Why bring yoga to school children?
Mental and physical well being
Mental and physical well being is becoming all the more important in schools. Students are under increasing pressure to perform in examinations, going on to experience fierce competition for places in further education or in the hunt for jobs. Techniques for dealing with these stresses in life helps teenagers to cope.
Building Confidence
Yoga is a new activity to most students. Once past the initial laughing stage, students begin to focus and realise they can achieve the poses. Yoga improves self awareness and it gives teenagers the opportunity to get to know their own body. Self image can be improved in the knowledge that everybody is different, both aesthetically and in terms of movement.
Rapid Success
Success in yoga is addictive, and a block of six to ten lessons gives students a taste of the yoga poses and breathing techniques adopted. This can offer them a chance to develop what may become their own practice, or at least a tool kit they can refer to if they need to calm and rejuvenate their mind and body.
Sporty or Non-sporty?
Forgotten your PE kit again?..............a proportion of students are turned off by physical education and don't want to participate in sporting activities. Yoga is a non-competitive activity and therefore undertaken on an individual's terms. But yoga is good for sporty types too. It supports the mind/body connection, increases strength, flexibility and performance, and provides quality down time. You'd be surprised how many professional sportsmen and women use yoga to compliment their training, from international rugby players to Olympic champion snowboarders.