By: Syed Hossain & Josiah Thomas
January, 21st 20258th graders doing stretches
8th grade students at Carver E&S participate in morning yoga pathways led by instructor Liz Seaden every wenesday , who helps them become more relaxed and energized with various exercises, preparing them for the school day.
Carver E&S started doing yoga every week on wednesdays with the 8th grade students during morning pathways last year. Researchers have done studies that show the ways that yoga may impact your body. John hopkins medicine says ¨Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility. Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength. Balance on one foot, while holding the other foot to your calf or above the knee at a right angle.¨
I think that the way that yoga impacts the students is that it helps to focus attention,.” Seadon said.
Ms. Seaden uses various techniques in the 8th grade yoga sessions at Carver E&S throughout to help students stay energized and calm.
¨So the breath is kind of like the thread that links together the mind and the body. So by using these breathing techniques and the movement, it allows us to be more present in the moment that weŕe in, and it helps to regulate our central nervous system.¨ Seaden said.
Yoga instructor with students from another school.
Yoga doesn't impact everyone in the same way. Some students may feel like the yoga that they are doing makes them feel the same. Some of them may feel like they are more calm and more relaxed after they are done.
8th grade student Nathan says “ The instructor ask us before the yoga session how we are feeling on a scale from 1-5. At the start the average is at about a 2 or 3 , at the end of the session there might be some kids that went from a 2 to a 4. But I usually feel the same."
Students may struggle with mental health especially when in school. School work and other important dates coming up may cause students to be stressed and tired. They may experience a lack of sleep or have anxiety.
“ That physical balance and mental stillness are closely linked, with balanced movements helping to center the mind.. Seaden said
Some students can struggle when it comes to doing yoga. Due to the fact some kids can’t focus and can’t concentrate. Some students may not listen to the yoga instructor.
Student Syed Alim says “I feel like more students don’t even pay attention.”
Students also say that the yoga isn't very impactful for the students and should be replaced with something that is more useful.
“I don't think that the yoga is useful for the students because the exercises and stuff that we do don’t really help us we are just forced to do it” Nathan says.
Researchers say that Yoga may not be helpful for everyone. Sometimes people may have too much energy and they aren’t able to focus. Even if there is a teacher to guide them through the different positions and breathing techniques, they still might not be able to concentrate.
Forceful-tranquility.com says “Thanks to breath retention and slow breathing, you can most tangibly impact your nervous system and energy’”
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