Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 11: on THE mAT: foRmAl YogA PRACTICES foR SElf-REgulATIon And EngAgEmEnT • 243

warrior II Pose

Warrior II is also considered a strengthening pose (Flynn, 2013; Harper, 2013). A chair is a
good support here for students who have yet to develop good balance.

Pose Warrior I

Instruct From Downward Facing Dog, step your left foot between your hands, press

down your right foot, engage your legs and your belly and lift up to standing.

Press the outer rim of your back foot into your mat. Turn your back foot

slightly outward. Stabilize the pose by pressing all four corners of your left

foot into the mat. Engage both legs by pressing your feet into the mat and

pulling them toward center. Draw your naval into your spine. Lift through your

chest and crown of your head and reach your hands up to the ceiling.

Anchor Point Your feet, belly, heart and hands, from the floor up. The focal point is between

your hands.

Breath Work Your breath should be deep and steady.

Photograph by Madison Weber; model Kayla Tiedemann.
Source: Flynn, 2013; Gillen & Gillen, 2007; Harper, 2013; Herrington, 2012; Neiman, 2015; Walsh, 2008.

PoSE 11.11 wARRIoR II PoSE

Pose Warrior II

Instruct From Warrior I (leftside), turn your

back foot so that it is perpendicular

to your front foot and spine at the

hips. Reach your right hand behind

you and your left hand forward,

looking over the second and third

fingers of your left hand.

Anchor

Point

Your feet, belly, heart, and hands,

from the floor up. The focal point is

beyond your left second and third

fingers.

Breath

Work

Your breath should be deep and

steady.

Photograph by Madison Weber; model Kayla Tiedemann.
Source: Flynn, 2013; Gillen & Gillen, 2007; Harper, 2013; Herrington, 2012; Neiman, 2015; Walsh, 2008.

CHAllEngE: Challenging and Vigorous Poses

This section of the class moves students into more intensity. As a teacher you want to be a
positive, compassionate, and kind coach as you help students work hard. As such, this sec-
tion is a good teaching point for the principles (see Chapter 3). This section of the class often