The K-5 students at Lake Park Elementary in Oklahoma are using a new tool to help cope with life’s ups and downs: kids yoga. As many who already practice know, yoga offers a multitude of benefits for adults and children alike, including increased focus and calming techniques. It makes sense that including yoga at school is a great way for kids to start off the day.
Of course, a kid’s yoga class usually includes a little less posing and a lot more wiggling, which is perfect for helping young minds settle and shed their worries. As cheerful music plays, the children giggle and bounce in place, all in the name of finding a slice of zen.
Why yoga? As their teacher Kimberly Hefty put it, the children walk in “to be able to start fresh.” And it looks like it’s working: after beginning a yoga class by doing their best Lion’s Breath pose, one by one they eventually make it to the ground and lie down on their “magic carpets.” As anyone who has ever spent time around a group of excitable kindergartners knows, anything that gets them to quiet down and focus for even a few minutes has to be pretty good.
While lying down, the kids travel to a “secret garden” where they can imagine a world they would want to live in. The students at Lake Park are often coping with a high amount of childhood trauma, and yoga offers them the chance to calm their minds and just be.
Watch the video to see more about how yoga is helping Lake Park’s kids.