Yoga in Classrooms Help Kids Develop Better Skills
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Health Fitness -> subcategory Other.
Yoga in Classrooms: Enhancing Skills and Reducing Stress for Kids
Summary
Children, much like adults, can experience significant stress due to school activities, peer pressure, and homework. Introducing yoga in classrooms helps children develop body awareness, self-control, flexibility, and coordination?"skills that extend beyond the classroom into daily life.
Article
A new trend is emerging in classrooms: instead of sitting at desks, children are now practicing yoga on the floor. At Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith integrates yoga into her lessons on Greek mythology. By linking Greek gods to yoga poses, such as the dog and stork positions, Beckwith aims to help students better retain information and feel rejuvenated during the day. "It's a fun way for them to think about things," Beckwith explained. "It's healthy because they're learning proper breathing and stretching."
Nine-year-old Jack Besser enjoys the activity, remarking, "It gets out the cramps after you've been sitting for an hour." Fellow student Medha Prakash added, "It makes me feel calm, relaxed, and relieves my stress."
Children, like adults, face stress from school activities, peer pressure, and homework. Incorporating yoga into their routines can promote body awareness, self-control, flexibility, and coordination, benefiting them beyond the classroom.
Two years ago, Beckwith, along with other teachers, began incorporating yoga at their suburban Atlanta school. Supported by YogaKids International, an Indiana-based company, materials like large flash cards with kid-friendly poses were distributed to more than 50 schools nationwide. Teachers use these cards to demonstrate poses and provide step-by-step instructions.
Beyond lesson plans, yoga is incorporated into physical education classes to instill discipline. "If you say you're going to do yoga with the kids, they immediately start focusing," said PE teacher Katie Bashor.
From kindergarten through fifth grade, students learn deep breathing and basic yoga at their desks to manage stress and anxiety, particularly before tests. School guidance counselor June Neal is unfazed by criticisms that yoga takes time away from traditional learning. Neal emphasizes that elementary education encompasses more than just academics and has noticed improvements in test scores and stress levels following yoga routines. "You need downtime and a way to express yourself," Neal stated.
Dr. Andrew Weil highlights that anxiety and stress are major causes of illness in young students at the start of the school year. "I think parents underestimate how stressful going back to school is," he noted, comparing it to adults starting a new job. Weil suggests children practice deep-breathing techniques to manage stress, just as adults do.
Yoga in classrooms offers more than just physical exercise; it provides valuable tools for stress management and holistic development.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Yoga in Classrooms Help Kids Develop Better Skills.
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