Work-Out Wednesday: Yoga!

I've been hearing a lot of talk about yoga in the classroom, and the benefits it may have on a child's learning. When I think about it, it seems like inviting yoga into a classroom environment really could be a potentially rewarding experience.  Sure, school days are packed to the brim with little time to add anything new to the schedule, but I was wondering if maybe adding a few minutes of yoga to the morning routine would get the kids minds in gear and focused-ready to learn. I do believe that yoga teaches patience and would help kids calm down and find a new outlet for their anger and stress. Learning self-control and focus through yoga could prevent children from becoming off task, and would give their minds the tools to help them solve those trivial issues that seem to arise pretty frequently in young lives.  Maybe teaching kids how to control their bodies and minds would help with problem solving skills and would actually leave more time in the day for learning by taking away discipline problems that sometimes slow the learning process down. It is good to quiet the mind sometimes, and improving balance and motor skills are a plus! I included a (kinda cheesy) kids yoga video below, and a link to several more videos of the same type. This video would be easy for students to follow (so you don't have to awkwardly pose for them!-unless you want to...) and brings yoga to a kid friendly level. Hey, you never know when you might have an indoor recess with nothing to do! Just pop this video on and see what happens! 

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Yoga Videos

Check these sites out for more information on yoga in the classroom:

Yoga Kids

Yoga 4 Classrooms