Children’s Yoga in School for Bullying Prevention

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Dee Marie, M.A., S.Y.T.

“Jivatam Jyotiretu Vidyam,” “True education (self-knowledge) enlightens human life,” according to Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar the founder of the international Neohumanist Education System and the Ananda Marga Schools.

“If we wish to create lasting peace we must begin with the children” Mahatma Gandi

There is a growing concern throughout America regarding the increase in childhood stress, bullying, and violence. Living in Colorado, we are haunted by the incident at Columbine High School when two students felt the need to take revenge and take action in a violent manner leaving 15 dead and creating fear and sadness in the hearts of students and parents. This was the first wake up call that affluent, suburban schools were not always safe places. Violence and bullying continue to escalate according to statistics. Seventeen states across the United States report having instituted laws to reduce or eliminate bullying in schools.. In Colorado, each school district is required to have a bully prevention policy and program. This paper will discuss a classically based yoga program incorporated within an upper elementary school system in Boulder, CO. The main hypothesis of this project was to evaluate whether yoga training would effectively decrease bullying and increase anger management for 4th and 5th grade students. The rationale for this hypothesis was based on the first vow of raja yoga, ahimsa, that one vows to be non-violent to self and others.

The yoga curriculum was presented for six, 45 minute sessions during the academic school day for 101, 4^th and 5^th grade students in 2004, repeated for 108 students in 2005 and reviewed again for 105, students in 2006. The children learned yoga philosophy, practiced yoga postures, learned breathing and concentration techniques, as well as, traditional conflict resolution strategies and dialogues. Through the use of pre and post questionnaires the program was evaluated and statistics obtained. The program proved to be successful and effective. Boulder students’ self reported a decrease by 60% in their own bulling behavior and a 42% decrease in regard to being bullied by others at school A comprehensive yoga program can greatly reduce violence and bullying, but, the long term lasting effects are still unclear. The results of this intervention acknowledge yoga as an effective method for increasing anger management skills and decreasing physical outbursts of violence for upper elementary school age children during the time of implementation.  Click the Download link to read more….

More on children’s yoga and kids yoga in upcoming posts……………

Part of an educational formula, yoga for kids helps the young ones cope with stress in the best of ways. If in India children receive yoga classes at very small ages, in the West, parents make the choice whether to train their kids or not. The very good part The great advantage of yoga for kids is that they develop self-awareness and get in touch with their inner part a lot sooner and better than an adult. Yoga for kids brings body and mind control as well as it helps develop lots of positive behavioral elements.

Presently, some schools include yoga for kids as an additional curricular activities, but most of the time classes are independent. Just like dance and karate lessons, yoga for kids can be easily squeezed in the child’s daily program. Therapists point out the fact that yoga has had very good results in the case of children who suffer from hyperactivity or attention deficit. Yoga for kids with such behavioral problems soothes the nerves and channels the moving impulses in a non-destructive manner. Self-confidence, balance and calm are the great benefits to result from yoga-for-kids programs.

Moreover, with yoga, kids learn how to conquer victories over mind and body and how to peacefully cooperate. A good advantage of young bodies is that the anatomical flexibility makes the postures a lot easier to achieve; adults on the other hand have to work a lot more to achieve enough mobility to practice yoga. Although the physical part is not that challenging, a major obstacle comes from meditation and relaxation, particularly because kids enter such states more difficultly. Therefore, visualization remains the main way of helping young and grown up yoga trainees learn how to relax.

The posture names in yoga for kids classes allow children to learn them more easily. Thus, instead of performing asanas they will make a bridge, a mountain, a cat, a dog or a cobra, to name only a few. Moreover, trainers never push the practice of yoga for kids to the limit of pain, as the activity wouldn’t be that attractive with an extra pressure.

Discourse on Raja Yoga on the 22nd Feb, 2010 in Prashanti Kutiram. Discourses and lectures on Raja Yoga from SVYASA. Tune into the knowledgebase available at SVYASA University through it faculty on the various aspects of Raja Yoga with regular updates
Raja Yoga

Discourse on Raja Yoga on the 27nd Feb, 2010 in Prashanti Kutiram. Discourses and lectures on Raja Yoga from SVYASA. Tune into the knowledgebase available at SVYASA University through it faculty on the various aspects of Raja Yoga with regular updates
Raja Yoga

Discourse on Raja Yoga on the 02nd Mar, 2010 in Prashanti Kutiram. Discourses and lectures on Raja Yoga from SVYASA. Tune into the knowledgebase available at SVYASA University through it faculty on the various aspects of Raja Yoga with regular updates
Raja Yoga

Discourse on Raja Yoga on the 07th Mar, 2010 in Prashanti Kutiram. Discourses and lectures on Raja Yoga from SVYASA. Tune into the knowledgebase available at SVYASA University through it faculty on the various aspects of Raja Yoga with regular updates
Raja Yoga

Discourse on Raja Yoga on the 08th Mar, 2010 in Prashanti Kutiram. Discourses and lectures on Raja Yoga from SVYASA. Tune into the knowledgebase available at SVYASA University through it faculty on the various aspects of Raja Yoga with regular updates
Raja Yoga