YogaJournalSingapore-February092018

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february / march 2018

yogajournal.com.sg

I’M A YOGI

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YOGA JOURNAL SINGAPORE (ISSN #24249246)is an international licensed edition of Yoga Journal and is published by Sankia Publishing Pte Ltd. All contents in this magazine are

non-religious and not affiliated to any religious organization. The pictures have all been credited to photographers except in those cases where they were legally purchased or procured

from free online sites that allow commercial use.

Lynda Scott

ART DIRECTION : ANUJA BAGADE

Lynda Scott, Principal of the Infant

School at UWC South East Asia

(UWCSEA) Dover in Singapore, has

another role that she performs to

a T—teaching yoga to students,

faculty and parents. Here, she

shares with Yoga Journal what it is

that fascinates her about yoga.

My earliest memory of doing yoga was as a

child in the early 1970s in Australia, following

what Swami Sarasvati did on TV, and it was

ever so mysterious and exotic! As an adult, I

started practicing yoga in the early 90s with a

group of friends. We’d wake up early and do

an outdoor session as the sun began to rise.

It was a time in my life of deep reflection and

transition. Yoga grounded me and gave me

clarity.

I knew yoga was incredibly beneficial to me as

an adult and I was convinced that there was a

place for yoga at school. There wasn’t a great

deal of research to support my thinking back

then, but as an early childhood teacher I had

successfully introduced yoga to my students.

In 2005, I finally completed the training and

became a certified children’s yoga teacher

through the Radiant Child Yoga organization.

Now, as the Infant School Principal at UWCSEA

Dover, I introduce yoga to our youngest

learners (aged 4-7 years) once a week as part of

our activities programme.

We should all practice yoga! The benefits of

this ancient practice are well documented—

yoga, breathing techniques and meditation

are a holistic fitness package. Yoga leads

to improved health, physical strength and

flexibility; it supports mental health and

enables clarity of thought; and is a great stress

reliever that can promote inner peace.

Yoga both energizes and grounds me. It helps

me to focus and find balance not only on

the mat but in work and life as well. A gentle

restorative session in the evening stills my

mind and helps me sleep.

I love the Child Pose. There’s something about

Balasana that is nourishing and nurturing,

especially as a resting pose during a more

challenging flow sequence. It opens the

hips and elongates the lower back, great for

runners!

I can see what children appreciate—they love

the time and permission to just slow down, to

still their bodies and minds. Our children are

such busy beings and having time dedicated

to yoga and mindfulness gives them a space

to reflect on their day. A growing body of

research indicates that yoga helps improve

focus, memory, self-esteem, academic success

and general classroom behavior. It can

reduce anxiety and stress in children, while

also nurturing mind-body awareness, self-

regulation and overall physical fitness.

I am grateful to be working in a school that

prioritizes mental health and well-being,

not only for students but the entire school

community. Our UWCSEA curriculum

specifically addresses these areas, and personal

and social education is an essential component

of our learning programme.

One of my favorite days was when we

celebrated World Yoga Day in conjunction

with the United Nations International Day of

Yoga at Dover Campus. We ran an outdoor

yoga session for 300 children aged 4-7 with

the support of parents and High School

students. The theme was ‘warriors for peace

and harmony’ which tied in beautifully with

our UWCSEA mission, “to make education a

force to unite people, nations and cultures for

peace and a sustainable future”. It was such a

beautiful day!