Try animal yoga with your kids

Grasshopper
This exercise will make your legs strong like a grasshopper's.

1. Lie on your stomach with your chin softly touching the floor.
2. Make fists, hugging your thumbs, and place them under your hips, palms facing your body.
3. Breathe in as you raise your right leg and hip off the floor, keeping your leg straight.
4. Hold up for three to five seconds.
5. Breathe out as you lower your leg and hip.
6. Repeat with left leg.
7. Bring your hands out from under your hips, then gently lift and turn your head from side to side.

Cat and dog stretch
Dogs and cats get along really nicely in these stretches.

1. Get onto all fours with your hands placed palms down under your shoulders and your knees bent under your hips.
2. Breathe in and lift your head and tail -- arch your back so your belly moves toward the floor.
3. Wag your tail and bark like a happy puppy.

4. Then breathe out and drop your head toward the floor and tuck your "tail" underneath you.
5. Round your back up high towards the ceiling, like a stretching cat, and meow.
6. Alternate from a cat stretch to a dog stretch four times.
7. Sit down on your heels to rest.

Cobra
In this pose children will squirm like snakes and dance to the snake charmer's flute.

1. Lie on your belly with your arms at your sides.
2. Put your feet together and point your toes.
3. Put your forehead on the floor.
4. Breathe in and lift your head and chest off the floor.
5. Breathe out and let your head and chest rest on the floor.
6. Repeat this movement four or five times.
7. Put your hands under your shoulders with your elbows bent.
8. Breathe in and squeeze your bum.
9. Arch up like a cobra -- raise your head and chest using your arms for support. (See image.)
10. Relax your shoulders and keep your belly button close to the ground.
11. Wriggle about like a snake by moving the head, shoulders and waist line side to side. The legs may wiggle too.
12. Breathe out as you come back down onto your belly. Repeat pose 10 times.

Get more information about yoga for kids by visiting www.yogakids.com.

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