More and more evidence points to the improvements yoga and mindfulness training can make in the lives of children and adolescents. Yoga has been proven to decrease anxiety, conflict, and attention disorders. It’s been used to curtail bullying in school settings. Some studies show that teaching kids to manage stress and cultivate compassion can have a profound impact on the overall quality of their education as measured by grades and engagement in activities.
The good news is you don’t have to be a yoga teacher to use yoga in the classroom. You don’t even have to have your own yoga practice. If you’re a school teacher and you want to arm yourself with some simple effective techniques to help your students become caring mindful learners, join BAMBU instructor Lauren Foreman for a special 2-hour workshop Yoga In the Classroom: A Toolkit for Educators on Sunday, February 8. Details here.
Special note for those who want to do more to bring yoga into schools in their area: The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health is bringing educators, researchers and yoga teachers together for the Yoga in the Schools Symposium February 17-19.
Further reading:
- Should Schools Teach Kids to Meditate?
- Yoga in school: Could it improve grades?
- Yoga in the Classroom: A New Kind of Education