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First, what is your motivation for wanting your
family to practice together? It may seem obvious
at first, but the more clearly you articulate the
purpose of family practice to yourself, the more
able you’ll be to communicate it to your loved
ones. Allow your intention to guide the process.
This way, if you meet resistance, you can navi-
gate it gracefully. Next, choose a time and place
wisely. What time of day and week seem most
balanced for your family? Is there a place in your
home that lends itself well to practice? For my
family, a lazy Sunday morning by the fireplace
provides a peaceful setting. Or outside on a big
blanket under a shady tree. You might also enjoy
seizing a moment that presents itself, rather than
planning ahead. Go with what feels right to you.
I suggest choosing a time when there is space
to play, rather than attempting to use yoga to
intervene during hurried or stressful moments.
Finally, consider your child’s developmental
phase for how much time to spend. For children
under three years old, allow unstructured,
completely organic engagement with your yoga
practice. Pre-school children ages three through
six can begin to build up to 20 minutes of playful
practice. Children aged seven and up can begin
to focus longer, depending on their interest level.
- Safety first, always. If you are not
sure a practice is safe for your child, choose
a different one. It’s not important, and can
be detrimental, for young children to practice
advanced backbends and inversions. Stick to
simple, basic postures that involve the least risk
of injury or long term alignment impact. - Process over progress. Temper the
temptation to constantly correct and adjust
your little one’s postures. Model appropri-
ate alignment. Children tend to resist family
yoga time when it becomes too rigid. Partner
yoga postures are wonderful ways to connect
and breathe together. Sitting back to back and
simply feeling each other’s breath is a powerful
starting point that can create harmony. Or have
one family member at a time take child’s pose
while everyone else places one hand on their
back. Feel them breathe and send them love.
Family yoga time will likely look and feel very
different than your personal practice. Be open
to what each family member brings to the situ-
ation. Remember that often times the obstacle
is the path. Work with whatever presents itself
in the moment. In doing so, your family may
just experience a mindful moment, whether it
involves a traditional practice or not.
Abby Wills MA facilitates mind-body awareness prac-
tices with children of all ages and the adults who work/
live with them throughout Southern California. She
co-founded Shanti Generation to help support the next
generation of peacemakers through yoga, mindfulness
and social emotional learning: shantigeneration.com