Toddler Yoga!

So, I have been doing down dog with my little guy since he could walk on his own, but recently he has started asking ME to do yoga with HIM! Wow! I started wondering how good yoga is for our wee ones (since we know how magical it is for us adults) and my brief stint of internet research showed that it has some pretty great benefits! It helps toddlers with their strength, flexibility, and coordination (of course!) but also with body awareness, relaxation and concentration. Plus, they seem to have such a fun time doing it.
Obviously, your average toddler is not ready for your regular routine of yoga poses. But, some easy ones you can work on with your child are: down dog, cobra, up dog, child's pose and tree pose. Plus, working with them on taking deep breaths with big exhalations will get them to relax, focus (maybe) and ground themselves. Finn thought it was great when we stretched our arms to the sky and took in a huge breath, and then released our arms down on the exhale while we made a big "ahhh" sound as we let our breath out.
I tried to rent a toddler yoga video, but I didn't find it very helpful as my son did not have the patience to sit through all of the talking. But, spending 5 minutes a day doing yoga, or anything that resembles it, will definitely help your toddler become more aware of their body.