Crossing the midline is the ability to move an arm or leg across the middle of the body in order to perform a task. It’s an important developmental skill that establishes using both sides of the body together; promoting coordination and communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Crossing the midline affects a child’s ability to perform coordination tasks such as: writing, cutting, reading, fine motor tasks (small movements with fingers and wrists, etc.), gross motor skills (whole body movement), etc. When a child avoids crossing the midline, skills such as writing and reading may be delayed or more difficult to learn.
Yoga Poses are a great for playful cross-the-midline practice because it provides opportunities to exercise body awareness, balance, and muscular strength; while developing the necessary brain communication. Try out these poses for some crossing-the-midline fun:
3 Poses for 3 year olds
Hug Yourself- My favorite midline self-love pose. Prompt your child to reach their hands out to their sides (parallel to the floor). Stretch the arms out as wide as possible then have them wiggle their right fingers to their left shoulder. PAUSE. Wiggle their left fingers to their right shoulder. Once each hand is on a shoulder (or as close to as they can manage), have them twist and give their right hand a little kiss. And then have them twist and give their left hand a little kiss.
Side bends- This pose can be practiced standing or sitting! Perfect for standing in grocery store lines, sitting in car seats in the pick-up line, or anywhere else your toddler might start getting antsy! Have them reach one arm up and over the head reaching as far as they can to the opposite side. And then switch. Simple and effective. Make sure they are practicing both sides and not only bending with their dominant side.
Staff Twist- Have your child sit on the floor and reach both of their legs straight out in front of them. Step the right foot in and then over the left leg (that is still stretched out on the floor). Return both legs to stretch out and repeat on the opposite side by stepping the left foot in and then over the right leg. The child can also be prompted to twist in the opposite direction (when right foot is over left, child looks to the right). But that may require more direction and help from the caregiver.
3 Poses for 5 year olds
Windmills- The thing you’ll notice most when prompting your child to cross the midline is that it seems as if there’s an invisible wall separating the left from the right side of their body. When practicing this pose your child will want to touch his right toes with his right hand. Try and direct him to move the hand across the body (bringing it to the opposite first before reaching down for the toes) without physically moving his hand for him. Have your child stand with feet spread wide apart. Prompt your child to reach their hands out to their sides (parallel to the floor) and then wiggle their right fingers down to touch their left toes. Return back to stand with arms wide and wiggle left fingers down to right toes.
High Knee Standing twist- This one is going to challenge balance, so try to keep it light and giggly! Once your child is standing on their feet, have them lift the right knee high (to a high knee position) to the waist or even a bit higher than the waistline. Next, have them place their left hand on their knee. If the child wants an extra challenge, they can try twisting towards the right in order to look over their right shoulder!
Eagle pose- Eagle pose is a difficult pose! But your child is more than up for the challenge! Have them practice the Hug Yourself Pose in order to bring their arms into position...
Option 1: Cross one foot over the other, while keeping both feet on the floor.
Option 2: Lift the right knee waist high, cross it over the left leg and bend the left knee into a squat position (this creates a shelf for the right leg to rest, crossed over the left). Bring both feet back to the ground before trying the pose on the opposite side (lifting the left knee to the waistline).
Crossing the midline is challenging; it's a rigorous movement for their developing mind so it makes it the perfect pose to try when you need to “re-wire” ANY moment (antsy-ness, out of control energy, etc.)