Yoga for Sensory-Seekers – 5 Best Yoga Poses for Sensory Regulation
Kids who seek sensory input often need movement and deep pressure to feel balanced and regulated. This can lead to behaviors like jumping, spinning, rough play, or constant fidgeting, which can be disruptive at home or in the classroom.
By using targeted sensory activities such as yoga, we can help these kids stay calm, focused, and meet expectations. Yoga can provide the sensory input they need, helping with self-regulation, and improving balance and coordination.
This can minimize disruptive behaviors and help them engage in learning more effectively.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of yoga for sensory seekers and the five best yoga poses for sensory regulation.
These yoga poses offer proprioceptive and vestibular input, which helps children feel grounded and more connected to their bodies.
What Is a Sensory Seeker?
People can generally be categorized into one of four sensory profiles based on their neurological threshold (or tolerance for sensory input) and their response to sensory input.
Sensory seeking is one of those four profiles.
Sensory seekers are individuals who actively seek out sensory experiences. They are often under-sensitive to sensory input and need more intense experiences to feel satisfied.
Sensory-seeking kids often have difficulty getting enough sensory input to feel regulated.
If your child is a sensory seeker, they may engage in activities such as:
- Constantly moving, crashing into things, spinning, etc.
- Touching everything around them
- Difficulty sitting still
- Seeking out rough-and-tumble play
- Aggressive behaviors, such as hitting, kicking, biting, and pushing tables and chairs
These behaviors are common because, although they can’t communicate them, these children crave activities that provide deep pressure and resistance to help them better understand their body’s position in space and feel more grounded.
How Yoga Supports Sensory Regulation
Yoga is a great way to help children with sensory needs, especially those who are sensory seekers.
Yoga poses provide proprioceptive input by engaging muscles and joints, giving the body the feedback it needs. Holding poses and practicing slow, controlled movements can help sensory seekers focus and calm down.
Yoga also provides vestibular input. This is our sense of movement and balance, which is controlled by the inner ear. Since yoga involves shifting the head and body in different positions, the movements provide intense stimulation to this sensory system. This is great for meeting the needs of sensory seekers.
For sensory seekers, vestibular and proprioceptive input provide a calming or organizing effect on the nervous system, helping them feel more settled.
The deep, slow breathing techniques in yoga also help with sensory regulation. Slow, deep breathing helps calm the nervous system, reduces stress, and promotes emotional regulation.
Benefits of Yoga for Sensory Seekers
Yoga offers many benefits for sensory-seeking kids, including:
- Improved Sensory Regulation: Yoga helps meet children’s sensory needs so they feel more calm and in control.
- Enhanced Body Awareness: Yoga encourages kids to focus on their bodies, increasing awareness of movement and position.
- Calming the Nervous System: Deep breathing and mindful movement help to slow down the body and mind, calming the nervous system.
- Emotional Regulation: Yoga promotes relaxation, helping kids regulate their emotions more effectively.
- Strength and Coordination: Practicing yoga strengthens the body and improves balance.
5 Best Yoga Poses for Sensory Seekers
Now, let’s explore the five best yoga poses for sensory-seeking kids.
Each of these poses provides large doses of vestibular and proprioceptive input while remaining beginner and child-friendly.
1. Downward Dog
Downward Dog is a classic yoga pose that provides excellent proprioceptive input to the arms, legs, and core. Inverting the head is also one of the best ways to stimulate the vestibular system.
Downward Dog helps sensory seekers engage their muscles and release excess energy while also offering a grounding effect.
How to do it:
- Start on your hands and knees. Press your palms firmly into the ground and lift your hips up, straightening your legs to form an upside-down “V.”
- Hold for 5–10 deep breaths, focusing on the pressure in your hands and feet.
2. Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose is a calming pose that offers deep pressure to the entire body. This Pose is beneficial when sensory seekers need a break from movement and overstimulation.
How to do it:
- From a kneeling position, sit back on your heels and reach your arms forward, lowering your chest to the floor.
- Rest your forehead on the mat and take slow, deep breaths while feeling the gentle stretch along your back.
3. Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose engages the legs, glutes, and back muscles, providing deep proprioceptive input.
Additionally, this pose’s upward and downward movement offers vestibular input, helping sensory seekers with balance and spatial awareness.
How to do it:
- Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your hips toward the ceiling while keeping your shoulders grounded.
- Hold for several breaths, then slowly lower back down. Repeat a few times for added sensory input.
4. Bound Angel with Forward Bend
Bound Angle Pose is a seated pose that provides gentle proprioceptive input to the hips and legs.
The forward bend enhances this input and also provides vestibular stimulation.
How to do it:
- Sit with your legs bent and the soles of your feet touching, forming a diamond shape with your legs.
- Hold your feet with your hands and gently press your knees toward the ground.
- Lower your torso toward the floor, bringing your chest toward your feet. Go as far as feels comfortable.
- Depending on your flexibility, rest your forehead on the floor, a block, or your feet. Let your head and neck relax completely.
5. Bow Pose
Bow Pose provides deep proprioceptive input to the back, shoulders, and legs while stimulating the vestibular system through gentle rocking.
How to do it:
- Lie on your stomach and bend your knees, reaching your hands back to grab your ankles.
- Lift your chest and legs off the ground, forming a bow shape with your body.
- Hold the pose for a few breaths and gently rock forward and backward to engage the vestibular system.
Building a Yoga Sequence for Sensory Seekers
To create a yoga sequence for sensory seekers, begin with grounding poses like Downward Dog and Child’s Pose to help children feel stable.
Then, move into more energizing poses like Bridge Pose and Bow Pose to engage the muscles.
End with a calming pose like Bound Angel to promote relaxation.
Encourage children to hold each pose for several breaths to maximize the sensory input they receive.
This will help them feel more regulated and ready to focus on the rest of their day.
More Tips for Doing Yoga with Sensory Seekers:
- Keep sessions short and consistent: Sensory seekers benefit from short yet frequent sensory breaks rather than longer ones. Aim for a 5-7 minute activity every 1-2 hours.
- Use props for extra input: Consider using weighted blankets, resistance bands, or a wall for support to give additional proprioceptive feedback.
- Create a calming environment: Dim lighting, calming music, and a quiet space can help sensory seekers feel more comfortable and focused during yoga.
Want more yoga activities?
If you’re looking for even more kid-friendly yoga poses to try with your sensory seeker, download these 12 printable yoga flashcards below:
Designed to encourage movement and sensory regulation, this printable includes 12 easy-to-follow yoga poses for kids and two game ideas.
Simply print and cut them out to get started.
Conclusion
Yoga is valuable for helping sensory seekers regulate and meet their sensory needs.
The five poses outlined here offer proprioceptive input, strength, and balance, which are essential for sensory regulation.
By incorporating yoga into daily routines, parents and teachers can support sensory seekers in developing better body awareness and emotional regulation.
Try these poses with your child or student and see how they respond—it may become a favorite part of their sensory routine!
