As yoga is becoming more mainstream for adults in recent years, the benefits are indubitable; more and more schools are starting to embrace the power of yoga and mindfulness to improve the wellbeing of their students. Being a yoga newbie myself and a full time primary school teacher, I have been wondering about ways of bringing yoga into the classroom.

Great news, folks!   🥁  🥁  🥁  *drumroll*

You don’t have to be a certified yoga teacher to bring yoga into your classroom. Below are some easy ways that you can start bringing yoga into your classroom right away.

Read on to see how you can get started with incorporating yoga into your classroom!

1. Use online resources
   

   
   If you are like me, completely stumped by the idea of leading yoga yourself but really want to, call in some backup from your best friend Google! There are so many wonderful yoga videos on the internet. If you have access to a computer in your classroom, set your students up with the video and let them go. I have linked one from my favourite yogi, Adriene, but there are so many more out there.

2. Offer Yoga as a Break
   

   If you have a spacious classroom, set aside a place for pupils to take a break when they feel tired. Try setting up a yoga mat in the corner of your classroom and allow pupils to use it during free work time or when they complete an assignment. You can have a few pictures of yoga poses, books, or have a poster in that area available for their reference.

3. Use a Yoga Card Deck
   

   There are so many fun yoga decks on the market that illustrate the poses in a child friendly way. Using these cards is as easy as reading the descriptions to your students and having them follow along. You can set aside just five minutes a day to work on some poses. If you have more time, here are more ideas of fun ways to use yoga cards.

4. Make Yoga Part of Your Daily Routine
   

   Many teachers gather their pupils together for circle time this might be the perfect place to incorporate yoga. You can offer your pupils a couple of seated poses in the morning to help center them. You can also try doing a few poses before and after a transition as a way to reset and refocus. Students get tired and fidgety especially when they are waiting in line, try some standing poses, or simply a breathing exercise. Any time that the energy in the class is high or students need a brain break might be the perfect time to practice yoga.

5. Go With the Flow

   A major obstacle that teachers encounter is finding the time to fit one more thing into their lesson plans. The great thing with the above methods is that there’s no planning involved. Any one of them can be added just like sprinkles to sweeten up the day and increase children’s movement and focus. Use it as you wish.

Have you tried sitting on those wooden chairs all day, it’s not at all surprising that children fidget and wiggle in their seats all day long! Why not give it a go?

Leave a comment below if you already practice yoga in the classroom or if you are just starting out. Can’t wait to read about how it’s going! 🙏

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Till next time…