By Faye Martins
Elementary teachers have
advocated implementing programs into the curriculum that help children focus. That is why, despite some concerns about the connection of yoga to spiritual growth, yoga has become an accepted practice in physical education classrooms
across the United States.
People practice yoga not
just for its physical fitness value, but also because, simply put, it gives kids the time to enjoy being a child. Taking time to stretch, breathe deeply and focus not only gets the
blood circulating, it also relaxes the body and stimulates the mind.
Yoga curriculum in children's
education is important for one primary reason. Many children around the world,
particularly those affected by attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorders,
have trouble concentrating in class. And since yoga actively practices
focus, studies like the one performed in 2003 by researchers at California
State University, Los Angeles, indicate a positive correlation between grades,
behavior and yoga practice. In other words, children who practice yoga are more
likely to be better behaved and to earn higher grades than their peers who do
not practice yoga.
Most schools that
incorporate yoga into their curriculum do so after stripping it of any
religious overtones; for example, meditation time in schools becomes
imagination time. Since kids generally take yoga less seriously than adults
do, it turns out children can still reap the benefits of focused relaxation
from a session of stretches and poses that help train the mind to concentrate.
Another reason that
children need yoga is that it is a physical activity where overt competition or
athletic skills are not necessary. Even young kids who do not like gym or game
time can appreciate an active yoga session they can excel in.
Another added benefit of
incorporating yoga into the curriculum is that teachers can utilize the warm-up
and stretching poses for story or learning time. For example, an elementary
teacher could incorporate a history lesson by walking the kids through
stretches while describing a day in the life of a Native American tribal chief
or of a young girl in a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail. Combining physical
activity with mental stimulation will keep kids engaged with the material even
while they release energy and learn to slow down.
Clearly, adding yoga to
children's education can help them stay on task, score higher on tests, and
remember information longer. And since children need to do well in these areas
to be successful in school, incorporating yoga into the curriculum is a
no-brainer!
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Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
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