CHAPTER 10: THE YOGA CLASSROOM • 223CREATING A YOGA PROGRAM IN YOUR CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL
Getting ready for a yoga session in your classroom or school is completely manageable.
One of my favorite aspects of yoga is it that requires very little, if any, equipment. When my
research team went to Kenya in 2013 to study the Africa Yoga project, we were able to visit
yoga classes in the most impoverished areas of Kenya. Students used tarps for yoga mats
or simply practiced on the clay floors. There was complete joy in practice and no need for
fancy mats, blocks, or yoga clothes. In this section, I cover class size, how to create a yoga
space, special tips and tools, developmental notes, and an overview of the components of a
yoga session. Note that Chapter 11 details the specific poses, breathing exercises, relaxation
strategies, and meditations.
Creating a Yoga Space
Space depends on the number of students that you will be teaching. The average class size
across the United States is between 20 and 25, although I have heard of classes as large as
35 students. When working with one yoga teacher without an assistant or classroom teacher
in the room, the ideal yoga class size for younger students is between 8 and 14 (Cook-
Cottone, et al., 2013; Herrington, 2012). For older students, you can have as many as 20 to
- With larger groups, it is best to have the classroom teacher in the room practice with you
or assist, co-teach with another trained yoga teacher, or work with a yoga assistant.
age Yoga Practice tiPs- Do not allow negative body talk directed toward self or others
- Shift “I can’t” statements to “I’ll try”
- Practices can be used before tests, athletic events, and other potential
stressful experiences - Encourage proper alignment in poses
- Consider integrating yoga teacher training programs into school
curriculum - Rotating class schedules creates implementation challenges and
necessitates team work - Establish after-school mindfulness clubs, yoga-based interventions, and
yoga integrated into wellness and physical education class to create
accessibility - Journals can be useful tools of self-reflection and growth
- Integrate sharing and partner work
- Support self-determination
- Be mindful of placement of males behind females in class
- Offer time during and after class for clarifying questions and working
through poses - Integrate the principles of embodied growth and learning
- Teach how lessons can be integrated into lives out of school
- Encourage a self-directed practice
Note: See Chapter 5, Table 5.1 for Developmental Notes by Age.
Source: Childress & Harper, 2015; Flynn, 2013; Herrington, 2012.
TABLE 10.2 Yoga Practice Recommendations by Age (continued )