This article explains how yoga used carefully in conjunction with established school routine and input from staff can result in a livelier, more vibrant learning experience in which the physical and emotional benefits of yoga compliment and add to the children’s educational gains.
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Over the course of my work teaching Yoga in mainstream and SEN schools I regularly receive phone calls from Head Teachers enquiring about the possibility of YogaBuds providing after school Yoga clubs. Obviously, such invitations are immensely gratifying; it shows that the educational, physical and emotional benefits of Yoga for children are being recognised by education professionals and that there is a real demand for the services we provide. It may be surprising, therefore, to learn that we always turn down such requests. Despite the obvious benefits of extra-curricular clubs, we at YogaBuds believe that it is only by fully integrating yoga into the school day and relating it to the curriculum that the truly beneficial gains in pupils’ self-esteem and well-being can be achieved. This article will explain how Yoga, used carefully in conjunction with established school routine and the input of members of staff, can result in a livelier, more vibrant learning experience, in which the physical and emotional benefits of yoga complement and add to the educational gains.
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One of the core elements to the practise of Yoga is the ability to relax. For children, school can be a stressful environment; the educational demands made upon them, in conjunction with their burgeoning social relationships and the invariable problems that these raise, can almost certainly cause problems. After-school clubs can go some way to address these issues by providing a period of relaxation at the end of a school day, however there are practical problems which greatly affect the beneficial effects of the Yoga practice. Primarily, the children will be grumpy and tired. Any teacher will be aware of the drop-off in their pupils’ concentration as the afternoon progresses, coupled, of course, with a similar disintegration in their behaviour. By the time school ends, the children are often worn-out, hungry and fractious, and eager perhaps to leave the school environment.
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The classes themselves would, as a rule, have to encompass several year groups. This is not necessarily a bad thing; combining year groups in activities can certainly help foster a school wide sense of community. However, in terms of successful Yoga practise in relation to children (and by that I mean both physically demanding and fun), the wide range between each year groups’ cognitive and physical development must be acknowledged and the classes shaped around it. A ten year old’s perception of the world is radically different to that of a seven year old; if their yoga class is to be interesting and challenging the Yoga teacher must be aware of their specific level and adapt the lesson accordingly. It is also crucial to remember the social pressures that children are subject to in school. The burdens of ‘fitting in’ and retaining social credibility may prevent some students from undertaking classes with younger pupils, and conversely, younger children may feel intimidated by a class dominated by those from older year groups. Extremely popular classes may have to limit numbers, excluding potential future yoga enthusiasts. We in the Yoga world are well aware of the many fantastic benefits of regular practise at all levels of ability; if a child misses out on the opportunity to try it because of misplaced preconceptions, concerns about the other users of the after-school club or even just because it is impossible to fit into a parent’s busy schedule, then the child is being denied the chance to try an activity which is both calming and physically beneficial.
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So what difference does integrating the yoga sessions within the school timetable make? As an established part of their routine, the children are generally more receptive to the yoga teacher’s instructions; rather than viewing the lesson as an extra-curricular activity (and therefore an opportunity for boisterous behaviour) the pupils are surrounded by their class-mates, teacher and teaching assistants. By necessity, the yoga sessions become an exciting and fun, but nonetheless educational, part of the school day. The presence of the class teacher and other members of staff is a crucial component to lessons. The children are used to those around them and quickly relax into the activities, well aware of the behaviour expected of them and comfortable in the company of their peers. As well as providing extra supervision of students, the members of staff can take part in the yoga practise themselves and enjoy some of the benefits which the pupils gain from the lesson. I speak from personal experience when I say that teachers especially appreciate the opportunity for a period of relaxation during the school day!
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Teachers and teaching assistants provide an integral link to the rest of the class. Much of YogaBuds’ work in schools deals with children with Special Education Needs (SEN). Many of the pupils suffer from, amongst a variety of conditions, Autism, Asbergers and ADHD, often in conjunction with a variety of physical impairments. Close consultation with members of staff familiar with individual children’s strengths and limitations, allows the yoga teacher to construct a suitable lesson plan so that all members of a class can enjoy the lesson. This idea of inclusiveness is the very essence of how we view the potential for what yoga can achieve in schools. I teach a girl named Katie* at a mainstream infants school. Katie suffers from spinae bifeda, meaning that she spends much of the school day in a wheel chair, although she is also able to use a walking frame. If the school only offered an after-school yoga club, I think it would be highly unlikely that Katie would be able to attend. However, with the assistance of her class teacher and her carer, we are able to help Katie transfer from her wheel chair to her walking frame before the lesson begins, and adapt and modify the postures so that she is just as involved in the lesson as her class-mates. The benefits of a regular, structured weekly session allow the yoga teacher to truly learn and understand the needs of each individual child, and adapt accordingly. There are of course broad ramifications to this idea of inclusiveness. Whereas conventional Physical Education lessons may focus on competitive games and depend upon physical prowess, yoga allows every child, irrespective of body shape, flexibility and ability to progress at their own rate. The improvements in the children’s posture work (thanks in many parts to the pupils’ willingness to practise, putting many adult students to shame!) are outshone only by the tremendous difference in their self-esteem. Careful nurturing is necessary on the part of the yoga teacher, but when a child sees their efforts noticed and their progression praised there is a noticeable lift in their demeanour. There have been many instances where the posture sequences practised in yoga lessons have been transferred to a performance in a whole school assembly; for many children this is their first opportunity to show in public their ever-increasing ability in yoga. The effect upon their self-esteem is plain to see.
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The support between class teacher and yoga instructor is not merely in one direction. Because the lessons are based around the established class structure and close working relationships with members of staff, yoga practise can be used as a useful vehicle for exploring diverse parts of the curriculum. An integral part of my teaching technique is to use stories as a means to create cohesive links between a series of postures. Of course, the children find that these stories make each session more fun and they also provide a basis for the pupils to easily remember each specific posture routine. However, they have a real educational value, acting as a starting point for literacy work within the classroom and as sources for ideas and themes relating to PSHE. These ideas can be developed as far as your imagination allows; my work with the children has addressed scientific subject matters such as the life cycle of plants ranging onto yoga - themed - art and Design Technology projects. Presently, in partnership with my colleague who Germany’s renown children’s yoga specialist Petra Proßowsky and the German school where she teaches, several of my classes are using fairy stories as guides to posture sequences and a way to explore a variety of ethical and social dilemmas. The stories, and the ensuing art and creative writing projects, will be exchanged between the schools over the Internet, helping foster a broader understanding across cultures. Brighter pupils will be stretched in terms of IT skills and Modern Languages, in line with the government’s 2001 guidelines relating to ‘Gifted and Talented’ primary school pupils. Yoga will therefore be integral in facilitating an enjoyable and unique educational experience.
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It still surprises me, and thrills me, in my daily teaching, just how much children enjoy and benefit from yoga. Children who are normally excluded from a variety of activities, because of physical or behavioural impediments can be included safely and receive the vast physical and emotional gains. Significantly, however, I have seen from first hand experience the real educational benefit that a properly structured and planned integration with the school day that yoga can bring. Complex ideas can be conveyed in an interesting and vibrant manner; children can partake in a physical activity where physical ability and body shape is immaterial; and I see the pupils well and truly enjoy school! When I compare this vast range of benefits to what after-school clubs can potentially offer, it emphatically shows to me which direction school yoga should take.
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