Namaste in School: Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness Practice for Kids

Source: Sitting Still Like a Frog

A frog is a remarkable creature. It is capable of enormous leaps, but it can also sit very, very still. Although it is aware of everything that happens in and around it, the frog tends not to react right away. The frog sits still and breathes, preserving its energy instead of getting carried away by all the ideas that keep popping into its head. The frog sits still, very still, while it breathes. -Siting Still Like a Frog

My first year of teaching was absolutely incredible but it was also very exhausting. I got to work early and stayed late and spent most of my free time working on lesson plans or thinking about how to improve my classroom. The first semester, I left no time for myself. My life was a constant stream of Go, Go, Go. During winter break I had the major realization that in order to be the best teacher I could be, I had to make time for myself. I had to relax. I had to find time to just be still.

As a full-time dream chaser, this wasn't easy for me. I found that it was difficult to do nothing--I felt like I always had to be doing something. I'd practiced yoga on and off throughout high school and college but last year I made a commitment to myself to practice yoga every day. I noticed such a huge change in my energy and attitude (no surprise there). I was able to focus better, teach better, and sleep better. I soon started practicing yoga in the morning with my students with the hope that it would help them prepare for their busy days. I wasn't sure what to expect but they ended up LOVING it and it soon became part of our morning routine. And science doesn't lie. Check out this article from Teaching Tolerance about yoga in public schools.

source: Teaching Tolerance

This summer one of my friends introduced me to a very special book: Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel which emphasizes the importance of mindfulness exercises for kids. Eline writes "The practice of mindfulness at any age is both simple and profound. Above all, it involves learning--learning how to cultivate greater self-awareness and greater awareness of others and the world."

In addition to practicing yoga we also practice mindfulness daily, using exercises from Sitting Still Like a Frog (which I highly recommend)! It may be the only silence they experience throughout their day and it's so important for them to be able to get in touch with their feelings and set positive intentions for the day.

Because mindfulness is really about attention and the awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, it is at its core universal. It does not belong to any culture or tradition or belief system. And, as we have seen, it is basic to learning anything. For this reason, and especially given the growing evidence of its efficacy in different domains, more and more teachers...are bringing mindfulness to K-12 education. -Sitting Still Like a Frog

Want more? Check out this powerful video about the effects of mindfulness practice.
Aliza and the Mind Jar from Hover on Vimeo.

Do you practice mindfulness or yoga with your students or children? Comment below to let me know! 

Namaste,