When kids do yoga, it is joyful, fun, and noisy. There is no such thing as a silent kids’ yoga class. Picture 24 children in Downward Dog pose, sharing yoga mats, barking like dogs and wagging their ‘tails’! I was a kids’ yoga teacher in a South African township school for a while. We talked about animals, nature, and how to rejoice in the beauty around us. These children loved yoga poses with animal names the most. I led them through stories and journeys on their mats. They listened to and embodied these animal fables and nature tales.
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Why Do So Many Yoga Poses Have Animal Names?
Thousands of years ago in India, ancient yogis lived in simple homes close to nature. They dedicated their lives to intense meditation, spiritual discipline, and holistic health. They studied the animals around them and learned how to mimic their movements. To them, nature was a sacred, living entity as they foraged for food and slept under the stars.
While Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras do not list specific animal poses, later medieval texts listed many animal-named asanas. For example, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (15th century) introduced six animal-named poses, while the Gheranda Samhita (17th century) expanded the list to 13. Moving like an animal has unique physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits. We pause, feel, and respect each animal we imitate. Animals are connected to their bodies, their innate wisdom guiding them on how to move for continuous health. Children seem to know this.
Have you noticed how much kids love to be animals for a while? Have you noticed how kids love being outdoors in nature? They share a natural purity and innocence with animals. They are drawn to animals instinctively, curious about these fascinating ‘others.’ Humans indeed have an innate biological desire to care for small or furry creatures. I planned my kids’ yoga classes with this in mind.
Kids’ Yoga Classes Inspired by Animals Have Meaning
“Stand proud as a horse! Be as tall as a giraffe! Hide away in your tortoise shell! Hang like a bat in your cave!” Kids leap into these poses with glee. Ask children to stretch like a dog, and the pose becomes an exercise in self-discovery based on prior knowledge. It beats saying, “Find your Utkata Konasana pose. Bend into Urdhva Hastasana pose. Go down into Kurmasana pose or roll back into Ardha Sarvangasana pose!”
These traditional asana names mean nothing to children but everything to adult yogis. Yoga asanas symbolize spiritual values as embodied in the environment. They complement a holistic yoga practice, including meditation and pranayama. Yoga poses with animal names were mentioned centuries ago, in the 1500s in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This ancient text illustrates the essence of animals and how children do yoga.
Children learn about animals through experiencing, doing, and being. In yoga classes, they love to balance, twist and jump, roar, bark and hiss. Animal poses are fun and natural for them. When they master a difficult pose, it plays out in their lives, boosting self-esteem and relieving stress. Animals are playful. So are children. They unconsciously discover the joy in movement, emotional stability, and mental stamina. Things start to shift.
Yoga for children promotes holistic development and self-knowledge. It becomes a means of relieving stress and mental health issues through focused movement, breathing and meditation. Yoga is proving to be excellent therapy for kids with ADHD as it boosts the connection to the unconscious mind. Here, innate wisdom can be tapped. Yoga poses with animal names invite children to lose control for a while.
Animal Yoga Poses Make a Great Kids Class
Here is how I structured a typical class around animal-themed poses:
- I chose the best poses for kids with animal names.
- I chose fun themes, from a Safari in Africa and a Day at the Zoo, to a Walk in the Park or a Swim in the Tidal Pool.
- I started every class with a 5-minute pranayama. We all take breathing for granted. The children learned how to regulate their breath, focusing on this vital energy. They could then calm down and channel their energy into their animal asanas.
- I closed every class with Savasana to complete the circle. Children are genuinely tired after a yoga class. They lie down on their backs with relief, struggling to be still. Then silence comes, true relaxation, and even sleep.
- I told stories about animals and nature. I brought yoga cards, gemstones, and storybooks.
Kids’ yoga classes become adventures in moving the body, thinking about the body moving, and feeling the joy. Kids who practice yoga are more relaxed, focused, and happier. There is evidence now that yoga at school not only improves physical strength and endurance but also boosts memory, self-esteem, and academic prowess.
30 Yoga Poses for Kids with Animal Names
Below are some of my favorite and the most popular animal-named poses for kids. This is how I introduce and lead them.
1. Badger Pose — Prayer Squat (Namaskarasana)
Honey badgers are strong and fearless. They come out at night to eat sweet honey from beehives. They dig tunnels in the ground. Be a honey badger. Squat down. Make your fingers into an A-OK sign and hold them over your eyes. Look left and right. Lick your lips, stand up and stretch to the sky. Do this three times.
2. Bat Pose — Half Shoulder Stand (Ardha Sarvangasana)
Bats live in caves and come out at night to fly and eat insects. They sleep upside down, hanging from their feet! Be a bat. Lie on your back. Lift your knees to your chest and hug yourself. Now straighten your legs up over your head until they reach behind you. Your arms lie next to you, your hands palm down. Use your hands to hold your hips, strong and proud. Remember to keep your head and neck free and still. Look at your tummy and your legs. Breathe in and out for five counts. Then roll back down carefully onto your back.
3. Bear Pose — Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Bears are enormous. They hibernate in winter. They eat fruit, seeds, mushrooms, and fish. Be a bear. Stand up tall. Bend over and put your hands flat on the floor, bending your knees a bit. Now you are on all fours. Your arms are straight and your knees are slightly bent. Start bear walking around. Make bear noises. Try holding the backs of your legs and walking around!
4. Bird Pose — Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)
Birds are colorful, happy creatures. They have hollow bones and don’t feel the cold. Be a bird. Can you balance on one leg? Try it! Stand tall on both feet. Touch the sky. Now stand on your right leg. Slowly lift your left leg behind you. As your leg rises, lean over and hold out your arms in front of you. Your arms are beside your ears and your fingers are stretching. Your body is in a flat line as you fly like a bird. Make a bird sound! Now swap legs and do the other side.
5. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Camels live in deserts. They store fat in their humps. They can walk for days across the sand. Be a camel. Sit on your knees. Place your hands in your lap. Breathe. Now stand on your knees and raise your hands above your head. Make big wheels with your arms to reach behind you to touch your feet. Grab your heels. Make sure your spine is straight. Look up at the sky. Press your hips forward, squeeze your bottom, and look backwards as you make a backbend. Come back up very slowly and rest in seated pose.
6. Cat Pose (Marjariasana)
Cats are graceful, gentle, independent pets. Be a cat. Make a table with your body on hands and knees. Breathe in, breathe out, and tuck your tailbone in. Round your spine and push on your hands. Make a big cat “miaow” sound. Relax and make a square shape again. Do this five times. Each time you round your back, breathe out. Breathe in and relax.
7. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobras can be dangerous. They are beautiful snakes with glossy skins. Be a cobra. Lie on your tummy, legs out straight behind you, chin on the floor. Place your hands on the floor next to your chest. Now use your back and tummy to lift your chest. Your hands push you up a bit. Your legs and hips lie flat, your chest is raised, and you are using your hands to balance. Your back and tummy do all the work. Look up and hissssssss. Breathe in and out.
8. Cow Pose (Bitilasana)
Cows are gentle domestic animals with big eyes. They give us milk to drink. Be a cow. This pose goes well with Cat Pose (Marjariasana). Make a table with your body, hands, and knees in a square shape. Breathe in and arch your spine. Look up and feel your tailbone reach up as your back hollows. Moo like a cow and breathe out back to tabletop. Do this five times.
9. Crane Pose (Bakasana)
Cranes are beautiful, elegant birds, sacred to many cultures. Our Blue Crane is South Africa’s national bird! Be a crane. Start in a squat pose. Make prayer hands and breathe in and out. Place your hands on the floor in front of you. Bend your elbows. Now try to balance your knees on your elbows. Your neck is straight, and you are looking at the floor in front of you. Balance there like a crane in a wetland. Breathe. Back to squat.
10. Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)
Crocodiles lie for hours in the hot sun on a muddy riverbank. They drift around on rivers looking for meat to eat. Be a crocodile. Lie on your tummy. Cross your arms under your head and rest your head on your arms. Close your eyes and let your legs and body relax and flop open. Rest like a crocodile floating on a lake.
11. Donkey Pose — Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)
Never walk behind a donkey. He may decide to kick up his legs! Donkeys bray loudly. Be a donkey. This fun, energetic pose leads to Handstand pose (Adho Mukha Vrksasana). Start on your hands and knees. Push up onto your hands and feet. Now try to kick up into a handstand with the left leg. Then the right leg. Then the left leg again. Keep kicking and now make a donkey noise (bray)! If you want to do a handstand at the end, go for it. You may also want to do it against a wall or a tree. Keep your tummy pulled in. When you are done, rest on your knees.
12. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
13. Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)
Dolphins are clever mammals that live in the ocean. They love to swim and dive. They help people in distress. Be a dolphin. From Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), lower your arms to the floor so that you are balancing on your elbows. Spread your fingers wide. Your arms are under your shoulders. Push with your feet and keep your spine straight. Feel that stretch. Let your head hang freely. Breathe for five breaths. Come down to rest in Child’s Pose (Balasana).
14. Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
Eagles are birds of prey, strong and proud. They soar high in the sky and eat animals they spot below. Be an eagle. Stand up tall. Stretch your arms out beside you in the air. Bring your right arm towards your left arm, grab your fingers and twirl your hands backwards together so that your arms are twisted. Now take the opposite leg, your left leg, and twirl it over your right leg. Tuck your foot behind that standing leg. Pull everything together, arms, legs, and tummy. Squat down. Look at something in front of you to balance and breathe.
15. Elephant Pose
Elephants are huge animals in Africa and India. They eat plants. They can push trees over! Be an elephant. Stretch up high. Bring your hands together and hold your arms out, as if that is your trunk. Swing your trunk left and right, then bend right over and touch the ground with your trunk. Your legs are straight and you are looking backwards through your legs. Stretch back up again.
16. Flamingo Pose — Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)
Flamingos are pretty pink birds. They live in flocks on huge lakes where they feed. Be a flamingo. Stand up tall. Stand on the left leg. Bend the right leg and lift the foot towards your bottom. Grab your foot. At the same time, stretch your left hand up in the sky. Now stretch that right leg out behind you, holding on to it. Lean forward a bit, kicking your foot into your hand and stretching forward with the other hand. Come back to standing and try on the other side.
17. Frog Pose — Prayer Squat (Namaskarasana)
18. Giraffe Pose — Crescent Moon (Urdhva Hastasana)
Giraffes are the tallest animals in Africa. They are graceful and silent. They eat leaves! Be a giraffe. Stand up tall. Stretch your arms above your head. Bring your hands together. Lean over to the left, then to the right. You are a giraffe eating leaves off tall trees. Keep your tummy in and make your bottom tight. Lean over to both sides again.
19. Horse Pose — Goddess Squat (Utkata Konasana)
Horses have been part of human life for centuries. Horses are large and beautiful. Be a horse. Stand up tall. Jump your feet wide apart. Turn your feet out like a duck. Now lift your arms in a square shape at shoulder height. Squat down with your bottom. Keep your shoulders back and your spine straight. Push your chest forward and feel as if you are going to sit down. Your head is straight. Breathe in and out. Neigh like a horse. Slowly come up and jump your feet together again.
20. Lion Pose (Simhasana)
Lions are the king of the jungle. They roar loudly. They are strong and proud. Be a lion. Sit quietly on your knees. Open your knees a bit wider. Place your hands in front of you on the floor. Breathe in and stretch the spine up. As you breathe out, push on your hands, arch your spine, stick out your tongue and roar like a lion. Release all the air in your lungs and all your worries, too! Do this three times. Relax.
21. Monkey Pose (Hanumanasana)
Monkeys are agile and clever animals. They are fast, climb trees and eat fruit. Be a monkey. This pose is also called the splits. If you cannot do it, don’t try too hard as it can hurt you. Kneel. Slide one leg out in front of you and the other leg out behind you. See if you can lower your body to the floor or as far as possible. Hold the floor with your hands. Another monkey pose is to squat down and leap up high. Do this five times.
22. Octopus Pose — Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
An octopus has eight arms and lives in the ocean. It likes to hide in rock caves under the sea. Be an octopus. Sit on the floor, legs stretched out in front of you. Raise your arms above your head. Lean forward over your legs. Make sure your back is straight. If you cannot reach your toes, don’t worry; go as far as you can. Sit up again, raise your arms and wiggle them all around. Lift your legs one at a time and shake them around. Now lie back on your back. Open your legs and arms wide. Make huge circles with your arms and move your legs in and out in an arc.
23. Pigeon Pose — Extended One-Legged Pigeon (Utthita Eka Pada Kapotasana)
Pigeons are common gray birds found in many cities. They are tame, coo and eat seeds. Be a pigeon. Start in tabletop pose. Push up into Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Breathe in and out. Now raise your right leg high in the sky. Then bring it forward, between your hands, and rest the knee there. Slide the left leg back and lower your hips to the floor. Lie down on your knee and stretch your hands out in front of you. Breathe deeply if it feels sore. If you can’t get your head down, don’t worry; use your arms to stay up or lie down on your folded arms or fists.
24. Polar Bear Pose — Extended Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Polar bears are white as snow and live in icy places. They swim and eat fish. Be a polar bear. Sit on your heels. Lean forward so that your arms are stretched out in front of you. Lay your head on the floor. Open your knees wide so that your tummy fits between them and you can stretch your spine. Breathe in and out for five breaths. Feel calm like a bear on the ice.
25. Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
Puppies are cute baby dogs. They are playful and energetic. Be a puppy. Puppies actually do this stretch naturally. Start on all fours. Keep your knees up straight and make sure your hips stay above your knees. Walk your hands forward until your chin is on the floor. Lower the chest to the floor, then the chin and forehead. Stretch your arms, but relax your back. Make puppy noises and waggle your bottom.
26. Sea Lion Pose — Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
27. Shark Pose — Locust Pose (Shalabhasana)
Sharks are hunters of the deep seas. They hunt other fish. Sharks look scary, but they are beautiful too. Be a shark. Lie on your tummy and place your chin on the floor. Your legs are stretched behind you. Your arms lie next to you, hands facing the floor. Take a deep breath in. Now, at the same time, lift legs, head, chest, and arms off the floor. You are balancing on your hips and pubic bone. Breathe. Make sure your bottom is tight, your fingers and toes are stretched, and your chest is pushing forward. It is hard work.
28. Tiger Pose (Vyaghrasana)
Tigers are the biggest wild cats in the world. Most of them live in Asia. They are orange, black, and white. They like swimming. Be a tiger. Start on all fours. Bring your right knee toward your forehead, breathing in. Now breathe out and kick that right leg out behind you. Arch your spine and look up. Make a tiger growl. Repeat this movement three times, then swap legs.
29. Tortoise Pose (Kurmasana)
Tortoises are slow reptiles. They live inside beautiful shells. They eat plants. Be a tortoise. Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place your hands on the floor beside you. Push them into the floor and make your spine super-straight. Now lift your legs off the floor, keeping your feet on the floor. Slide your arms backwards behind you, under your knees and past your bottom. Now see if you can straighten your legs and arms and lean forward. What a great stretch for your hips and shoulders.
30. Wildebeest Pose — Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
Wildebeest are amazing antelopes in Africa. They live in herds and can run super-fast. Be a wildebeest. Stand up tall. Jump feet apart about three feet. Turn the right toes to the wall and the left toes slightly inwards. Breathe in and push your hips out to the left as you stretch. Reach out to the right. Your right hand touches the floor and your left hand floats up to the sky. Turn and look at your left hand up there. Feel the stretch in your spine, legs, shoulders and arms. Now do the same thing on the other side.
Going Further
Which animal pose is your favorite one? Kids’ yoga classes are fun, healthy, and meaningful! Enjoy these 30 yoga poses for kids with animal names. There are many more. Children learn so much about their bodies, their thoughts and their emotions the more they imitate animals. They learn about nature and how it sustains our lives. They learn about ahimsa (non-violence), the first of the five Yamas of yoga — compassion for all living things.