Anxious Child? This Gentle Practice Can Make a Huge Difference
Does your child worry constantly? Struggle to fall asleep? Cry over small things? It could be anxiety—and it’s more common than you think. As a parent, seeing your child overwhelmed by constant worry and stress can leave you feeling helpless and unsure of how to help. Anxiety in children can manifest in various ways, from frequent meltdowns to difficulty focusing in school or trouble sleeping. You may be wondering how to support them effectively without resorting to medication or complex therapies.
How Yoga Helps
Yoga provides a gentle, non-invasive way to help children manage anxiety. Through a combination of physical movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness, yoga helps children reconnect with their bodies and emotions. When practiced regularly, yoga can help children:
· Lower stress hormones, such as cortisol
· Teach them to recognize and regulate their emotions
· Create a sense of safety and grounding in their body
· Offer a reliable toolkit to calm down when anxiety strikes
One of the key benefits of yoga for anxious children is that it teaches them to slow down, breathe, and become aware of the present moment. This creates a break from the overwhelming thoughts and feelings that often accompany anxiety. The predictability of yoga, with its simple, repetitive movements and focused breathing, helps children feel safe and in control—giving them the space to manage their emotions more effectively.
One Mother’s Story:
One mother shared her experience: “My 12-year-old daughter used to dread school. Every morning was filled with anxiety, and she would often cry or refuse to leave the house. After we introduced a 10-minute yoga practice each morning, things started to shift. She now does three simple yoga poses before we leave for school, and she walks in with a calm, confident attitude. It’s been amazing to watch her transform.”
For this family, yoga became a daily ritual that gave the child a sense of control and helped reduce her anxiety. The regular practice gave her a way to manage her nerves before they took over.
Research Back-Up:
Yoga has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety and improve mood in children and teens. In a study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, researchers found that yoga helped children reduce anxiety and enhance emotional regulation. In addition to the physical benefits, the mindful nature of yoga provides children with tools they can carry with them into their daily lives.
Breathing Exercise to Try at Home
One of the simplest and most effective tools in yoga is breathwork. Breathing exercises help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body after stress.
Try this calming breath exercise with your child:
“3-4-5 Breath”
Sit comfortably with your child in a quiet space.
Ask them to breathe in deeply through their nose for a count of 3 seconds.
Have them hold the breath for a count of 4 seconds.
Finally, have them exhale slowly through their mouth for a count of 5 seconds.
Repeat for 3-5 rounds, guiding your child to focus on the breath and the sensation of air moving in and out of their body.
This exercise can help your child settle into a moment of calm and can be used before bed or during anxious moments.
Mindfulness Practice: “5 Senses Check-In”
The “5 Senses Check-In” is a mindfulness exercise that helps your child focus on the present moment and disconnect from anxious thoughts. It’s simple to do and can be done anywhere:
Ask your child to sit quietly and close their eyes.
Guide them to ask themselves:
What can I see? (Even with eyes closed, encourage them to name a few things they can picture in their mind.)
What can I hear? (The sound of your voice, the wind, etc.)
What can I smell? (Any scents in the room or outdoors.)
What can I touch? (The feeling of their clothing, the texture of a nearby object.)
What can I taste? (Anything left from their last meal, or simply the taste in their mouth.)
This exercise helps children become present and aware of their surroundings, allowing them to step away from overwhelming thoughts and ground themselves.
Try This Yoga Sequence at Home
Here’s a simple yoga sequence that can help your child manage anxiety:
Child’s Pose (2 minutes)
Have your child kneel on the floor with their big toes touching and knees apart.
Encourage them to reach their arms out in front of them on the floor and rest their forehead on the mat.
Breathe deeply in this pose, allowing the body to relax into the floor.
Cat-Cow Pose (1–2 minutes)
On hands and knees, encourage your child to arch their back like a cat (rounding the spine and tucking the chin) and then sink their belly towards the floor as they lift their head and chest (cow pose).
Repeat for several breaths, synchronizing the movement with the breath.
Seated Forward Fold (2 minutes)
Have your child sit with legs stretched out in front. Encourage them to slowly fold forward, reaching their hands toward their feet.
They can rest their hands on their legs or feet, breathing deeply and relaxing into the stretch.