Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 11: on THE mAT: foRmAl YogA PRACTICES foR SElf-REgulATIon And EngAgEmEnT • 249

Camel Pose

Camel Pose stretches the shoulders, thighs, and hips and opens the throat, chest, and lungs
(Flynn, 2013). It is considered a chest-opening pose. Modifications include students placing
their hands behind them, as if placing their hands in their back pockets, rather than drop-
ping all the way back to their feet.

Pose Crow

Instruct With your feet hip-distance apart, squat so that your hips are near your ankles.

Take your knees to the tops of your triceps (the backs of your upper arms)

and press your knees into your arms. Press your hands into your mat, shoulder

distance apart. Pressing your knees into your bent arms, come to balance on

your arms, pulling your belly in and squeezing your knees and feet toward the

center line of your body. Once steady, work to straighten arms and look up.

Anchor Point Your hands, core, and feet. Your focal point is slightly in front of your hands.

Breath Work Slow deep intentional breaths. Watch for holding breath during balance

poses.

Photograph by Madison Weber; model Kayla Tiedemann.
Source: Walsh, 2008)

PoSE 11.18 CAmEl PoSE

Pose Camel Pose

Instruct From a kneeling position, tuck your toes

under, bring your hands to your lower

back as if you were placing your hands

into your back pockets. Next, engage your

belly pulling your naval toward your spine

and open across your chest. Try reaching

back with one hand at a time to reach

your heels. Press your hips forward toward

the front wall as you look up toward the

ceiling, opening even further across your

chest. Slowly bring one hand and then the

other back to your back pockets, engage

your belly, and come back to kneeling.

Anchor

Point

Feet, knees, belly, and chest. Focus point is

the ceiling.

Breath

Work

Deep steady breathing.

Photograph by Madison Weber; model Kayla Tiedemann.

Source: Flynn, 2013; Walsh, 2008.