Here are three effective resources to fuel anyone’s passion for bringing yoga into the classroom, lunchroom, or gymnasium.
- Know who to approach at the school:
Depending on the atmosphere at your school you may want to approach from a few directions to get yoga into a school. This article, based on an interview I did with a school Vice Principal (soon to be Principal) will give you tons of ideas for approaching department heads, parent advisory boards, and principals: How to Start a Kids Yoga Program at a School. - Know What to Say:
This video has highlights from a panel discussion called Bringing Yoga into Schools from the Yoga Festival Toronto. It has a few experts in the field of kids yoga sharing their knowledge that will help you figure out what to say. (I’m featured at about the 2 minute mark!) - Prepare them for a fun KIDS Yoga Class:
I have found that some schools need to be educated that yoga for children is different than yoga for adults. Kids yoga includes play based learning that can be NOISY. As the children come to appreciate the yoga and meditation, only then does it start to resemble a quiet and calm adult class.When I go into a school, I prepare the teachers by explaining that we will start playfully. For instance, I use the coloring pages in this video that features a Super Hero named Yoga Man. Kids don’t realize that the villain, The Stressor, is teaching them about stress.
The play helps them start learning, then the yoga helps the class transform. Prepare the teachers for this learning curve so they aren’t surprised by the noise.
I don’t think you’ve ever seen the Sun Salutation done this way! Use playful games to get started but be sure to finish with a little peace and quiet. Here is a special sneak preview of the new on-line training for the Sun Salutation: Yoga Man vs. The Stressor. The official launch is coming very soon to Young Yoga Masters!
Bringing Yoga into Schools from Toronto Body Mind on Vimeo.
These Three Resources for Bringing Yoga into Schools contain many ideas on how to get started teaching kids yoga.
If you have any other tips feel free to add them into the comments.
Aruna Kathy Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com
Having visual references and organizing the yoga poses (exercises) that you’ll teach is really helpful. We’ve created two cards deck sets (52 cards, 5″x7″) that are great for classrooms and teaching kids.
Yoga for Small Spaces (http://addriya.com/shop/yss-office-school-chair-yoga/) was specifically designed for classroom, where this is not a lot of room or mats to get kids on the floor. So all exercises can be done standing or sitting.
Learn With Yoga: ABC Yoga Cards for Kids (http://addriya.com/shop/learn-with-yoga-abc-yoga-cards-for-kids/) combines reading readiness and language development with yoga.
It must be hard to convince some schools, but honestly with time and effort it could make a huge difference. It seems in this day and age phys ed is going away so fast. Is there anyone doing research? If you are actively teaching children, you should try seeking a grant for research. It’s ALOT of work but, if you could put it into numbers and percentages that show not only the improvements in locomotor and ability skills, healthy weight, and heart disease and diabetes but also help decrease the incidences of bullying. You could really get their attention.
Thanks for the comment Kristina. I agree that research gets attention! I keep a file of different studies I read about in the newspaper that support kids yoga.