Alphabet Yoga
Here are some of our favorite yoga moves from A-Z to try at home!
We would love to have you practice one letter a day and try to hold each ‘letter’ for 10 seconds/repetitions at least 3 times per day. Yoga targets body awareness, balance, strength, coordination and MORE! We can’t wait to see how these exercises help your body grow!
“A” is for Airplane
Benefits of Airplane Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Balance and strength
Cognitive Development: Choose a destination to fly, describe where you are going!
Modifications:
Try with hands on hip and see how far you can send your leg back to start as you lean forward
Up the challenge: Try to bend and straighten your leg, or close your eyes!
“B” is for Boat
Benefits of Boat Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Core strength and coordination
Modifications:
Bend your knees, keep your feet on the floor, and lean back as far as you can
Up the challenge: Lift your legs up and reach your arms forward. See if you can kick your legs to start your motor and lean side to side as the waves pass you by!
“C” is for Cat/Cow
Benefits of Cat/Cow Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Spine strengthening, opens chest for better breathing patterns, stimulates digestive organs to aide wide digestion.
Modifications:
“Meow” and “Moo” along with each pose
Up the challenge: Tuck your toes and when you move into cat try to lift your knees off the floor!
“D” is for Down-Dog
Benefits of Down-Dog Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Upper body and core strengthening
Fine Motor Development: Weight bearing into the upper body promotes increased fine motor control
Regulation: Inversions can help regulate the nervous system and promote calming
Modifications:
Puppy Pose: Bend your knees or keep your knees on the floor
Up the challenge: Lift your leg to “wag” your tail! Try both sides!
“E” is for Elephant
Benefits of Elephant Pose:
Regulation: Promotes regulated breath pattern for calming
Fine Motor Development: Encourages crossing midline for bilateral coordination development
Modifications:
Make an elephant sound as you wave your trunk from side to side!
“F” is for Frog
Benefits of Frog Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Strengthens core and lower body, and stimulates digestion
Modifications:
Sit on a “lily pad” (pillow, pile of books, etc.) for support
Up the challenge: Look and reach your arm up to catch flies
“G” is for Grasshopper
Benefits of Grasshopper Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core and postural strength
Modifications:
Up the challenge: Place your hands under your shoulders and press your head and chest up to jump. Or with your chin on the ground, try to lift your legs!
“H” is for Horse
Benefits of Horse Pose:
Gross Motor Coordination: Increases core and lower body strength, promotes postural strength
Modifications:
Bend your knees as much as you like, bounce up and down like you’re riding a horse
Up the challenge: Try to lift your heels up and balance on your toes
“I” is for Igloo
Benefits of Igloo Pose:
Gross Motor Coordination: Increases core, lower body and postural strength
Regulation: Open the chest for increased breath support
Modifications:
Place an “ice block” (pillow or block) under your hips
Up the challenge: Reach your arms over your head, lift your heels, or try to lift one of your legs!
“J” is for Jaguar
Benefits ofJaguar Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core, upper and lower body strength, and postural support
Modifications:
Lift your arm or leg one at a time
Up the challenge: Lift your opposite arm and leg at the same time then switch. See how long you can hold each side!
“K” is for Kite
Benefits of Kite Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases bilateral coordination, body awareness, and core strength
Modifications:
Reach both arms up and lean to one side
Up the challenge: Reach both arms out and try to balance on one foot while you lean to the side!
“L” is for Lizard
Benefits of Lizard Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Stretches and strengthens hips and core muscles
Modifications:
Place your back knee down onto the floor
Up the challenge: Drop down onto your elbows and move your body side to side!
“M” is for Mountain
Benefits of Mountain Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Helps align the body for proper posture, and increases body awareness
Regulation: Helps increase attention and focus as well as promotes increased breathwork
Modifications:
Leave your arms at your side with your palms facing forward
Up the challenge: Reach your arms up when you breathe in and back down when you breathe out. You can lift up on your toes to grow your mountain when you breath in and drop your heels when you breathe out!
“N” is for Nest
Benefits of Nest Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Helps stretch and strengthen legs and increases bilateral coordination skills
Regulation: Promotes increased breath work
Modifications:
Sit on a pillow or blanket to raise your hips
Up the challenge: Drop your forehead down to your feet to cover up the eggs in the nest!
“O” is for Ostrich
Benefits of Ostrich Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases balance and core strength, stretches leg muscles
Modifications:
Place your hands on your hips when you lift your leg and look forward
Up the challenge: Kick your foot into your hand and lean forward, maybe close your eyes!
“P” is for Palm Tree
Benefits of Palm Tree Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases balance, core strength, and body awareness
Regulations: Increases attention and visual motor skills
Modifications:
Bring your hands to your heart and place your heel on top of your other foot
Up the challenge: Bring your foot higher up on your leg, reach your arms up over your head and look up to the sky!
“Q” is for Quiet
Benefits of Quiet Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases hip stretch and strength, increases body awareness and bilateral coordination
Regulation: Increases breath work, attention, and focus
Modifications:
Bring your hands together at your heart, rest them on your lap
Up the challenge: Connect your thumb and your pointer finger together, resting your hands on your lap face up and closing your eyes. Think about a happy place and pretend you are there!
“R” is for Rock
Benefits of Rock Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases hip strength and stretch, lengthens the spine and increases body awareness
Regulation: Increases breath work and attention, promotes calming
Modifications:
Place a pillow or blanket under your forehead and/or behind your knees
Up the challenge: Reach your arms in front of you and walk them to the right as you press your hips to your left foot, hold for 3 deep breaths, then switch!
“S” is for Swimmer
Benefits of Swimmer’ Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core and postural strength, increases bilateral coordination
Modifications:
Try to lift your arm and leg one at a time
Up the challenge: Lift your right arm and left leg at the same time, then switch!
“T” is for Turtle
Benefits of Turtle Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases muscle strength and stretch, increases bilateral coordination, body awareness and circulation
Modifications:
Situ up on a blanket or pillow
Up the challenge: Walk your hips and body forward slowly…turtle speed!
“U” is for Umbrella
Benefits of Umbrella Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases bilateral coordination and core strength
Modifications:
Place a blanket under your knee for extra cushion
Up the challenge: Place your hand on the ground and try to lift your body up to reach your arm to the sky!
“V” is for Volcano
Benefits of Volcano Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core and lower body strength, increases postural support
Regulation: Increases breath work and let go of stressors
Modifications:
Think about something you would like to see explode from a volcano and send it out! Bend your knees, bring your hands to your heart and move your body like a volcano that’s ready to erupt. When you’re ready, take and big breath in… and let it go!
“W” is for Waterfall
Benefits of Waterfall Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases lower body and core strength, increases postural strength
Regulation: Increases breath work and promotes calming
Modifications:
Reach up to the sky and reach down to touch your knees. You can also try it while sitting in a chair
Up the challenge: Match your breath with the waterfall, breathe in while you reach your arms up and breathe out while you reach down to touch your toes!
“X” is for eXtra Special Me
Benefits of eXtra Special Me Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases bilateral coordination and core strength
Regulation: Crossing midline helps with sensory integration and calming the nervous system
Modifications:
Step your feet together as you give yourself a BIG hug!
Up the challenge: Jump your feet together as you give yourself a BIG hug!
“Y” is for Yo-Yo
Benefits of Yo-Yo Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core strength, postural development, endurance and body awareness
Modifications:
Lie on your back and bring one knee up at a time and give it a hug!
Up the challenge: Hug both of your knees and roll up and down your back!
“Z” is for Zebra
Benefits of Zebra Pose:
Gross Motor Development: Increases core and upper body strength
Fine Motor Development: Weight bearing into the hands, wrists and shoulders increase fine motor coordination skills
Modifications:
Place your hands on the ground and lift one leg up, try to lift your other heel up
Up the challenge: Place your hands on the ground and jump both feet up in the air!
After learning each yoga pose, challenge your kiddo to spell words with yoga moves. Maybe their name, favorite color, or name of their favorite food! We hope you’ve enjoyed doing our Alphabet Yoga series together!
Looking for more toys, activities, skills, and games surrounding Occupational and Speech Therapy?
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