Lisa Flynn – Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom

• 67 simple, classroom-friendly yoga and mindfulness techniques to support self-awareness, self-regulation, social and emotional learning and resilience
• Understand the neuroscience of stress, the symptoms and how it affects learning and behavior
• 5 critical steps to integrated self-regulation
• Facilitate learning readiness, reduce impulsive behaviors and improve student achievement
• Improve classroom management while supporting students individual needs, cultivating a positive, peaceful, productive classroom climate
• Become a more effective educator as you lead and practice these tools with your students

Do you find yourself wondering what more you can do to help your easily distracted student? The one who has a hard time maintaining focus? What if you had the tools that would enhance focus and attention, ease anxiety, and improve confidence, self-esteem and academic performance? During this seminar, you will learn simple, developmentally appropriate yoga and mindfulness tools that can be immediately integrated into your daily curriculum. These skills are a proven and effective way to promote self-regulation ability, learning readiness and resilience while cultivating a positive, peaceful, productive classroom.

Through the framework of – Noticing, Mindful Choice, Practice, Reflection, Integration – you will learn how to empower your students and yourself with increased self-awareness, the foundation for the development of self-regulation skills and cognitive control. Through 67 simple yoga and mindfulness-based activities designed to engage the whole child, you will help your students move from a state of anxiety and dysregulation to a state of engagement, control and connectedness. All activities are specially chosen for their suitability for the typical classroom space and schedule and can be done standing beside or sitting at desks, while hands and bodies remain off the floor. Yoga 4 Classrooms is easy for teachers, students, and therapists to use, and helps to create a more harmonious, learning-friendly school day.

This inspiring workshop will give you the tools to integrate yoga and mindfulness skills into your classroom, leaving everyone feeling empowered, calm and ready to learn. Absolutely no yoga experience is required.

1. Explore the mind-body connection and how it affects learning and behavior.
2. Evaluate the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of yoga and mindfulness-based interventions for children in schools.
3. Determine the signs of imbalance in your students and yourself.
4. Develop opportunities for taking yoga breaks during the school day.
5. Implement 67 simple yoga and mindfulness activities as needed throughout the day.
6. Design outcome-focused sequences based on time available: calming, focusing, energizing, community building.
7. Access additional tools and resources to ensure continued progress.

Mind-Body Connection

• Neuroscience of attention, learning and behavior
• Rationale for yoga and mindfulness in the classroom
• Research on yoga in schools

Self-Regulation: A 5 Step Approach

• Noticing
• Mindful Choice
• Practice
• Reflection
• Integration

Practical Tools for The Classroom

• Let’s Breathe
• Conscious breathing exercises to calm and center or empower and energize
  • Balloon Breath
  • Countdown to Calm
  • Power Breath
  • Conductor Breath, and more…
• At Your Desk
  • Convenient, time-saving seated stretches and modified yoga postures to refresh and focus
    • Cat Pose
    • Open Heart
    • Corkscrew
    • Sitting Pigeon, and more…
• Stand Strong
  • Simple, structured opportunities to stand up and stretch, balance and strengthen
    • Mountain
    • Waterfall
    • Crescent Moon
    • Desk Puppy, and more…
• Loosen Up
  • Take a break activities designed to dispel stress, build community and promote readiness to learn
    • Do My Best
    • Geyser
    • Posture Prep
    • Stick Ems, and more…
• Be Well
  • Developmentally-appropriate discussion starters supporting health and wellness of the whole child
    • Celebrate You
    • Practice Peace
    • Get Your Zzzzs
    • Be Clean, and more…
• Imagination Vacation
  • Modified, child-friendly approaches to meditation and relaxation
    • Special Friend
    • Mindful Meditations
    • Gratitude Relaxation
    • Picture it Tree, and more…

Sequences

• Morning Meeting
• Take a Break
• Transitions
• Pre-Writing & Writing Break
• Pre-Testing & Testing Break
• Calm / Focus
• Mood / Energy Shift
• Close of Day

Sustainability

• Tools and tips for engagement
• Modify for individual needs and abilities
• Empowering your students to integrate learning
• Engaging the family
• Monitoring the impact of implementation

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