Two weeks ago, we initiated our Mindfulness Matters rotation with the middle school students at our school.
The three-rotation session consisted of a yoga station, a meditation station (led by a local meditation practitioner and instructor), and an ‘hour in nature’ station led by a former Outward Bound leader.
Admittedly, we began the rotations purely as an experiment. An experiment to address one of our school’s whole-child learning mandate: support strong social-emotional growth. However, after sharing my first three twenty-minute vinyasa yoga sessions with my students, with varying degrees of engagement among the groups, I wondered if our well-intentioned efforts on the yoga mats would yield any results with an adherence to a regular weekly practice.
Not Just For Adults (Anymore)
It appears as though the Harvard Medical School is sharing the benefits of yoga in schools. So, too, the National Institute of Health found significant benefits (along with a mindfulness program) of regular yoga in classrooms. A study at Penn State University also declared “the power” of yoga in schools.
What’s in store for next week you ask? How are we moving forward with our mindfulness learning?
One of our amazingly supportive parents has committed to lead the yoga station (and share her love of kundalini yoga with our students) for the next three sessions.
Very cool.
And I’m about to learn something new, too.
Even cooler.
JY
GETTING CURIOUS 
love this so much!!! I’ve been doing more yoga with my class as well, full savasana in the classroom or the FAC, while I do a guided relaxation. We’ve also been doing gratitude circles, and daily mindfulness and meditation. It’s been wonderful! Often, I realize how much re-grounding I needed to be the solid base of support I aspire to be for my classroom kiddos. Cheers!
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