The Benefits of bringing Yoga to the Classrooms
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Mar 24, 2012, 4:53:08 PM3/24/12
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Children these days are busier than ever, overstimulated and
overloaded with information and technology.
Some people swear by the calming effect of yoga on children. Yoga
studios for kids, such as Butterfly Yoga in Ville Emard, are becoming
increasingly popular. Teachers like Angie Continisio are convinced
that today's children need to calm down.
"We're always in a rush to do things," she told CTV's Tarah Schwartz.
"We're always running from one place to another. So I teach the
children to breathe, to be grounded, to be present in the moment."
Children like the 8-year-old D'arcy McCready love it.
"It makes me feel in harmony and in a peaceful place," she said.
Yoga in the classroom
The elements of stress relief are catching on for even the youngest
kids — many of whom face intensifying obligations in daily life.
On any given day at Coconut Creek Elementary school in Florida, it's
likely that you'll find the children in an unlikely position: downward
dog.
They lean on their hands with their bottoms in the air, swaying and
breathing and centering themselves. Then, they curl up into child's
pose and listen to their breath while steadying their heart rates.
In the coming weeks, their yoga practice will intensify to help the
children deal with No Child Left Behind testing in March.
"There's a lot of high-stakes testing for No Child Left Behind," said
Deborah Collins, a Florida-based school psychologist and co-developer
of the yoga program. "A lot of the decisions are based on how they do,
and the test is administered once a year. It creates a lot of
tension."
To prevent the students from becoming too stressed — and to help them
focus before the big day — schools throughout the country are counting
on a technique that adults have long employed to deal with demanding
work and home situations: yoga.
A study by California State University researchers in Los Angeles
found that practicing yoga helps students' academic performance,
overall health and behavior.
And teachers and parents are hoping this new yoga fanaticism in
schools will help foster calmer, saner, healthier children.
"Today, children are stressed about everything," said Michelle Kelsey
Mitchell, yoga instructor and executive director of YoKid, a Virginia-
based nonprofit organization that brings yoga to schools for
underserved children. "Our kids are overscheduled, they have a full
day at school, and oftentimes they have a multitude of activities that
they're involved in after school and on the weekends. They don't
necessarily get a break, and when they do get a break, it's in front
of the TV or it's playing a video game, which isn't a true break for
them."
The added pressure of bullying issues, combined with a decrease in
sports and outdoor activities can even lead to stressed-out, sleep-
deprived 3-year-olds, said Jillian Moriarty, a Minnesota-based yoga
instructor and creator of Happily Ever Active, a brand consisting of
yoga gear and DVDs.
That's where yoga comes in.
But what do the kids actually do?
Yoga gives children breathing techniques and calming methods that
they're able to call upon whenever life gets overwhelming, Mitchell
said. And the inverted postures increase blood flow to the sleep
centers of their brains, which helps them get a more restorative sleep
at night.
In Mitchell's classes, she teaches kids ages 3 to 18 to lie down
without sleeping. They learn how to appreciate their bodies and how to
relax mindfully.
Mitchell even recommends starting yoga for the diaper set. She does
stretching and breathing exercises with her infant.
"It can be anything from physically moving and stretching them, or
taking opposite fingers to opposite toes, hugging them close and
breathing deeply with them," she said. "They sleep better, they cry a
little less, and they seem to be overall more happy."
While there aren't any statistics as to how many schools are bringing
yoga to their students, the anecdotal evidence of yoga in the schools
appears to be growing, and it's being offered in public schools,
private schools and after school.
It's especially crucial that children take the time to breathe and
relax now, said Feather Hawk, a children's yoga instructor at Ananda
Kula, a Florida yoga studio.
"Everything today is constant stimulation, from the Internet to the
television," he said. "They need to take an hour to disconnect and
make room for play and self-expression."
The parents who usually drag their little ones into the studio tend to
take yoga classes themselves, and they understand how important it is
to take the time to decompress, Hawk said.
But the child-focused classes are very different. After all, it would
be difficult to persuade a child to hold each pose silently for upward
of 5 minutes while concentrating on nothing but his or her breath.
So instead, they are instructed to look like their favorite animal —
and hold that crouching position. Or, they are led through a story
based on the yoga postures, Hawk said. They might even color in
pictures of people doing yoga positions so they become more familiar
with the various moves.
Soothe vs. remove stressors
Not everyone is so convinced of yoga's magical cure for children,
however.
Dr. Michelle Riba, professor of psychiatry at the University of
Michigan and past president of the American Psychiatric Association,
said teaching yoga to children for stress relief is akin to putting a
Band-Aid on a tumor.
"One might say, 'Why don't we de-stress them instead of doing
something to fix the stress,'" Riba said. "It's like giving a medicine
— and then giving another medicine to fix the side effects. Maybe
people should look at trying not to put so much stress on the
children."
Cutting back on after-school activities would be the first step, Riba
said.
But at a time when "tiger mom" is a household name, it's hard to be
the mother who's keeping her children at home instead of at music
class.
So yoga gives them the tools they need to take a break, no matter what
they're doing.
"It's easy for kids to feel overwhelmed with busy schedules,
academics, hectic home lives and increased social pressures," said
Laurie Jordan, director of kids programs at Kaia Yoga in Connecticut.
"Yoga helps them release excess energy, tension and stress while
instilling a sense of calm, and helping kids develop self-awareness
and self-soothing techniques which they can use in any situation."
Easy yoga positions for kids
Give your kid a quick fix with these easy yoga poses designed for
children by Lisa Flynn, founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4
Classrooms, which are programs used in schools nationwide.
Big white star visualization: While lying in bed — or even sitting up
with your head resting on your desk, imagine a big, bright, white
star. Let the light of the star travel to your head, your shoulders
and down your body, filling you with light and love with each breath.
Notice how it feels to be filled completely with love.
Washing machine: Standing with your legs hip distance apart, keep
everything from your waist down still while you swing your arms back
and forth like a washing machine. Close your eyes, and try to wash
away any bad thoughts with your washing machine. Go back to the
standing position, and with an inhale, lift your arms up. Exhale and
bring them back down to your sides.
Mountain pose: Stand tall and strong like a mountain, and find
something to focus your eyes on. Inhale, and raise your shoulders to
your ears. Exhale, and lower them down again. Inhale, and lift your
arms up over your head. Exhale, and reach your arms to one side,
feeling a nice stretch. Concentrating on your breath, do the same to
the other side.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0215-fitness-kids-yoga-20120215,0,6175391,full.story
---
Related links:
Are you Eating Antibiotics without knowing it?
http://www.thenutritionpost.com/eatright/are-you-eating-antibiotics-without-knowing-it-probably.html
How to Avoid Genetically Modified Food (GMOs)?
http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/how-to-avoid-gmos
Special Report: Children's Yoga
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100318/mtl_kids_yoga100318/20100318/?hub=MontrealHome
The Benefits of teaching Yoga to Kids
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/fitness/the_benefits_of_teaching_yoga_to_kids.php
overloaded with information and technology.
Some people swear by the calming effect of yoga on children. Yoga
studios for kids, such as Butterfly Yoga in Ville Emard, are becoming
increasingly popular. Teachers like Angie Continisio are convinced
that today's children need to calm down.
"We're always in a rush to do things," she told CTV's Tarah Schwartz.
"We're always running from one place to another. So I teach the
children to breathe, to be grounded, to be present in the moment."
Children like the 8-year-old D'arcy McCready love it.
"It makes me feel in harmony and in a peaceful place," she said.
Yoga in the classroom
The elements of stress relief are catching on for even the youngest
kids — many of whom face intensifying obligations in daily life.
On any given day at Coconut Creek Elementary school in Florida, it's
likely that you'll find the children in an unlikely position: downward
dog.
They lean on their hands with their bottoms in the air, swaying and
breathing and centering themselves. Then, they curl up into child's
pose and listen to their breath while steadying their heart rates.
In the coming weeks, their yoga practice will intensify to help the
children deal with No Child Left Behind testing in March.
"There's a lot of high-stakes testing for No Child Left Behind," said
Deborah Collins, a Florida-based school psychologist and co-developer
of the yoga program. "A lot of the decisions are based on how they do,
and the test is administered once a year. It creates a lot of
tension."
To prevent the students from becoming too stressed — and to help them
focus before the big day — schools throughout the country are counting
on a technique that adults have long employed to deal with demanding
work and home situations: yoga.
A study by California State University researchers in Los Angeles
found that practicing yoga helps students' academic performance,
overall health and behavior.
And teachers and parents are hoping this new yoga fanaticism in
schools will help foster calmer, saner, healthier children.
"Today, children are stressed about everything," said Michelle Kelsey
Mitchell, yoga instructor and executive director of YoKid, a Virginia-
based nonprofit organization that brings yoga to schools for
underserved children. "Our kids are overscheduled, they have a full
day at school, and oftentimes they have a multitude of activities that
they're involved in after school and on the weekends. They don't
necessarily get a break, and when they do get a break, it's in front
of the TV or it's playing a video game, which isn't a true break for
them."
The added pressure of bullying issues, combined with a decrease in
sports and outdoor activities can even lead to stressed-out, sleep-
deprived 3-year-olds, said Jillian Moriarty, a Minnesota-based yoga
instructor and creator of Happily Ever Active, a brand consisting of
yoga gear and DVDs.
That's where yoga comes in.
But what do the kids actually do?
Yoga gives children breathing techniques and calming methods that
they're able to call upon whenever life gets overwhelming, Mitchell
said. And the inverted postures increase blood flow to the sleep
centers of their brains, which helps them get a more restorative sleep
at night.
In Mitchell's classes, she teaches kids ages 3 to 18 to lie down
without sleeping. They learn how to appreciate their bodies and how to
relax mindfully.
Mitchell even recommends starting yoga for the diaper set. She does
stretching and breathing exercises with her infant.
"It can be anything from physically moving and stretching them, or
taking opposite fingers to opposite toes, hugging them close and
breathing deeply with them," she said. "They sleep better, they cry a
little less, and they seem to be overall more happy."
While there aren't any statistics as to how many schools are bringing
yoga to their students, the anecdotal evidence of yoga in the schools
appears to be growing, and it's being offered in public schools,
private schools and after school.
It's especially crucial that children take the time to breathe and
relax now, said Feather Hawk, a children's yoga instructor at Ananda
Kula, a Florida yoga studio.
"Everything today is constant stimulation, from the Internet to the
television," he said. "They need to take an hour to disconnect and
make room for play and self-expression."
The parents who usually drag their little ones into the studio tend to
take yoga classes themselves, and they understand how important it is
to take the time to decompress, Hawk said.
But the child-focused classes are very different. After all, it would
be difficult to persuade a child to hold each pose silently for upward
of 5 minutes while concentrating on nothing but his or her breath.
So instead, they are instructed to look like their favorite animal —
and hold that crouching position. Or, they are led through a story
based on the yoga postures, Hawk said. They might even color in
pictures of people doing yoga positions so they become more familiar
with the various moves.
Soothe vs. remove stressors
Not everyone is so convinced of yoga's magical cure for children,
however.
Dr. Michelle Riba, professor of psychiatry at the University of
Michigan and past president of the American Psychiatric Association,
said teaching yoga to children for stress relief is akin to putting a
Band-Aid on a tumor.
"One might say, 'Why don't we de-stress them instead of doing
something to fix the stress,'" Riba said. "It's like giving a medicine
— and then giving another medicine to fix the side effects. Maybe
people should look at trying not to put so much stress on the
children."
Cutting back on after-school activities would be the first step, Riba
said.
But at a time when "tiger mom" is a household name, it's hard to be
the mother who's keeping her children at home instead of at music
class.
So yoga gives them the tools they need to take a break, no matter what
they're doing.
"It's easy for kids to feel overwhelmed with busy schedules,
academics, hectic home lives and increased social pressures," said
Laurie Jordan, director of kids programs at Kaia Yoga in Connecticut.
"Yoga helps them release excess energy, tension and stress while
instilling a sense of calm, and helping kids develop self-awareness
and self-soothing techniques which they can use in any situation."
Easy yoga positions for kids
Give your kid a quick fix with these easy yoga poses designed for
children by Lisa Flynn, founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4
Classrooms, which are programs used in schools nationwide.
Big white star visualization: While lying in bed — or even sitting up
with your head resting on your desk, imagine a big, bright, white
star. Let the light of the star travel to your head, your shoulders
and down your body, filling you with light and love with each breath.
Notice how it feels to be filled completely with love.
Washing machine: Standing with your legs hip distance apart, keep
everything from your waist down still while you swing your arms back
and forth like a washing machine. Close your eyes, and try to wash
away any bad thoughts with your washing machine. Go back to the
standing position, and with an inhale, lift your arms up. Exhale and
bring them back down to your sides.
Mountain pose: Stand tall and strong like a mountain, and find
something to focus your eyes on. Inhale, and raise your shoulders to
your ears. Exhale, and lower them down again. Inhale, and lift your
arms up over your head. Exhale, and reach your arms to one side,
feeling a nice stretch. Concentrating on your breath, do the same to
the other side.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0215-fitness-kids-yoga-20120215,0,6175391,full.story
---
Related links:
Are you Eating Antibiotics without knowing it?
http://www.thenutritionpost.com/eatright/are-you-eating-antibiotics-without-knowing-it-probably.html
How to Avoid Genetically Modified Food (GMOs)?
http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/how-to-avoid-gmos
Special Report: Children's Yoga
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100318/mtl_kids_yoga100318/20100318/?hub=MontrealHome
The Benefits of teaching Yoga to Kids
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/fitness/the_benefits_of_teaching_yoga_to_kids.php
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