Museum holds artistic yoga class for kids

The West Bund Museum in Shanghai held a yoga course for four children aged from 4 to 6 on Monday.

The course was aimed at creating strength and harmony in minds and bodies of these children, according to the museum.

The activity was held in the museum's exhibition hall for Balancing Acts: Inhibiting Space and Time, which features dynamic and abstract art that discusses the relationship between art works and space.

The children were surrounded by works including kinetic sculptures by American artist Alexander Calder and paintings by Ellsworth Kelly, an American artist known for her abstract works.

Accompanied by tunes from the cello and violin, a yoga instructor took the kids through a session that combined a treasure hunt story with yoga poses. The children imagined moving through meadows, rivers and forests, overcoming challenges and eventually finding the treasure in the story.

"I've designed some interesting, kid-friendly yoga poses, like imitating things children are familiar with in life with asanas," said Yao Jinyu, the yoga teacher, referring to the instances when the children had to imitate animals like turtles, tigers and lions.

"Yoga is an efficient way to enhance strength, coordination and flexibility, while encouraging body awareness. The fun nature of this activity can encourage them to perform exercises in daily life," Yao said.

When a tornado appeared in the story, musical instruments mimicked the sound of wind as the Hungarian March was played, its uplifting rhythms encouraging the kids to overcome the obstacles ahead.

"The audio-visual experience presented in a child's language will stimulate brain development and help children findinnate joy. Whether they do the standard poses or not is less important in the process," said Yao.