Vicki Bashista is an educational assistant at a small private school where she has been teaching yoga to the children for 8 years. She teaches 2 classes a week, one during a lunch break and one after school. The classes include both boys and girls, and the children range from Kindergarten through Grade 4.
For each class, Vicki has a special theme, usually to do with the calendar year — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chinese New Year, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Earth Day, Mothers’ Day – but sometimes on other themes such as the seasons, animals or nature. Our call for submissions on yoga and the heart–mind connection inspired her to teach the children a class on this theme and see what they thought about it.
How to teach this was a challenge for her. Yoga and the heart–mind connection is a difficult concept for children aged 5–9. She was concerned that there would be a lot of discussion and not enough time for yoga poses, especially in the lunchtime class, which is only 1/2 hour. Then she asked herself: Does that really matter? Can we talk for most of the class? And, then she thought, why not? So that’s what they did.
This is her class:
• 1 minute of silence to settle in.
• Joining together in their own special saying accompanied by movement:
This is my yoga,
Mine to enjoy,
I feel great!
• Affirmation & 3 shared breaths: I take care of my mind body and spirit / I am self- love.
• Pranayama: Bee Breath, soft, loud and in between.
• Check-in: How are you feeling today? (She uses a chart with 5 different faces to choose from.)
• Discussion:
• Practice of some asanas.
• Savasana
• “Loving Kindness” from: Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids by Carolyn Clarke.
• Aromatherapy spray for everyone.
• Closing: Standing in a circle with thumbs and forefingers connected to the person on either side, making a diamond shape, everyone joined to say, “each of us is a beautiful jewel, a precious diamond”.
• Joining together in their own special saying accompanied by movement:
This is my yoga,
Mine to enjoy,
I feel great!
• Affirmation & 3 shared breaths: I take care of my mind body and spirit / I am self- love.
• Pranayama: Bee Breath, soft, loud and in between.
• Check-in: How are you feeling today? (She uses a chart with 5 different faces to choose from.)
• Discussion:
- About the body (physical parts), mind (thoughts and feelings) and spirit (personality and what makes you unique and “you”)
- How does yoga help you in all of these areas?
- How are all 3 parts of you connected?
• Practice of some asanas.
• Savasana
• “Loving Kindness” from: Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids by Carolyn Clarke.
• Aromatherapy spray for everyone.
• Closing: Standing in a circle with thumbs and forefingers connected to the person on either side, making a diamond shape, everyone joined to say, “each of us is a beautiful jewel, a precious diamond”.
Grand finale: Vicki had everyone draw how yoga makes them feel in body, mind and spirit.
Vicki Bashista (with Joanne Preece)