Yoga, Mindfulness and School kids

Tools for life should start at school - my findings

Today's papers (July 13th) have been reporting research declaring that mindfulness lessons are wasted on teens. "Giving teenagers mindfulness lessons at school to boost wellbeing is largely a waste of time, a major UK study has found" said the BBC and The Guardian ....

You may be aware that 85 UK schools have been offering teenage pupils mindfulness sessions as part of a trial to gauge whether it was worthwhile introducing it across the board, and so far sessions have been dismissed as ineffective by staff and 'boring' by kids interviewed. Although interestingly teachers found the mindfulness tools useful for their own wellbeing. That phrase Education is wasted on the young, springs to mind ;)

Well, I can't help wondering if it is how the  mindfulness sessions are offered and delivered. I have seen incredible results - witnessed and commented upon by staff. I truly believe that all children benefit from learning to move with awareness, paying attention to their breath, and finding tools to focus, calm themselves and help themselves relax. 

As a yoga teacher, for me mindfulness is part and parcel of what Yoga is – doing whatever you are doing with awareness, finding tools and techniques to help slow the breath, clear and calm the mind and help you focus. I do not teach mindfulness alone but it is of course always present in my classes.

As well as my adult /general population classes, I teach yoga sessions in inner city secondary schools as part of enrichment offerings, mainly for sixth formers. The pupils who sign up for classes choose to come - they could go to a range of other activities, so I am grateful that they do choose to come and keep it up and classes are busy. I have also taught weekly yoga sessions in primary schools, and some sessions for secondary school SEN students.

Of course every single pupil present doesn't stay mentally present for the duration of the class, and there are a fair amount of giggles and trying to put off their classmates, but there are amazingly points when everyone does the same thing - the posture, breathing exercise or sequence that I am teaching! There are times when everyone seems totally engaged and focused in that moment! 

We always start with pranayama - breathing exercises, helping the youngsters to observe, track and feel the breath in their bodies, not necessarily a complicated pranayama but it can be. There is always a detailed class plan, but it is a dynamic one, as you really have to be prepared to gauge the children's moods and make the most of them, move more to less, change pace and shift the energy as needed. 

I always find that getting the children to move through varied asana (poses) is important, some teens do not have any physical activities in their day and posture, digestion and general health can be affected just through that. Some of them moan and others love to try more challenging things and are very capable and encouraging to their peers. Some students are involved in other sports and like to find ways to release hamstrings, to avoid injuries in their chosen sport. They always love to hear why they are doing something, which again is a tool to help them pay closer attention and think what their body needs. K Pattabhi Jois, who developed and popularised the Ashtanga Vinyasa method of yoga in the 1940s (a dynamic, fairly challenging, strength building style originally developed for young boys) maintained that you can draw students in with movement closely linked to breathing and awareness, and then the other aspects of yoga would naturally fall in place. Personally, I think that almost everyone needs to move and release their limbs and stiffness before they can sit in quiet contemplation or even sit comfortably.

However, so many secondary school kids find it difficult to sleep and all seem to enjoy the Savasana, and guided relaxations. It can take a while to get everyone settled and then for many to stop fidgeting, looking around, annoying their neighbour or just moving, especially and understandably in classes for children with special education needs. At one recent SEN class, there were a couple of students who just could not settle for final relaxation, were out of sync with the rest of the class and as the allotted time was ending they all finally just stayed still and silent. As it was an SEN class I had school staff present and the lead teacher just looked around in amazement and you could feel the warmth of her smile. She just indicated that I could let it continue and the following session allocated even more time! It can really help when you are working with a good team. 

When I ask my six form students what they like the best or if there is anything they want to work on, do more of, they all beg for a longer Savansana! Many tell me they try a guided relaxation to calm themselves before an exam for when worried and use some of the techniques to help them sleep.

It's certainly not a huge investigative research, but I have seen positive changes within the room and cover the course and know there is something to be said for giving youngsters tools to calm themselves and assess their moods and stress levels, which they can take off the mat and into their lives. Helping them to pay attention to the breath can do that, how can that be a waste? 

SIT UP AND BREATHE

Breathe deeply
Are you breathing effectively? How do you know? Take a moment right now, to feel where your breath is in your body. Can you feel its movement at all? Chances are if you're working away, you will feel it in the front of the chest or throat area. Maybe some of you can direct the breath deep down to the lower belly. Yogis are used to the concept of belly breathing, and the full yogic breath expands into the lowest part of the belly, the side ribs and right up to the chest.



BUT can you feel the breath in the back body? That is the crucial part. We have more lung tissue at the back of the lungs and expanding the breath into the back body helps us to breathe deeper and, importantly, into the lowest part of the lungs. Breathing deeply and slowly brings more oxygen into the body, and calms the mind, helping you when you feel anxious, as many of us feel right now.  ALSO, breathing deeply into the back body really helps us with our posture. Breathing can shape our bodies, just as exercise can. And, improving your posture can help your breath.

Posture and Breath
Yoga and other exercise that address your posture can also help with your breathing. Hunching forward over computers, slouching on the sofa or over a table can create structural changes in our chest cavity making our chest cage smaller and less flexible and then we are less able to expand our breath fully. So it is a spiral. 

These changes can also occur over time, and through conditions such as thinning bones and osteoporosis, according to Harvard Medical school "This makes it harder for your chest to fully expand when you breathe and reduces the volume of air your lungs can hold. Your diaphragm, the muscle that supports breathing, also can weaken with age and prevent you from taking in full breaths." Apart from addressing posture (and eating a healthy diet) they also recommend addressing "exercises to raise your heart rate and makes you breathe harder ...can help improve lung capacity."

SIT UP AND BREATHE
SEAT: A simple breathing practice you can try anytime, right now:
Sit with a lengthened, upright spine. 
My favourite seated posture for this is kneeling.
You might need props between your knees and under your sitting bones if kneeling is uncomfortable. This is known as Vajrasana, thunderbolt pose. Your spine is tall like a thunderbolt. Vajra can also mean diamond.
 (If kneeling is not for you, sit on a chair, stool, cross-legged, whatever you like).

HANDS: As a lover of mudras (hand positions which help to focus the mind) I'll invite you to bring your hands into Vajarapradama mudra, which helps you to feel the expansion of breath into side and back body.
This is known as the mudra of unshakeable trust, helping us to develop self confidence and trust in ourselves and the universe. In the Buddhist tradition, it helps us to develop clarity and clears our energy body, reflecting the diamond connotations - we are clear and bright like a diamond.


Bring your hands together, palms facing you, in front of the heart. Interlace the four fingers gently and keep the thumbs separate pointing straight up to the sky. 

 
BREATHE:
Take your attention to your breath. Breathing in and out through the nose if you can. Let the shoulders soften, relax the face. Hold the hands a few centimetres away from your body in front of your heart. On an inhale, imagine you are gently pulling the fingers apart, but keep them softly interlaced. Feel the breath expanding into the sides and back of the chest cavity.
On an exhale, feel the contraction as your hands soften and everything draws back to the centre. You might feel your T-shirt suddenly feels looser. Feel the sitting bones and thighs release down as you drop the weight down into the Earth/your support.

Keep going.  Can you feel your upper back expand and move as you breathe a full 360 degrees around through the chest? I find it helpful to visualise wings expanding from the centre of the upper back (behind the heart area) as I inhale, gently drawing the fingers and hands away from each other (without letting go!), and a gathering in of the energy as I exhale,almost as if those wings were folding back in.

EXPERIMENT AND FEEL
You do not need to use the mudra. Try bringing your hands softly to the outer edges of your ribcage and feel the breath expanding into the hands as you inhale, widening across the back. Then feeling the breath and body recede on the exhale.

As you continue, you might notice your thoughts have stopped racing and you feel calmer, more relaxed ;)
You also might notice your inhales and exhales last a little longer. Simply focusing on lengthening the exhale is a valuable way of reducing anxiety, and that sense of being so busy you don't know where to start!
 

EQUAL BREATHING
Now you could try developing Sama vritti - Sama means equal, vritti is movement (of the mind or breath). So it is equal breathing.
Research has shown that breathing in and out for a count of 6 is the most effective ratio to equalise the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems and calm the nervous system, reducing stress. However, it may be hard to do, especially for those suffering from breathing difficulties and conditions*, such as asthma, or during pregnancy, so just notice the length of your inhale and exhale and maybe try to build up from breathing in for 3 and out for 3, then gradually increasing to 4, then 5 and six. Please stop if you feel tight-chested, dizzy or unwell  or struggle for breath. Do not force it!

Try to stay seated, watching the breath for a few minutes, as is comfortable, and then let go of the control of the breath and notice any affects. Has your breath deepened? How are your thought patterns and focus? Check in with your body emotionally.

*As always, you could check with your doctor if you do have any conditions

SIT WITH ME

Morning Magic
Ever had one of those days when you wake up with a lengthy to do list and seem to be running from one job and place to the next, whizzing between chores like dealing out cards in a busy casino? Every day? Stop right now! That used to be me, and still is if I am lured off course! I have found that even a few minutes of silence and inner focus first thing, can improve my day immensely and make it a little more productive or at least give me thinking space and chance to put things into perspective!

I have always done some yoga when I got up, even if it's just 20 minutes of lying on my back and rolling around followed by a sun salutation or two. I know I can move more easily and genuinely feel better, more alert, afterwards. But for the past year or so I have been able to establish a meditation practice to go with it. This has been the catalyst, bringing much more peace to my mornings and hence my days.

It's not easy! Three mornings a week I am up well before everyone else in my home as I'm up between 5 and 5.30 am to teach early classes. I have always had a set morning ritual which is an essential part of those early morning starts for me (though at that time it cannot be long as I need to be at the studios where I teach in time and don't want to have to get up before 5 when I haven't got home from teaching evening classes til 10 pm sometimes).

The place is totally quiet and feels completely different in the magic of those early mornings. I can even go outside now it's not always raining and feel the early sun on my skin — if I have time to unlock all the bolts on the door! Sometimes I have to share my outdoor space with local cats or foxes, but often it's just the birds, insects and me!

The other days when I am up an hour or so later, the family are milling around and my other half switches on the radio even before his eyes are open — and does the same in every room he enters including the bathroom! If you have little ones jumping on you, you will find it very hard to start the day with silence. And you won't want to get up much earlier than you have to when sleep is such a luxury for most parents. There are ways to integrate silence and meditative thought into even the busiest lifestyles. Sometimes just concentrating on your breathing or chanting repetitions of a simple mantra can clear the mind and calm the nervous system, and little children may want to get involved in a good way! If they know what you are doing they will get used to your habit rather than thinking you are ignoring them ;)

You can start with just a few minutes of focusing on the feel of the breath flowing in and out - maybe as soon as you wake up, or maybe by the kitchen window or when you pop off to the bathroom. (I have a yoga mat rolled up in the shower room and often escape there even though I have a studio on the floor above.) Your practice will build gradually and become a comfortable and comforting habit. Many people consciously think of three good things to be happy about or thankful for the moment they wake up and that helps give the day a rosy tint, so they don't get out of bed with a sinking feeling in the belly. That can be a good starting point for meditation.

And once you have cleared the mind, it will be easier to work out which of those pressing chores need to be sorted first as everything gains a little more perspective!  The other time I like to meditate and always found easier, is in the evening. Sunset is supposed to be a magical time, though it's hard to be around at the right time. For me, meditating late at night helps to clear my mind, calm me down and help me sleep a little more easily.

If you want more tips and encouragement on meditation and breathing practices, go along to a class! I have three public Pranayama and Meditation sessions coming up in Stoke Newington. Saturday June 9th, June 23rd and July 21st at 5.15pm to 6.15pm at YogaHome, N16.

It would be lovely to have solitude and a quiet place to sit for morning meditation.... but the real joy is being able to focus inwards in the midst of the hubbub of daily life!

Reluctant yogi?

Is this you? ‘What a beautiful morning! I’ll get up, do some sun salutations to set me up for the day …’ Just as you make your way to the available clear patch of floor in your home, the aroma of coffee wafts up from the kitchen… and you’re lured off to relax with a read over breakfast instead.

Later that day: ‘Right, I’m going to set aside 30 minutes for a few heating twists before dinner.’ You slip into your yoga gear, decide what to practice and your friend/partner summons you to see something on telly or a friend phones, or child returns and before you know it…..you’ve missed the moment.

That night: ‘Tomorrow I will start my new yoga routine.’ You set the alarm. Drift off to sleep. Alarm rings. That time already? It’s cold, dark… blanket slides over head and there you stay for another hour, rushing to work and the other duties of the day without stopping to breathe.

Sound familiar? Home practice doesn’t have to be a ‘chore’ it is fun, it makes you feel really good! It just fits in… if you let it.

You can squeeze in a few joint warm ups, wrist and ankle rotations, gentle side lengthening postures and roll ups and roll-downs before your shower… before the coffee even goes cold! Shake off that groggy morning feeling with simple breathing exercises, or a few rounds of Kapalabhati to clear the head.

Later that day... Try sitting on the floor (or folded blanket to raise the sitting bones) with a lengthened spine, extending though your legs while watching TV. Then add some gentle seated postures. Janu sirsanasa and Maricyasana style forwards bends and twists and even a few gentle back bends, such as cobra. You'll feel less creaky than if you heaved yourself off the sofa. And if you are truly feeling exhausted, then put yourself into a supported restorative posture and give yourself a little breathing space.

The dark, cold morning scenario is tricky, but once you are up and moving, you will feel so much better. You can incorporate some spine lengthening postures and hip flexor warm-ups before you even leave the comfort of your bed (depending on the willingness of bed sharer!) Try half happy baby (or full) or supta baddha konasana (soles of feet together and maybe pillows under knees) or a few rounds of apanasana (hugging knees to chest on the exhale) and even gentle supine twists while lying in bed. Then you will be raring and warmed up ready for your sun salutations or just a few warriors to get you fighting fit for the day.

Need more inspiration and encouragement? Come along to a Developing your self practice workshop next month with me. I'll give you tips, ideas and some easy to follow sequences to fit in no matter what your schedule and mood!
Saturday November 22nd − 3pm to 5pm at the Yoga Body Centre in Clapton, north east London.
*See the Workshop link above for more details.