School Incursion - Wellness Programs
beyoga has conducted children's and adolescent wellness programs at schools and kindergartens since 2001. beyoga has experience teaching anything from a one off class to developing a multi-week wellness program for the entire school.
Schools at which beyoga has taught include: Billanook College, Year 10, Mentone Boys Grammar year 12, Our lady of the Sacred Heart, Bentleigh Yr 10 - 12, Melbourne Girls Grammar year 8 - 9; St Pauls Primary School, Coburg prep - year 6; Rosanna Primary School prep - grade 6; Doncaster East High School Year 8; Isabel Henderson Kindergarten North Fitzroy; Footscray City High School, year 9; Caulfield Junior College; Mercy College for Girls, Coburg; Merri Creek Primary School, North Fitzroy.
Primary School
Wellness programs in primary schools can be tailor made for each school. The programs can consist of yoga, meditation, relaxation and creative visulasiation, dance and movement, and tools to help children in their day to day school environment.
Yoga is the perfect addition to any primary physical education or personal development program. Children are naturally flexible and agile and yoga helps maintain these physical qualities. At a deeper level the bending and twisting motions of the postures help massage internal organs sending fresh blood along the spinal column helping to release physical and emotional tension.
Yoga and dance and movement helps immensely with gross motor skills and is the perfect adjunct to occupational therapy for children as it requires strength, concentration and left and right brain co-ordination.
Yoga will combine well with traditional physcial education and sports programs as the postures help balance the strength and flexibility of a child.
Yoga will help with a child's posture allowing the spine to become more straight, sending fresh nutrients and blood to the spinal muscles and disks. Having a healthy spine helps digestion, breathing and concentration. If a child spends time doing yoga it will help counteract the time they spend watching tv and sitting at a desk and computer.
Relaxation and meditation helps teach children to breathe naturally and fully allowing them to calm their mind and unblock emotions. Concentration and visualization exercises help children to learn to sit still, get in touch with their inner selves, focus their minds and avoid outside distractions so that they enjoy the present moment. Yoga helps to balance the logical and rational left side of the brain with the more creative, intuitive and imaginative right side. Yoga for children will help develop their self esteem as the classes help promote a positive self-image, in a non-competitive safe and fun environment.
When children feel positive and happy about themselves they are less likely to be influenced by the opinions of their peers and also less likely to "bully" other children.
Class Format
All classes are designed for the specific age groups and postures taught accordingly to keep the children interested, ie noncompetitive games. Prep classes teach postures through imagination and story telling, whereas older classes utilise a more physical and dynamic approach, with emphasis on the physical, emotional and mental benefit of the postures. All classes have elements of postures, breathing and relaxation helping to integrate a child's physical, emotional and mental well being.
If the school requires there can be more detail on phyilosphy, and mindful techniques to help promote positive self esteem.
Secondary Schools
beyoga's holistic wellness programs are an excellent adjunct to a secondary student's education. Yoga, meditation, relaxation and mindful techniques will help promote self-esteem and balance physical and emotional needs in the often hectic and stressful lives of students between the ages of 13 – 18.
Yoga postures will help massage internal organs sending fresh blood along the spinal column and into the brain, revitalizing tired students in a grounded manner.
The dynamic yoga practice used for adolescents helps them to redirect and increase energy as they link their breath and body together in order to calm their minds. A regular yoga practice will help balance the left, more logical, and right, more creative, side of the brain, endowing the student with patience and tolerance, allowing them to get along with their friends and family better. The physical postures of yoga combines well with all sports as it creates the strength and balance where needed. But unlike sport, yoga is non-competitive and completely safe, which may appeal to some students.
Simple breathing techniques and visualizations taught in a wellness program will help the students breathe naturally and fully which allows them to relax when studying for exams and any other challenges they may face during their secondary education. One of the goals of a wellness program for adolescents is to empower the student to like and respect themselves so they are less likely to be emotionally reactive to their peers opinions of them and less likely to want to intentionally physically or emotionally hurt other students.
beyoga's wellness programs in secondary schools encourages students to integrate their physical, emotional and mental well being through its holistic approach to overall health.
beyoga's wellness programs promote self respect so that the adolescent can then respect their peers, parents and teachers.
Holistic wellness programs or class format:
All programs (workshops) and classes are tailor made after consultation with the school to ensure students (adolescent) needs and goals are met. A school can choose from any of the below proven holistic wellness techniques:
dynamic yoga postures
breathing to create a relaxation response
guided meditation/relaxation/visualization
cultivate positive self thoughts through mindful techniques such as "The Work" by Byron Katie
dance and movement
Emotional Freedom Technique
day to day mindfulness (tools to help feel empowered and connected at school)
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