Help Kids Develop Better Skills

� � Just like adults, even children can be under a lot of

stress. The numerous school activities, peer-pressure and homework can all up and cause kids some stress.

� Teaching Yoga to children can help them develop better body awareness, self-control, flexibility and coordination. Such skills can even be carried beyond class and into their daily routines.

Summary

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� � Instead of staring at the board in front, the kids are

lying on the floor near their desks practicing yoga.

New Trend

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� � According to fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith, she

wanted her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology.

� Linking the symbols of Greek gods to yoga poses, such as dog position and the stork pose, Beckwith has high hopes that the students will better retain the material and be re-energized in the middle of the day.

Teacher Testimonial

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� � It's fun, said nine-year old Jack Besser. It gets out the

cramps after you've been sitting for an hour. � Another pupil, Medha Prakash, said that the yoga

drills help her to concentrate. It makes me feel calm, relaxed and it gets all the stress out of me.

Kid Testimonials

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� � Two years ago, Beckwith started offering yoga in the

classroom. with the help of other teachers at the suburban Atlanta public school. YogaKids International, an Indiana-based company, gives them instructions and distributes teaching materials to more than 50 schools around the country.

Yoga In the Classroom

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� � These materials are large flash cards with kid-

friendly poses that are easy for the students to imitate.

� Teachers hole them up to show the kids and read aloud the step-by-step instructions written on the back of the flashcards.

Yoga In the Classroom

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� � Deep breathing and basic yoga are taught to the

students at their desks, from kindergarten through fifth grade, in order to cope with stress and anxiety that may occur before taking tests.

Yoga In the Classroom

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� � School guidance counselor June Neil has seen a

measurable difference among the students, such as an improvement in test scores and test-taking skills due to a decrease in stress level after yoga routines.

� Neil added, You do need some down time... you do need some way to express yourself and to reduce anxiety that comes along with being in school.

Support for Yoga in the Classroom

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� � According to Dr. Andrew Weil, anxiety and stress are

some of the biggest reasons why young students get sick at the start of the fall semester.

� I think parents underestimate how stressful going back to school is, he said. I think it's as stressful as a grown-up starting a new job.

Support for Yoga in the Classroom

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� � Weil believes that stressed-out kids may complain of

stomach pain or a headache instead of dealing with a stressful situation at school.

� He recommends training children to do simple deep-breathing techniques, just as adults do, to help with stress management.

Support for Yoga in the Classroom

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� � Holcomb Bridge Crossing

� 1575 Old Alabama Road Suite 213 � Roswell, Georgia 30076

� (678) 243-5074 (Phone) � (678) 629-3634 (Fax)

� Mon-Thur: 10:00am - 8:00pm ET � Fri-Sat: 10:00am - 6:00pm ET

Contact Us

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