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november/december 2017yogajournal.com.auLET’S FACE IT: Children today are commonly educated
in competitive environments that demand technology
know-how. Sure, children may need to understand
new-and-improved electronic ‘fandangles’ to broaden
future opportunities, but are they also taught suffi cient
life skills to understand themselves and navigate the
world around them? With increased awareness
surrounding the latter, thoroughly researched yoga
and mindfulness programs for students and educators
are becoming broadly utilised. Many passionate
professionals are also lobbying for mindfulness
programs to eventually become an offi cial part of
educational curriculums nation-wide.
“It is imperative that wellbeing programs be
implemented within schools, given the current climate
of education, pressures in schools and rising mental
health concerns,” says Townsville-based founder
of non-profi t organisation, Yoga Tools for Schools Inc.
(YTFS), Jasmine Healy-Pagan.
“When used in education, yoga is a system that
teaches self-awareness and self-management by
tuning into the body, breath and mind.”
Unlike some forms of physical activity, yoga doesn’t
simply strike a pose to burn off abundant steam for
children. Beyond fl exing students’ physical limbs,
non-competitive programs like YTFS creatively integrate
yoga’s philosophical limbs to attain widely reported
benefi ts like improved sleep, concentration, social
cohesion and overall emotional wellbeing.