1 teacher is saving and shaping her students lives with yoga!
by Rianna Poskin
In order to keep things confidential I’ll call my friend Mrs. Z
Mrs. Z (the head of her high school phys ed department) was asked to start a yoga program within her high school in order to reach more students and encourage them to improve their health and wellbeing.
Mrs. Z was all about this but the problem was that she wasn’t a yoga instructor. In order to kick off this new course within the school she would have to become a yoga instructor. After 200 + hours of training (on her own time) Mrs Z was qualified to teach yoga!
What has happened from the effort that Mrs. Z put into providing this space for her students is beyond incredible!
The overall objectives from the course are:
- Giving the students a safe place to go during the day where they can let go.
- Letting go of school work, arguments with friends and parents, part-time jobs, extra-curricular activities, in order to generate balance on and off the mat.
- Providing a place where they can be themselves and have time for themselves.
- Yoga means union so having the girls come together is important in the class, but also to grow individually.
- Building confidence, strength, self-esteem and self-love.
- Generating mindfulness.
- Creating coping skills to deal with emotions including depression and anxiety.
- Empowering women and empowering ourselves.
“We are a tribe of women lifting, supporting and loving each other.” Mrs. Z
One component of this course is to journal. In order to create a healthy practice the mind is incorporated into the students learning.
Mrs. Z will ask students to release anything that they’re holding inside, through journalling, in order to help heal, process and grow.
Students don’t have to share everything that they write down with Mrs. Z, but what she is finding is that the students want to.
Through paper and pen these students can tell someone, a safe someone, their emotions, stories, and conversations without judgement.
With all of the negativity that surrounds young people this class is giving an opportunity to cope and feel safe.
It’s not just about the movement on the mat. It’s the process and the teachings of yoga that allow a person to become balanced in mind, body and in spirit on and off the mat.
The teachings that these students are learning at such a young age will help them deal with many situations in the future.
If you have a young person at home who:
- isn’t athletic
- tried to play a sport but didn’t make the team
- won’t talk to you
- is reacting negatively
- has had hardship in their life
- is introverted
- is lonely
- isn’t self confident
- has body image problems…
See if yoga is something they’d be open to trying.
We can provide our young people with the tools to empower themselves, grow as individuals, release internal stress, and become self confident, we just have to see if it’s a good fit!
Look around your area and see who offers yoga programs and how you can encourage your young person to start practicing!
If they’re not comfortable going anywhere all they need is a small space, the comfort of their mat and the desire to work on themselves!
Let Mrs Z be the example, changing lives 1 mat at a time! #gotyourmat?