After an old dance injury flared up in 2004 I started practicing yoga at a studio that teaches Anusara, a hatha style of yoga that is incredibly joyful and made me feel like a kid again. After practicing for a few months I noticed that I wanted to spend more time playing outdoors with my son (who was 5 at the time) but life and work always got in the way of the long drive to the studio so I started practicing at home.

Surprisingly my son always asked if he could join me and lately two of my boyfriend's 3 daughters are always asking me to teach them poses too. It seems that most kids really love yoga but here's what you need to know about kids yoga workouts before you get them started.

Yoga for Kids Should Be Fun
Forget about what you practice in Bikram or Vinyasa class. Kids don't need rigid systems or alignment principles in order to benefit from yoga. According to Rana Kirkland creator of the kids yoga dvd series I Can Do Yoga! , "Kids just wanna have fun -- even when they are learning!" so it's important to focus on making poses playful. In her dvd series kids pretend to be all kinds of animals, they fly through the sky, and enjoy short breathing and meditation intervals.

Kids Yoga Should Keep Your Child Engaged
If your child is new to yoga and is generally an easy going kid (like my boyfriend's two girls) then a dvd like I Can Do Yoga will probably hold their attention. If your child is older or has been practicing with you and your adult dvd's then look into a more dynamic yoga practice or try a capoeira class. After years of practicing at home with me my son (now 9) wasn't too thrilled with the I Can Do Yoga series but he loved a capoeira class where they practice moves very similar to yoga.

Yoga for Kids Should Improve Focus & Patience
A kids yoga dvd or class should focus on quick and easy poses that teach your child patience and improve focus. According to Kirkland's guidelines "young children should not attempt to hold poses for long periods of time, 15 seconds to a minute per pose is plenty". If you notice that your child gets extremely frustrated or upset then you might want to consider something more dynamic that also improves focus and patience like a martial arts class.

Get your kids started with Kirkland's fun yoga workout, I Can Do... Yoga! Beginners Level or check out the capoeira kids video below and find a class near you.