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The Wellness Journal

Explore tips, workout ideas, and wellness advice all in one place. From how to use your Amp equipment to building healthy habits that stick, the Wellness Journal is your go-to guide for feeling good, moving better, and staying inspired.

5 Bedtime Yoga Poses Your Kids Will Love

Written by Josie Coetser, from Asana Nana Yoga is so much more than just stretches! Early experiences shape our future habits. Yoga and mindfulness help lay...

Written by Josie Coetser, from Asana Nana

Yoga is so much more than just stretches! Early experiences shape our future habits. Yoga and mindfulness help lay strong foundations for emotional regulation, body awareness and resilience.

Kid's Yoga Sessions are jam-packed with imaginative movement, creative storytelling, music, and plenty of giggles. Providing little people with the powerful tools to be happy, strong, expressive and self-aware — all while sneakily building flexibility, balance, strength, and coordination. Weaving in mindfulness techniques like breathing games, visualisations and moments of calm to help little ones learn how to pause, focus, and navigate their big feelings.

When bedtime rolls around and your little ones are still buzzing with energy, yoga can be the magical wind-down routine you both need. These five gentle poses are perfect for helping kids relax their bodies, calm their minds, and get ready for sweet, dreamy sleep.

Bonus: you don’t need any fancy equipment—just a cozy space and maybe a favourite stuffed animal to join the fun!

1. ⁠Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

“Flap your wings and float into dreamland.”

Sit on the floor, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall to the sides like butterfly wings. Gently flap your legs and take deep breaths. This pose stretches the hips and helps release the wiggles from the day.

2.⁠ ⁠Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

“Meow, moo, and move with your breath!”

On hands and knees, arch your back like a Halloween cat, then dip your belly like a mooing cow. This movement is great for spine flexibility and helps kids connect movement with breath—a lovely way to start slowing down.

3.⁠ ⁠Child’s Pose (Balasana)

“Curl up like a cozy little bug.”

Kneel down, sit your bottom on your heels, and stretch your arms forward as your forehead rests on the mat. This calming pose helps kids feel safe and grounded, like a little cocoon before sleep.

4.⁠ ⁠Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

“Let your feet say goodnight to the stars.”

Lie on your back and swing your legs up against a wall. It’s a silly-fun way to feel weightless and helps drain tired legs after a long day. Kids love it—and it’s secretly very calming for their nervous systems.

5.⁠ ⁠Savasana (Final Resting Pose)

“Play the quiet game and melt into the floor or mattress.”

Lie flat on your back, arms by your sides, eyes gently closed. This is the golden moment where everything gets still. You can guide your child through a soft story or just enjoy the quiet. It teaches them how to be still and listen to their breath.

Bedtime yoga doesn’t have to be serious—just simple, soothing, and a little silly. Whether you’re flapping like a butterfly or curling up like a bug, these poses can help your child float off into dreamland with a smile.

Ready to help your child pause, focus, and navigate their big feelings?

Our Children’s Mat offers a soft, supportive foundation—designed to help little ones feel safe, seen, and centred.

Behind the words

Asana Nana

We’re Asana Nana! A team of certified Children’s Yoga and Mindfulness Teachers with a big love for little people and the powerful tools that help them grow happy, strong, and self-aware.

We offer in-house, yoga sessions and holiday camps designed especially for early years and primary age groups.

You can find all our details here.

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Yoga for Children 101: Postures, Benefits and Tips

Keeping your child healthy and strong means balancing a good diet and enough physical activity. Exercise supports growth, posture and joint health — especially in developing...

Keeping your child healthy and strong means balancing a good diet and enough physical activity. Exercise supports growth, posture and joint health — especially in developing years.

Luckily, children love yoga’s unique movements since they can explore just how extraordinary their bodies are. Kids’ yoga positions are often inspired by animals or familiar objects, making them easy to remember and fun to try.

Physical movement is vital for children to develop fully functioning bodies. The World Health Organization recommends that kids get at least 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise daily. However, only 24% of 6- to 17-year-olds achieve this goal.

Here are the best introductory yoga postures to get your child moving.

1. Criss-Cross Applesauce Seated Pose
Undo hours of sitting at a desk in a classroom and improve children's spinal pressure and posture with this seated pose.

Slouching can increase spinal stress by 113%, causing severe back pain. Advise your child to:

Sit on the floor, find your seat bones and place your weight over them.
Cross your legs, positioning your knees to touch the ground.
Raise your arms to place your palms together in front of your heart or over your head like a lamp.
Hold for five seconds.

Tip: If your child struggles to cross your legs, have them move their feet further forward until they can.

2. Ships Ahoy
The boat pose is easy, strengthening the core while improving balance. Advise your child to:

Slide your ankles forward more from the seated pose until your legs are straight.
Move your arms forward until they are level with the floor.
Rock back on your tailbone and raise your legs a few inches off the floor.
Hold for five seconds.

Tip: Have your child tighten their stomach muscles to raise their legs.

3. The Cobra

The snake posture is fun for kids and has impressive health benefits. It reverses the damage of sitting hunched over schoolwork. Advise your child to:

Lie on your stomach on the floor.
Point your toes down as you slide your hands up along the ground until they are below your shoulders, palms down.
Raise yourself on your hands, keeping your lower body on the ground. Arch your back upwards and back, letting your head hang until you look like a cobra ready to strike.
Hold for three seconds, exhale and lower yourself back to the ground. Rest a moment, then repeat four more times.

Tip: Kids who struggle to lift themselves can place their hands further away from their body while staying in line with their shoulders.

4. The Whale
Here’s a fun position to try. It’s excellent for stretching stomach muscles and opening the chest. Advise your child to:

Exhale from the cobra and lie still for a few moments. Bend your knees as you bring your heels to your buttocks.
Fold your hands toward your hips, raising them backward to grab your ankles.
Raise your chest upward, pulling your head toward your feet.
Rock forward and backward like a little boat or whale in the ocean if you can.

Tip: If your child can’t grab their ankles, tie old socks to them. Have them pull the socks a bit closer each time.

5. The Butterfly
The popular butterfly pose is ideal for opening hips and increasing flexibility. Long periods of sitting decrease hip mobility by 6.1 degrees. Advise your child to:

Sit on your seat bones with your legs crossed.
Place your hands on your ankles, but as you tip forward, make sure your back stays straight as a table.
Next, let the soles of your feet touch.
Finally, bring your hands to your knees, raising and lowering your knees like butterfly wings.

Tip: If your kid can’t get their feet together, move them away from their body until they can.

Each time they practice, they can press their knees a little bit closer to the floor.

Help Your Kids Make the Most of Yoga
Adding yoga to your kid’s daily physical routine helps improve their focus, breathing and spinal health, which supports their overall well-being. Encourage your child to try these five easy postures, increasing their range and reach every time until they feel comfortable. Before long, they’ll be confident in their ability to strike a pose!