun. Definitely recommended for everyone.
