Creating a Calmer Classroom
There are so many benefits to children practising yoga on a regular basis, including having a calmer classroom. Have a read below and see how using the Mini Me Yoga 15 minutes a day programme can contribute towards a calmer classroom. I’m going to share some of the benefits here.
- Yoga helps build confidence
It’s amazing watching children progress in the yoga poses week after week and their feeling of achievement when they master something that they’ve found tricky previously is key to their confidence. Tree pose is one of my favourite positions.
Children often find themselves a bit wobbly when they first try a balancing posture but when practiced on a regular basis it’s great to see their faces when they realise that they can be still like a tree and become grounded on that balancing leg.
And the beauty of yoga is it’s totally non competitive. Children progress at their own pace.
- Yoga helps with concentration
Having short breaks throughout the day can really help improve our concentration. Perfect for the classroom. When we practice yoga our nervous system and cardiovascular system becomes balanced thereby helping children with their concentration (and adults too!). Yoga is great for our bodies and our minds.
- Yoga can help children manage those tricky emotions
Breathing exercises are a key part of a yoga class and teaching children about their breath is vital in supporting their mental health and wellbeing. Focused breathing can help with stress, anxiety, overwhelm, anger and lots of other things. Something that they can take away from each class and build into their day.
- Yoga is for everyone!
Not all children enjoy being competitive in sport like football, gymnastics etc. Yoga is for everyone and encourages us all to just focus on ourselves. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing – it’s all about us. From beginner to more practised yoga, it’s great for children who just aren’t happy in a competitive environment. And it’s also great for the footballers and gymnasts too!
- Children’s yoga helps us have a healthy body
A regular practice really will support us to having a healthier body. Yoga helps stretch and strengthen our bodies (and our minds!) Yoga really helps our flexibility and can help reduce the risk of injury in any other activities we might be involved in.
- Children’s yoga helps our balance and coordination
Working through a yoga flow helps to develop our coordination and our balance. Seeing how we improve week on week is such a confidence builder. One week we might feel super wobbly, the next we might have mastered that balance. We are also getting to understand our bodies a lot more.
- Children love to hear stories through yoga
In our Mini Me Yoga classes we can use our Mini Me Cards to either tell a story or to encourage the children to make up a story using the yoga cards. It’s great fun to see how creative the children can be.
- Children’s yoga introduces children to mindfulness
A regular practice of yoga helps children slow down, notice what they are doing, focus on the moment, focus on their breath – all mindful activities. And with this regular practice we may see positive changes in children’s behaviour and they are better able to manage those tricky emotions.
- Children have fun while learning
At Mini Me Yoga we love to introduce a bit of fun too! With poses such as Giggle Breath and Tickle Toes we positively encourage children to laugh and giggle while practising. After all if we make it fun children are more likely to engage.
- A relaxed mind remembers more
And what’s not to love about this.
About Kath Routledge
I’m the Mini Me Yoga Ambassador for Hampshire and offer face to face training and training in schools, nurseries, preschools etc. The first school in Basingstoke to have undergone the Mini Me Yoga Foundation and Meditation Training is Kempshott Infant School, and I’m very much looking forward to hearing how they get on once they start implementing the training after half term!
Find Kath on Facebook: www.facebook.com/minimeyogahampshire
Find Kath on Instagram: www.instagram.com/relaxwithkath
