Yoga in Elementary Classrooms
What are the Benefits?
Practicing yoga in elementary school encourages mindfulness and healthy physical activity from a young age. When student’s are taught how control their breathing and body movements in an interactive environment that encourages experimentation, they are likely to develop a deeper liking for the art of yoga and practice it on their own time. Teaching student’s how to control their breathing and calm their bodies through yoga movements can also help them concentrate better in class, while still gaining the benefits of physical activity (Mardesich, 2017). Yoga is also thought to help students with ADHD regulate their hyperactivity and focus a little bit better in the classroom (Wei, 2016)! Encouraging students to practice yoga when they are angry, stressed or over-active is a valuable regulation tool, that has the potential to benefit them throughout their entire education journey and even into their adult years! Yoga also decreases stress and anxiety in students; a study conducted in 2018 found that anxiety-ridden students who practiced a few times a week found a significant decrease in stress and anxiety levels, and higher levels of concentration and comfort within the classroom (Bazzano, et al, 2017). While many people remain skeptic towards the benefits of yoga on mental health, it has been proven to reduce cortisol levels in the brain; a primary stress hormone (Bazzano, et al, 2017). When practiced daily, yoga can almost “permanently” lower cortisol levels and therefore, “permanently” lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety in both children and adults. Teachers can also benefit off their students practicing yoga and mindfulness, as decreasing the stress and anxiety levels of their students will help establish a calmer, and more efficient learning environment that is easier to teach in (Bazzano, et al., 2017)!
Potential road-blocks of implementing Yoga into elementary schools
Two of the more obvious challenges of implementing yoga into schools is the schools budget, as well as finding the time to practice yoga while trying to get in all the curricular requirements within the school year. Another challenge is parental views; some may view yoga as a “religious” practice that they don’t want their children to be a part of (Mardesich, 2017). Some adaptations to this roadblock have been provided on Yoga Journal, including avoiding the use of terms such as “spirit,” “meditation” and “Samadhi” (a term for intense concentration) and focusing mainly on the physical and mental benefits of yoga practice (Mardesich, 2017). Another challenge is the high possibility that some children may face some discomfort or anxiety when practicing yoga in front of their peers; some may even resist the activities all together (Bazzano, et al, 2017). While there are a few potential roadblocks to successfully implementing yoga in elementary classrooms, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and it’s certainly worth a try!
Examples of Yoga in an Elementary Classroom
- Deep-breathing exercises (Wei, 2016).
- Simple poses such as mountain pose, child’s pose and downward dog to stretch and gain better control of the body.
- Games such as “follow the leader” where each student picks a yoga pose for other students to follow (Wei. 2016)
While the video below may be seen as a bit silly to older children, an activity like this would be perfect for younger grades (I would say up to grade 3)! Even without using the video, the poses included in it (cat pose, cobra pose & downward dog) are easy poses that would be great to start your elementary students off with!
Goals for Next Week
Next week I want to share new songs that I’ve added to my yoga playlist (because I keep forgetting). I also want to add a few more poses to my repertoire, so next week will likely be like my typical inquiry posts! Not too many goals to establish here!
Sources
- Bazzano, A. N., Anderson, C. E., Hylton, C., & Gustat, J. (2018). Effect of mindfulness and yoga on quality of life for elementary school students and teachers: results of a randomized controlled school-based study. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, Volume 11, 81–89. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s157503
- Mardesich, J. (2017, August 28th). Yoga in Schools. Yoga Journal. https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/yoga-in-schools/
- Wei, M. (2016, August 30). More than just a game: Yoga for school-age children – Harvard Health Blog. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/more-than-just-a-game-yoga-for-school-age-children-201601299055
- Video: https://youtu.be/5XCQfYsFa3Ql