yoga at school

Why?

Develop motor skills and balance

Create physical and mental strength flexibility

Energize the body and mind and bring more oxygen to the blood cells and brain

Make breath, blood and lymph fluids circulate better

Release physical and mental tensions that have accumulated while students have been sitting a long time

Enhance concentration

Develop better listening skills

Improve posture

Bring students into the present moment

Exercise the body and balance emotions

Open the shoulders and chest, allowing students to relax and breathe deeper during their classes

Open the hip joints and prepare students to sit comfortablly

Teach patience and insight

Create a calm and harmonious classroom

Children experience the same benefits from a Yoga practice as adults – increased body awareness, overall fitness, mental acuity and stress hardiness.

By learning to teach Yoga to children you can help them:

Develop strength, flexibility and coordination – of both body and mind
Improve focus
Raise self-awareness
Build self-esteem
Release stress
Relax completely
Breathe well
Cultivate healthy habits
Generate a sense of inner peace and contentment they can share with the world

Who?

Anyone can "yoga" -- It's breathing, balancing, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, and strengthening to be the best version of yourself every day! Yoga helps calm and find balance with your body, brain, and heart. You do not have to "be a pretzel" to yoga!

Where?

Anywhere! You can yoga at a desk (Seated "Move Like the Sun" -- https://youtu.be/fbhTmAygygs), with limited space or in those spaces that are wide open.

What?

Mindfulness and yoga walk hand in hand. You have to "be here now" to yoga, and yoga incorporates breathing with the movement. These are tools to add to the toolbox for students and others in the learning community to use when needed.

When?

Anytime?! Brain breaks are great for maximizing instruction and managing energetic bodies well. Yoga is a great way to begin instruction too.

How?

Individual and Small Group:

Breathing with Small Group -- hand breathing, flower breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, spiral breathing, hot and cold breathing, and shape breathing

Mrs. Broam's Breathing Toolbox: https://sites.google.com/site/mrsbroam/home/breathing

Classroom:

Test Anxiety Reduction -- neck stretches, draw circles with your elbows (https://youtu.be/hDvV9MmIqss), "push, pull, dangle" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av-cwWCZYrY)

Partner Poses work well when students know each other well and when working with families too. I have had good luck with these when working on problem-solving skills too [Coping with Conflict: An ELEMENTARY Approach by Diane S. Senn and Gwen M. Sitsch]. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge2XXy1iCIc -- not a great quality video [we videoed ourselves] . . . but I think you can get the idea of the movements to accompany the problem-solving strategies)

Reinforce Lexington One's Power Skills: http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2020/02/power-yoga.html

Family Yoga at PHES:

Sunday, January 26, 2020 -- Power of a Good Night's Rest -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-power-of-sleep.html

Friday, January 10, 2020 -- Family Wellness Night -- https://zipadeeyoga.blogspot.com/2020/01/friday-night-fun-at-school.html

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 -- Merry and Bright Curriculum Night -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/12/oh-what-fun-it-is-to-sing-and-yoga-on.html

Sunday, October 27, 2019 -- Shakin' Dem Halloween Bones on a Sunday -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/10/shakin-dem-bones-on-sunday.html

Sunday, September 29, 2019 -- Horton Hatches an Egg -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/09/family-power-yoga.html

Sunday, April 28, 2019 -- Family Vacation Family Yoga -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/04/family-vacation-family-yoga.html

Sunday, March 24, 2019 -- Slug Needs a Hug -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/03/life-isnt-sluggle-with-yoga.html

Sunday, January 27, 2019 -- Mary Poppins Mash Up -- http://vitamindb.blogspot.com/2019/01/mary-poppins-mash-up.html

Stories for Movin':

Groovin' with the Grinch -- https://youtu.be/8IY_bXcoIRY

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson -- https://youtu.be/CFJ0lB8lkeY

Rudolph and the Bullies -- https://youtu.be/H9q5sYxwB1Q

Toodles' Turkey Tale -- https://youtu.be/hsPYwDEWgq4

A Turkey ON the Table Not AT It -- https://youtu.be/WhN08-Z4mfc

Yoga with the Wonky Donkey -- https://youtu.be/BU5EhKSoU9M

Take Time to Be Still and Quiet:

Palm Calm -- https://youtu.be/MPHzM2nxvfI

"Take 5" -- A Five Breath Vacation -- https://youtu.be/T8H2oUdi5yI

Techniques:

Do You Hear the Snakes' Rattles? -- https://youtu.be/s80H-XykFKs

Fireworks -- https://youtu.be/tmw4ef3qJgA

Flamingo to Flying Penguin and Back Again -- https://youtu.be/LDEhG1Z6RWk

Got GRIT? (GRIT Explained) -- https://youtu.be/lez_96BChdc

How to "Windmill" Your Arms -- https://youtu.be/irhJdDJ1mwo

Jolly Juggling -- https://youtu.be/X_cbZJJrt3o

Move Like the Sun -- https://youtu.be/0Sv46QThYxc

Move with GRIT -- https://youtu.be/vniQFKRQUTE

Noise! Noise! Noise! -- https://youtu.be/dSik98WmR_Q

Palm Calm -- https://youtu.be/MPHzM2nxvfI

Pedal Laughing -- https://youtu.be/Ho4yZpWzlow

Put on Your Listening Ears, Eyes, Brain, and Heart -- https://youtu.be/JBL16g-NmiU

Roller Coasterin' -- https://youtu.be/dJ05rAWPCZI

The Sun, The Sun -- https://youtu.be/xLPjlHpTvXc

Surfin' with Surfer Chick -- https://youtu.be/Or8IdS29S5o

Treasure Box Mudra, Walk Your Dog, Moon Stretch, "In Me There's a Light" -- https://youtu.be/9eDW59TEzGk (WKE's Yoga Club, Thank you, Angela!)

Untie Your Bones and Shake Like Jelly -- https://youtu.be/L5flBZsYtNI

Walk Like a Bear -- https://youtu.be/ZFj5aClyjwE

Yoga Coyotes -- https://youtu.be/uRDqQxOBy-0

More YouTube Fun: https://sites.google.com/site/mrsbroam/home/youtubes-for-you

Book Ideas: https://sites.google.com/site/mrsbroam/home/books/yogabooks

Resources to explore: Relax Kids (Marneta Viegas), Cosmic Kids Yoga (Jaime Amor), Kids Yoga Stories (Giselle Shardlow), Global Family Yoga (Mira Binzen)