Five yoga tips to manage your children in the classroom

Fall is a busy time for you as a teacher, welcoming a new group of students into the classroom.  It is a time of getting to know each other and settling into a new learning space. The children may feel a bit restless after an active summer, stressed by being in a new class and wondering how they will fit in.

Here are five yoga tips for discipline/focus to improve learning, techniques to release children’s emotions without a big drama and breathing exercises to relax your class.

Tip #1:  The teacher sets the tone

To promote discipline, your voice and presence is very important.  Use a mixture of discipline and fun.  If children are not attentive, lower your voice, whisper and start the lesson with a story using a prop such as a picture, a stuffed animal, etc.

Tip #2:  Cross-crawl exercises

To promote focus, have your students do some cross-crawl exercises to balance the two sides of the brain so they can focus better and be present in the class.  Have them raise their hands up over their heads and move them in circles in opposite directions. Encourage them as they do this and tell them to take deep breaths at the same time, reaching up to the sky like a tall sunflower.

Tip #3: Patty cakes

To help children connect with each other have them do patty cakes.  This is a great warm-up exercise that promotes co-ordination, balance and rhythm. 

Tip #4: Anger release exercise

To relieve tantrums, have children lie on their backs, hitting the floor with open palms for about 30 seconds. Have them do the same thing with their legs for 30 seconds and then all together so the whole body is moving. This is an appropriate exercise to help children release anger and it can benefit the whole class to manage excess energy and to release emotions especially when children are feeling hyper.

Tip #5: Breathing exercises for relaxation

To relax your class, do some breathing exercises with them. The two-part breath is great to do first thing in the morning when you start class as it clears and balances the mind.  Have the children inhale in two parts then exhale in two equal parts. Continue for three minutes. Encourage them to relax and breathe in and out from their bellies. At the end, ask them to inhale and exhale deeply through both nostrils.

These are just a few sample tools which will help you keep your class happy, energized and relaxed.  Best of all, you will keep your stamina all day long.

Tantrums and Difficult Children Workshop

If you would like to learn even more, Club Yoga is offering a workshop on tantrums and difficult children. This is taking placae on October 30th from 2-4 p.m. at the Bioenergetics Institute in Ottawa, 36 Simcoe Street. Cost is $45.00.

Be ready to experience various yoga techniques that you can apply to your classroom.

To register, email Anamda at info@clubyoga.ca or call 613-228-9235. For more information, visit the Club Yoga blog.