This week, we’re bringing letters A–D to life with our DharmaKids Alphabet Yoga Cards! Soar like an Airplane, bend into a Bow, explore the desert as a Camel, and stretch into Downward Dog. Follow along for playful movement, easy breaths, and imagination-filled moments to share with your little one.
Recommended Tools:
1. Opening with Namaste
We begin by greeting each other with Namaste, which means:
“The light in me sees the light in you.”
For young children, I explain this as:
We each have something special about us—something we’re really good at, something we enjoy doing, or something we’re learning to do. Examples of this are, jumping high, running fast, drawing, cooking or learning to read. I hold out one hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of something that makes me special.”
Then I talk about how we all do kind things for others—like helping a friend who is sad, putting recycling in the bin, or cleaning up the classroom. I hold out my other hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of all the kind things I do for others.”
When we put our palms together, it shows that we are both special and kind. That is our light. When we begin and end yoga, we honor that light in each other with Namaste.
2. Breathing Practice
We sit criss-cross applesauce and begin to breathe deeply to prepare our minds and bodies for yoga.
-
Inhale through the nose like you’re smelling a beautiful flower, hands on our bellies, which get bigger as we breathe in.
-
Exhale through the mouth, gently, making our bellies smaller again.
We repeat this three times. To help visualize the breath, we use the Hoberman Sphere, which expands and contracts like our bellies do when we breathe. Children can open the ball slowly or quickly to match their breath. This “breathing ball” is also a useful focusing tool in later poses.
We’re using our DharmaKids Alphabet Yoga Cards to play Spell & Stretch! Follow along as we spell, move, and stretch our way through a fun yoga activity designed to get little bodies moving and minds engaged.
Follow Along: A-D Yoga Poses
Follow along with our instructor in this guided yoga class as we explore letters A–D with our Alphabet Cards. Each card introduces a playful way to stretch, breathe, and move while bringing the alphabet to life. Kids can practice at their own pace, try each pose, and enjoy a little movement and imagination along the way. Grab your cards and join us!
3. A-D Alphabet Cards
A – Airplane
Have the child(ren) stand tall with their feet together and their arms relaxed by their sides. Bring one leg forward, and reach their arms out to their sides like airplane wings. They should look at something that isn’t moving as they lift the leg behind them like a plane taking off! If they are a plane with lots of turbulence (wobbly), they can simply put their foot down behind them to balance and try again. Take 3 breaths in and out and slowly land the plane by bringing the foot back down. This is a connecting flight!!! Let’s do it again on the other side. You can ask children where their plane is flying to, or what they see below.
B – Bow
Have the child(ren) lie down on their bellies with their arms by their sides. Bend their knees and bring their feet toward their bottom. Reach their arms back and hold onto their ankles. Take a breath in and gently lift their chest and legs off the floor, pressing their feet into their hands to make the shape of a bow. Look forward and take 3 breaths in and out. Slowly lower back down and release their feet. You can ask children what color their bow would be or what special present they might put it on!
C – Camel
Have the child(ren) come up onto their knees with their knees about hip-width apart. Sit up tall on their knees and place their hands on their lower back with their fingers pointing up. Gently lift their chest up toward the sky and look up, stretching their torso. If it feels comfortable, they can reach one hand and then the other toward their heels. Take 3 breaths in and out, then slowly bring their hands back to their lower back and come up tall. You can ask children what they might pack on their camel for a trip through the desert or what they might see along the way!
D – Downward Dog
Have the child(ren) begin on their hands and knees. Spread their fingers wide, tuck their toes under, and lift their bottoms high into the air, making an upside-down V with their bodies. Their knees can stay a little bent and their heels do not need to touch the floor. They should look back toward their legs and take 3 breaths in and out. They can “walk their dog” by bending one knee and then the other, or wag their tails by gently moving their bottoms from side to side. When they are finished, slowly bring their knees back down to the floor. Ask the children what kind of dog they are or what their dog’s name is!
4. Savasana (Final Rest)
After we finish our story and poses, we quiet our minds and calm our bodies with Savasana.
“Savasana helps our brains become calm and clear, making room for new thoughts and ideas.”
I demonstrate with the Yoga Dust Brush—a clear-handled brush filled with floating glitter. I show the kids how the glitter swirls when the brush is moving and settles when the brush lies still. I explain:
“Our thoughts are like that glitter—when we lie still, they settle down and our minds become clear.”
Children lie on their backs, breathing gently.
-
Optional tools: Eye pillows or breathing buddies (stuffed animal) on bellies, and/or star machine with calming music or the bird timer.
-
I gently “brush” a little yoga dust on each child’s forehead to help them relax.
-
I guide them to breathe in through their noses, expanding their bellies to rise, and out through their mouths, letting their bellies fall.
5. Magic Yoga Hugs & Closing Namaste
After a few quiet minutes, we begin to wake up:
-
Stretch arms overhead for a full-body stretch.
-
Hug knees to chest, and slowly roll up to a criss-cross seated position.
We bring our hands to our hearts and think of someone or something we love—family, friends, pets, even a favorite toy or blanket. It can be someone alive or someone who’s passed on.
-
Breathe in and raise your arms up.
-
Breathe out and give yourself a hug.
“As we breathe out, whoever or whatever you were thinking of will receive a magic yoga hug, wherever they are!”
Repeat once more, either with the same person/thing or someone new.
Then, we place our special and kind hands together and bring them;:
-
On our hearts: > “We respect each other with loving hearts.” Have the children repeat “loving hearts”.
-
On our mouths: > “We respect each other with kind words.” Have the children repeat “kind words”.
-
On our foreheads: > “We respect each other by trying new things with open minds.” Have the children repeat “open minds”.
Finally, we all say together:
“Namaste.”
