We all have different ideas in mind when we hear the terms “yoga”, “meditation” and “mindfulness practices”. Some may conjure ideas of wizened mystics sitting cross-legged on mountaintops. Others may think of lycra-clad health-fanatics keeping their balance while bent into impossible shapes. Such ideas may make it difficult to imagine how such practices could be successfully undertaken by children, let alone beneficial to them. But research has spoken: not only is the practice of yoga and mindfulness easily accessible to children, they have a lot to gain from doing it. To begin, let’s clarify what we mean by yoga. The practice of yoga integrates postures, breathing and relaxation to allow the body and mind to connect and work together harmoniously. In creating this connection, we learn to accept, appreciate and work with our bodies and minds, facilitating a sense of well-being.
This all sounds very nice, obviously! But what would this look like in the classroom, and how do we know it can help our children from an educational point of view?
Me Hearties Wellness offers a unique program designed to facilitate a holistic approach to well-being, combining physical activity led by entertaining videos, original stories full of wise lessons and relaxing meditation sessions in a no-fuss, easy access digital format. After covering the foundational topics of Body, Breath and Mind in which students are introduced to key concepts and techniques, teachers can select the story, video or meditation (or all three!) to suit their class needs. Each segment includes a session running time to aid in timetable scheduling and is supported by cross-curricular planning ideas and resources. Teachers do not need to facilitate the sessions themselves beside the push of a button, freeing up class time for planning, prep or assessment. However, they are of course encouraged to join in and experience the benefits for themselves!
So, let’s talk about these benefits and the science that supports them.
First, we’ll touch on the importance of developing the ability to self-regulate; that is, controlling one’s emotional responses and behaviour in early childhood. Aside from making life a lot easier for both the child and those around, being able to self-regulate also has ongoing benefits later in life. Studies in which the impacts of developing self-regulation in early childhood were examined over a long period of time found it significantly predicted educational achievements, the formation of quality relationships and general well-being later in adulthood (Moffitt et al., 2011).
How do yoga and mindfulness practices help in this area?
In her paper on yoga interventions in the classroom, Dr Roxanne Rashedi describes findings by fellow researchers Zelazo and Lyons in 2012 in which they explore the relationship between contemplative practices such as yoga and self-regulation. Zelazo and Lyons propose that contemplative practices promote self-regulation in early childhood through the practice of focused attention, which they suggest becomes routine in the neural pathways of the brain and guides behaviour regulation.
The positive relationship between contemplative practices and self-regulation is further supported in numerous other studies, probably best summarised in the 2021 academic paper by Sun, Lamoreau, O’Connell, Horlick and Bazzano. This paper describes their findings following a systematic review of 1115 records, with the inclusion of 16 studies, relating to the impact of yoga and mindfulness practices in childhood. Sun et al. identified that in young children, yoga and mindfulness practices have the potential to improve regulatory skills such as behavioural self-regulation and executive function, particularly when these practices are implemented for a period of at least six weeks. These findings are even more significant among children who have a lower baseline for social-economic functioning, who are often among those who would benefit the most from improvements to the ability to self-regulate emotion and behaviour. In particular, the outcomes of studies examined in this review consistently found that yoga and mindfulness practices reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), due to the apparent ability of these practices to enhance body awareness, improve concentration and promote relaxation, all of which contribute to the development of better attentional capacities.
Whew! That’s a lot to absorb! Rest-assured, you don’t need to be a scientist to see the results of implementing these practices into your schedule. For those who do wish to know more, we’ve included references to the academic papers we have cited here and encourage you to read further should you want to explore these findings more thoroughly. Or, feel free to contact us with any questions.
It should be clear however, that with the comprehensive, teacher-friendly, ready-to-go fun formula of the Me Hearties Wellness program, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain in letting young children give it a go.
References:
Moffitt, T. E., L. Arseneault, D. Belsky, N. Dickson, R. J. Hancox, H. Harrington, M. R. Sears, et al. (2011). A Gradient of Childhood Self-Control Predicts Health, Wealth, and Public Safety, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108 (7): 2693–2698. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010076108
Rashedi, R. (2018). Exploring teachers’ perceptions of implementation factors in a yoga intervention: a qualitative study, Early Years https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2018.1558178
Sun, Y. Lamoreau, R. O’Connell, S. Horlick, R. and Bazzano, A. (2021). Yoga and mindfulness interventions for preschool-aged children in educational settings: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 18, 6091 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116091
Zelazo, P. D., and Lyons, K. E. (2012). The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early
Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective, Child Development Perspectives 6 (2): 154–160.