Yoga for Speech-Language Development

Yoga for Different Stages of Speech-Language Development 43

such as family members holding hands in tree pose to create a
“forest,” which support bonding, confidence, and teamwork
among all members. Teachers of family yoga classes are usually
flexible and adapt plans to meet the needs of all participants.

Additional types of yoga classes

In the last two decades, some children’s yoga classes started
blending different modalities with the traditional yoga poses,
breathing techniques, and meditation practices. For example,
some classes combine yoga poses and breathing exercises with
gymnastic activities, such as rolling and tumbling. Specifically,
CircusYoga combines yoga and various circus arts, such as
acrobatics and juggling, to facilitate connection, communication,
and play. Another example, Glow-In-The-Dark Yoga, or
GLOGA, involves children’s wearing of white or neon clothing
and using glow sticks, while simultaneously practicing yoga under
black lights.
Some yoga classes for children emphasize the use of carefully
selected children’s books that naturally lead to opportunities to
practice yoga while building language and literacy skills. Yoga
poses and breathing exercises are incorporated into the reading
of children’s books, which frequently include various elements of
nature, such as plants and animals. For example, yoga teachers
could read the book From Head to Toe by Eric Carle and perform
a yoga pose for each animal in the story. These unique children’s
yoga classes extend beyond the traditional practices to provide
further opportunities to enhance the development of emergent
literacy and literacy skills in children.