Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

(Ben Green) #1
CHAPTER 10: THE YOGA CLASSROOM • 229

CONCLUSION

This chapter reviewed the key neurological and self-regulation processes that can be supported
by yoga practices (i.e., yoga poses, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation). Addressing
the shift in school-based and best-practices advice in yoga-based curriculum delivery, trauma
and trauma-sensitive yoga practices were reviewed. Guidance for teaching to specific age
groups was provided to enhance developmental sensitivity. An overall yoga session sequence
and directions for setting up a yoga space were offered. In order to reduce redundancy, I did
not repeat suggestions offered in Chapter 5 for creating a supportive environment of a mind-
ful practice; please refer to this chapter for creating a smaller mindful space within the class-
room (i.e., peace place; Herrington, 2012). Recall from Chapter 5 that the important supportive
teaching practices are beginning with what you know; remembering that practices look and
feel different from student to student; being mindful of how you teach mindfulness and yoga;
using mindful words; explaining mindfulness and yoga practices to students; using imagi-
nation, metaphor, and story; connecting to the senses; planning and scheduling mindful and
yoga practices; and teaching to developmental levels and age. The following chapters address
formal and informal yoga practices and review the research on yoga in schools.


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