yoga in classrooms help kids develop better skills
TRANSCRIPT
� � Just like adults, even children can be under a lot of
stress. The numerous school activities, peer-pressure and homework can all up and cause kids some stress.
� Teaching Yoga to children can help them develop better body awareness, self-control, flexibility and coordination. Such skills can even be carried beyond class and into their daily routines.
Summary
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � Instead of staring at the board in front, the kids are
lying on the floor near their desks practicing yoga.
New Trend
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � According to fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith, she
wanted her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology.
� Linking the symbols of Greek gods to yoga poses, such as dog position and the stork pose, Beckwith has high hopes that the students will better retain the material and be re-energized in the middle of the day.
Teacher Testimonial
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � It's fun, said nine-year old Jack Besser. It gets out the
cramps after you've been sitting for an hour. � Another pupil, Medha Prakash, said that the yoga
drills help her to concentrate. It makes me feel calm, relaxed and it gets all the stress out of me.
Kid Testimonials
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � Two years ago, Beckwith started offering yoga in the
classroom. with the help of other teachers at the suburban Atlanta public school. YogaKids International, an Indiana-based company, gives them instructions and distributes teaching materials to more than 50 schools around the country.
Yoga In the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � These materials are large flash cards with kid-
friendly poses that are easy for the students to imitate.
� Teachers hole them up to show the kids and read aloud the step-by-step instructions written on the back of the flashcards.
Yoga In the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � Deep breathing and basic yoga are taught to the
students at their desks, from kindergarten through fifth grade, in order to cope with stress and anxiety that may occur before taking tests.
Yoga In the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � School guidance counselor June Neil has seen a
measurable difference among the students, such as an improvement in test scores and test-taking skills due to a decrease in stress level after yoga routines.
� Neil added, You do need some down time... you do need some way to express yourself and to reduce anxiety that comes along with being in school.
Support for Yoga in the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � According to Dr. Andrew Weil, anxiety and stress are
some of the biggest reasons why young students get sick at the start of the fall semester.
� I think parents underestimate how stressful going back to school is, he said. I think it's as stressful as a grown-up starting a new job.
Support for Yoga in the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/
� � Weil believes that stressed-out kids may complain of
stomach pain or a headache instead of dealing with a stressful situation at school.
� He recommends training children to do simple deep-breathing techniques, just as adults do, to help with stress management.
Support for Yoga in the Classroom
http://www.theopenmindcenter.com/