Self regulation is the ability to calm your mind and body after something unexpected has happened. When an exciting event occurs, we need self regulation to get our heart rate, breathing and behavior back to a regulated state so that we can be functioning members of a group. Children who have a hard time managing their self regulation also have difficulty learning at school, concentrating in class and maintaining socially expected behavior.
You will notice dysregulation in a child when you see the following signs:
- Inability to sit still on the rug at school
- Inability to calm down after something fun (i.e. A funny moment occurs and other children know when and how to go “back to normal.”)
- Talking loudly, even after reminders to lower the volume
- Crashing their bodies into things, or just being generally too rough
- Being super silly (i.e. Laughing too much at the wrong time)
- Appears very distracted when expected to complete a task
Yoga techniques can be generalized to encourage self regulation in children who struggle to “keep it together.” What typically happens when a child is dysregulated, is that they lose their mind-body connection. When the mind and body are disconnected, there seems to be a lack of cause and effect thinking – which leads to behaviors that can quickly spiral out of control.
For example, deep breathing is a basic, transferable skill that is widely used to calm the mind and body. The problem with asking a child to breathe deeply, is that it is not an innate behavior. We need to learn how to breathe deeply before it becomes effective. Having a child hold certain yoga poses like downward dog can quickly regulate a dysregulated child by providing sensory input via both the hands and feet. Deep pressure, provided by weighted items in the YEAS backpack (resources kit – see our online store) can act like a warm hug that calms a child’s sensory system.
In YEAS classes, we teach a whole tool kit of strategies that encourage independent self regulation techniques that can be generalized in life. This is not just nice, idealistic thinking – we have proof that supports the fact that YEAS students are more focused, balanced, regulated and flexible after taking yoga classes with us. Self regulation is a vital life skill, and it is our pleasure to teach these skills to each and every child in our classes.
