By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist
In Tatty Bumpkin sessions this week your child may be having a go at the
'Growing Flower' pose....
Tatty Bumpkin's Growing Flower Pose
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| Grow from a tiny seed into an amazing flower! |
- Find a comfortable, clear space to do the growing flower Yoga pose with your child - a mat or clear area of carpet is ideal. Remember to take off your socks and shoes so you can both feel the floor accurately with your feet. It's great if you can do the pose with your child (young children learn new movements largely by copying others) - however, respect your body, and only do the pose if it's comfortable to do so.
- Start the pose together by curling up in a tiny ball - like a tiny seed. Encourage your child to pause in this position to notice how their breathing and how their body feels - small, squeezed?
- Bring in some raindrop sounds by drumming your fingertips on the mat in front of you - encourage your child to copy.
- Now, slowly uncurl. Like a growing flower move into a kneeling position and up into standing.
- Stretch your arms out to your sides and above your head - just like flower petals. See if you can bring your hands together above your head so your palms touching.
- Encourage your child to pause for a moment in this final position to:
- Take a few deep breaths
- Focus on how their body feels in flower pose - stretched, wide, big?
- Notice how they are feeling – maybe the colour of their petals matches their mood? This can be a little mindful moment in your child’s day!
Why Growing Flower Pose is ‘Good for Me’
In 'Growing Flower' pose your child will:
1. Improve their core stability
As your child uncurls in growing flower pose, moving up into standing and spreading their arms out wide, they will be activating core muscle groups in a controlled way i.e. their hip, abdominal, spinal and shoulder muscles.
2. Develop balance skills
Growing flower pose gives your child a great opportunity to develop their balance skills. Older children can grasp the opportunity to stand up without using their hands to help them - this move really improves balance!
3. Enhance their imagination & creative thought
Encourage your child to think about the colour of their petals e.g. are they a bluebell in a wood? Are they a jungle or a mountain flower? Or maybe they are a spiky desert cactus!
4. Develop mindfulness
Eline Snel in her book ‘Sitting Still Like a Frog’ defines mindfulness as ‘deliberate, friendly attention’ and ‘present-moment awareness’. As your child takes a moment, in growing flower pose, to bring their attention to their breath, how their body feels and how they are feeling, they will be practicing mindfulness.
Spring Forward with Tatty Bumpkin in 2017
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