Summertime Fun with Yoga

The warm weather and possibilities of summer offer great incentive to enjoy the outdoors and breathe. What follows are entertaining yoga poses inspired by the season, as well as insight for a super food to boost your munchkin’s and your own immune system.

For me, summertime calls to mind the beach, water and fresh air. Likewise, let’s take a yoga journey to the beach.

Take a yoga journey to the beach

Critters on the Beach

With an abundance to choose from, beach critters are an appealing way to assist with core strengthening. Just use your imagination to turn the critters your family sees into yoga poses. Round up everyone to look for critters and the like, such as shells, clams and crabs. For a shell pose, have children sit with their feet together. In this position, they touch their toes to their noses and then peek up. Next act like clams by folding over to lend a nice stretch to the back and enhance the core when lifting again. If kids want to get adventurous, have them do the crab pose by walking with their bellies in the air and hands and feet turned to the side on the sand as crabs would. Ask children to take three steps in each direction. And maybe sing a song like “Under the Sea” while you revel in the moment with them.

Row, Row, Row.

Often beautiful boats appear in the ocean. Fittingly, boat pose is wonderful for fostering core strength. Have children lift one leg at a time with their bottoms on the ground and their backs elevated as they pretend to row with imaginary ores. Sing a rowing song like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as the kids continue to lift one leg at a time and row. This allows the brain to prepare for both legs to be lifted. Then at the end of the song, ask them to raise both legs for five seconds. Along with assisting core strength, the activity supports a strong immune system because 80 percent of the immune system is in the gut. Next time, encourage kids to lift both legs simultaneously, and maybe get siblings involved by touching the rowers’ feet as everyone rows intermittently. If you have an infant, put the tot on your lap and row with him or her. It’s all about getting the entire family together and enjoying the pose.

Super Fun Food

Our super fun food for the summer is pineapple! Filled with vitamins and minerals, this citrus fruit aids with hydration. As it’s naturally sweet, pineapple is delicious mixed in a smoothie with some banana and coconut water. If you have a juicer, mix pineapple slices with a little celery and carrots. Your child will know that those amazing veggies are in there. The drink is great for getting the vegetables in their system and helping to build a strong gut.

Enjoy the summer. I look forward to seeing you in August for tips on back-to-school transitioning.

Kami Evans is a Registered Yoga Teach and Children Registered Yoga Teacher, she is also a Family and Child Advocate and speaks at various events in the US and UK. Contact for more info 800-584-7940 or [email protected]

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This post originally appeared on our May/June 2012 Magazine