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    Yoga in Education

    Yoga doesn’t have to be something you do in a set time slot. Educators often use yoga as the framework surrounding movement breaks in the classroom, to enhance the students’ ability to connect with academic content. Most lower elementary schoolers can sit still for 10-20 minutes before they lose focus. In fact – the average first grader will only pay attention for about 4 minutes at a time.

    According to recent studies, people learn most at the beginning and end of a lesson. By giving students movement breaks, we are creating more beginnings and endings – therefore providing more opportunities to absorb information. In addition, certain types of learners will flourish when given the chance to stretch, jump, jog, push, pull and receive various types sensory input.

    Structure is the key to a worthwhile movement break. Start with something that raises the heart rate, like jogging on the spot or jumping jacks. Then add something that strengthens the core, like planking, boat pose or superman. Next, do an activity that crosses the midline, like cross crawls. Adding in a tracking activity will also re-calibrate your students for learning. For example, extend your arm in front of you with your thumb up. Stare at your thumbnail as you trace the alphabet in the air. Likewise, use your thumb to create figure 8’s as you track your thumbnail the whole time.

    Yoga practice is extremely important for finishing a movement break well. Mindfulness goes hand-in-hand with yoga, so one way to combine the two is finishing a break with child’s pose or half lotus. Have the children become aware of their own breath, listen to every sound of silence, and generally pay attention to the world around them. A successful movement break will finish on a calm note, and the majority of students will have a refreshed ability to connect with their school work.