We all know the importance of physical education in schools. It helps to develop motor skills, reflexes, and coordination. It also gives children much-needed movement for their bodies during the school day and so much more.
With kids and youth currently at home for the last weeks of school, the importance of physical education remains. One way to ensure you are providing a meaningful physical education experience at home is to incorporate mind-body techniques and activities. Mind-Body activities teach us how our body affects our mind, and our mind affects our body.
A research article by Dr. Sprengel and Fritts (2012) reported that:
“School and classroom-oriented programs that incorporate mind-body practices have demonstrated positive outcomes for well-being, resilience, academic performance, test scores, individual self-perception, self-regulation of negative behaviors, anxiety, stress, Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, insomnia, anger/aggressive behaviors, and chronic pain conditions.”
It is important to teach children how the mind and body impact one another, and ways to practice mind body awareness and activities. We know that one stressful thought could put your body, chemically, into a state of stress. This could result in a behavioral outburst, body aches and other somatic issues. Teaching children that they have some control over these aspects (their mind and body), can lead to healthy, regulated adults in the future.
What are some examples of these mind-body activities?
-
-
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Relaxation techniques such as breathing
- Massage
- Guided Imagery
- Tai Chi
-
This week, we’ll be posting some fun mind-body activities from Bloom Yoga to incorporate into your school day for physical education breaks during the day! Be on the lookout for these activities on our Facebook page and YouTube channel!
Related Posts
Trauma Informed Yoga for the Child Welfare Professional
Have you ever taken a class on the importance of self-care, but never actually had the opportunity to practice what was taught? Bloom Yoga is partnering with The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and The Child Welfare Training System to offer a variety of...
Taking Care of Others Starts with Employee Wellness
Earlier this year, Illuminate Colorado provided these beautiful branded yoga mats to our staff to welcome in the new year. Not only did they make great gifts, but they actively promoted self-care, highlighting a growing--and important--trend in the workplace. The...
Yoga and Post-Traumatic Growth
Over the last five years, the number of children in Colorado experiencing sexual abuse has steadily risen. Seven percent of the 286,534 allegations of child maltreatment in Colorado over the last five years involved concerns of sexual abuse; 28 percent of those...
