“Yoga provides us tools and techniques to lead a stress-free and a tension free life“   –Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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Reduce exam stress and anxiety with yoga
Stress during exams is a common response of the human mind. Stress negatively affects the performance and overall well-being of our kids. To stay calm and focused to tackle exam pressure, practice yoga poses that can reduce exam stress and anxiety. I have personally experienced this with my kids. Yoga is helping my child in reducing stress and anxiety by calming his mind, relaxing body, and now he is more focused towards his studies. Yoga also helps him in improving memory, concentration and self-awareness.
If your child is affected by stress during exams, try a few of the following effective yoga poses as they work wonders:
Easy pose (Sukhasana)
This is the best pose to reduce exam stress and anxiety. It is a gentle pose that allows our kids to focus inwardly. This pose corrects the body posture and stretches the chest and spine.
Steps for this pose
- Sit cross-legged with a straight back and neck with ease on your Yoga mat.
- Hands on the knees facing up.
- Hold this pose for multiple breaths and then relax.
Child’s pose (Balasana)
This resting pose has therapeutic benefits, it provides a sense of calm and comfort. It helps our kids in easing anxiety, stress, depression and relaxing the mind. This pose fills the body with energy while gently stretching back.
Steps for this pose
- First kneel down on your yoga mat by touching your toes together.
- Bring buttocks to the heals and separate your knees & hips -width apart.
- Bring your forehead on a ground.
- Arm stretched out in front of you and palm facing down.
- Relax and take a long deep breath by holding the pose.
Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
This is one of the best yoga poses to reduce exam stress and anxiety. This yoga pose helps in stretching the muscles of the chest, neck, back and the leg. It also helps our kids to reduce backaches, headaches, sleep disorders, and tiredness due to long sitting hours of studies.
Steps for this pose
Lye on your back and bend your knees.
Lift the pelvis and the chest.
Shoulder pressing down into the mat and tuck your chin to the collarbone.
Interlace your hand behind the back and Upper arm touches the ground for the deep stretch.
Hold the pose for a few breaths and slowly lower down your hips to back to the mat.
Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana)
It is an ideal yoga pose to reduce stress. It helps in the proper functioning of the nervous system by increasing blood circulation throughout the body. This pose allows the head and neck to relax and calm the mind by releasing tension and reduces anxiety.
Steps for this pose
Stand up straight and fold forward over your thighs.
Press your heel down and pull your head towards the knees.
Place your palm on the floor.
Take a few deep breaths and hold the pose for few second and release.
Downward-facing dog Pose (Adho Mukha Savasana)
This is an amazing yoga pose to reduce stress and tension during exams. This Yoga pose improves focus and concentration of our kids by stretching spine, hamstrings, and calves.
Steps for this pose
Create an inverted V shape from your body by straightening your arm and leg.
Hands, shoulder width apart. Fingers spread, pressing into the earth.Â
Feet and hip distance apart. Toe pointing inwards.
Push chest back towards thigh and belly towards the spine.
Hold the pose for few long breaths then release and come back to hand and knees.
How to playfully engage kids in yoga sessions
You can make yoga fun for kids with the following playful techniques:
- Start with easy and simple steps.
- Start with short sessions and gradually increase the time.
- Stay positive during parent child yoga practice.
- Establish a regular time to practice.
- Make yoga sessions as a game to entice your child to participate in Yoga. Try these techniques during your yoga:
- Play counting games:Â Body Numbers Yoga
- Use Stickers: Motivational Stickers for kids, Yoga Stickers
- Use Yoga Cards: The Yoga Garden Game, Educational Yoga Card, The Kid’s Yoga Deck
- Get appropriate yoga gear for your kids. For example: Fun Yoga Mat for Kids, Puzzle EVA Foam Mat for Kids
- Get kids friendly videos and books. There are many yoga videos which are specifically designed to engage kids for yoga sessions. For example:
- Yoga video for kids: Yoga for Kids, A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure Â
- Yoga books for kids:  The ABC of Yoga for Kids, Yoga for Children, Yoga for Kids and Their Grown-Ups
Conclusion
Practicing yoga with mindfulness not only manages stress and anxiety but also helps in keeping mind and body fit, improves concentration, and promotes a general sense of well-being. Check out Benefits of practicing yoga with kids for more yoga related posts. It has been scientifically proven that yoga helps to release the natural mood boosting chemicals to reduce stress and calm the mind through deep breaths in various yoga poses. I have personally experienced this and that works wonders for my kids. Try the above yoga poses and share with us how yoga helps your child to stay calm and focused.
