Experience the body from the inside out
(mindfulness centered on the body and mind)
Yoga in the class is a powerful tool you can use to improve the children well-being. By taking moments throughout the sessions in the class to pause and practise some techniques with the children, they will gradually increase quality in their activities and they will develop a good habit.
When can we practice Yoga during the morning at school?
Since last year, some of our teachers are very interested in working on Yoga and Mindfulness at school because it has many mental and physical benefits in the class. Imagine that they start a new lesson after a very active session like sport or after the break. They feel stress and anxious after these lessons, so it is time to 'STOP'. It is better to practice some yoga techniques for some minutes and respiration exercises. After that they will be ready to start with more concentration and eager to learn.
Why Yoga in the class?
- It is a good opportunity to develop the body, the mind and the spirit. The children and the teachers feel happy after this practice.
- It is a non-competitive form of exercise and children enjoy.
- It has many benefits, like strength, balance and flexibility.
- They develop concentration, focus and attention; moreover, creativity and imagination.
- They learn how to breath, how to relax and self-control.
- And the most important, as they feel good, they respect for others and they can work better in the class.
In order to get a better environment during our lessons and to reduce anxiety, we can incorporate into our daily routines some minutes for yoga. We can use different techniques for breathing, a guided exercises of 'asanas' or, - very relaxed one!-, the visualization. Children enjoy with all of them and we can practice them in Italian, in English or in Spanish as we want, because the language we use is quite easy and if we tell a story, we can do it according to the level of our students.
Example of our school experiences:
Classe seconda - Scuola Paccini - IC Albenga Secondo - Italy
During the next months our practice of mindfulness will be carried out 15 minutes, twice a week, and will be focusing on inhabiting our bodies. We will meditate on the sensation of simply breathing, on being aware on the sensations inside our body such as the heartbeat, or on tingling and other sensations. We will be focusing our attention - from time to time - on the belly, on the heart, on other parts of the body such as hands or feet or head and so on....
This is a practice that children will learn to use gradually and will help them to relax, calm thoughts and/or emotions in any circumstance at school or at home.
C.E.I.P San Miguel, Armilla - Spain.
Some recommendations are before you start yoga in the class:
Warm-up exercises
Asanas (they should be short and slowly. Don´t forget to breath properly)
Breathing exercises (through the nose)
Moreover if you want to practice more with your students you can also practice some 'Minfulness exercises' to focus attention, some relaxation or positive affirmations. This way you will have the PERFECT environment in your class to start your lesson :-) My favourite mantras for kids are:
- Yes, I can. I can work hard.
- I can help to others.
- I can and I want to listen to others.
- I am ready, I am ready.
Yoga week video:
