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You are walking through the store with the 4-year-old, and it begins to start. He wants some artificially colored, processed, high fructose syrup snack that is placed oh so conveniently at his eye level.

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Now you have to face one of two options, having him scream his way through the rest of the shopping trip or take him to the car and go home. What if there was another way?

How about yoga? The situation could be resolved by taking a couple of minutes to do some easy yoga poses and have the child cool down. Below are a couple of poses that can be used in this situation and plenty others for use at home or a park.

Take some time and try these poses when a child is about to lose it.

Bee’s Breath

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First, it is important to have the child take a big breath.
Sit on your knees — inhale and elongate the spine with arms back. Exhale and lower your forehead toward the ground and buzz like a bee all the way down.      

Cat Pose

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Cat pose is a simple pose that most children enjoy. My kids and I do it together often.
Inhale and look up, letting the spine drop low. Exhale and tuck your chin, lifting the spine up high like a cat.

Cloud Pose

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A perfect one for the aisle grocery meltdown we mentioned earlier. Use this pose to help them pick up all their frustrations and disappointments and throw them away.

Inhale and bend the knees, and “scoop” the invisible clouds in front of you. Exhale and straighten the legs, lifting the arms above the head.

Tree Pose

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Another good one for a public location. Having your child focus on balancing instead of negative feelings is a great way to defuse the situation. It shifts the child’s focus and gives them something to control. Standing up, become long and tall in your spine. Rest one foot on your ankle or above your knee and balance. The hands can be palm-to-palm on your chest or in the air like branches. Take a few breaths, and then switch feet.              

Child’s Pose

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A great pose for night time troubles because it helps your child relax. It also has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps your child to self-soothe.
Begin on your hands and knees. Press back to sit on your heels and bring your chest to rest on top of your thighs. Your arms can be stretched out in front of you or tucked in by your sides. Breathe deeply and rest.

All these poses come from Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story by Mariam Gates and illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder.

You can find the full book below.
Try it as part of your bedtime routine.