1. Yoga: body and mind training

2. Starting to practise yoga during childhood is a good starting point to help live a healthy and happy life from a young age to an older age. Thanks to their natural flexibility, children find it easier than adults to assume yoga positions (called “ASANA”). They are able to increase their abilities of movement in a short time. Yoga practice leads to a lot of benefits, both physical and mental or psychological, as it eliminates stress and anxiety and increases concentration and reflection as well. In fact, practising yoga, especially with students who find it difficult to focus on their learning, or who are easily distracted or in classes with a high number of students, improves pupils’ concentration and self control and later a positive habit towards work in general.

3. Concentration can be easily transferred to all school subjects, increasing their studying levels. That leads to a higher attainment in their learning and increased marks in tests. In the eastern world, scientists note that in schools where students regularly practise meditation and asana poses, students’ behaviour and school marks are higher.

4. The following proposals intend: -to create ludic situations involving body expressivity, body knowledge, balance, muscles tonification, muscles stretching, breathing control, kinesthetic perception, coordination -to transfer the ability of concentration, listening, self-control and memorization gained with yoga practice to other school subjects -to respect nature and people -to activate the multiple intelligences: logic-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal

5. 1 st PROPOSAL: SUN SALUTATION 2nd PROPOSAL: BALANCE 3 rd PROPOSAL: NATURE PRELIMINARY SESSION: RELAXATION, BREATHING, MEDITATION

6. Meditation is a state of consciousness that can be understood only on a direct, intuitive level. While you meditate, past and future cease to exist. There is only the consciousness of I AM in the infinite, eternal. Now! Everyone wants to be happy. Most people believe that some material object will bring this happiness: money, the perfect spouse, the dream job, a new car, a big house,… Actually, each thing will please only for a short time. As long as you think happiness will come from something outside yourself, you will never be happy. Happiness comes from within your own self…you have to meditate on it… PRELIMINARY SESSION: RELAXATION, BREATHING, MEDITATION

7. A story about the research for happiness : A man went to visit his guru and when he arrived he found the teacher sitting in the yard in front of a massive pile of hot chilli peppers. The teacher was eating the chillies, one by one. Tears of pain were running down his face and he was sobbling “This is terrible!”, over and over. When the man asked his guru why he was doing this, the teacher replied “I’m looking for the sweet one”. His actions exemplify the way in which most of us spend our lives. We should know from past experience that “the sweet one” does not exist, but we continue to search for our happiness in external objects. However, the sum total of all the pleasures of the physical world are nothing compared to the blissful state of meditation.

8. Asanas work with the mind as well as the physical body. Using concentration, asanas retrain the muscles to act in a relaxed manner. Certain relaxation poses are also done before, between and after other asanas. Yogic breathing techniques use the breath as a tool to help strenghten the control of the mind over the body. Several times a day run a mental check over your body. If you find tension in any area, consciuosly let go of it. Use auto-suggestion to “breathe” it out of your body. Moreover, by exercising control over breathing, you can learn to control the subtle energies within the body and ultimately gain full control over the mind.

9. It is important to realize that the main stresses in life come not from outside situations, but from your own mental and emotional reaction to them. CORPSE POSE RELAXATION AND MEDITATION POSES EASY SITTING POSITION

10. SUN SALUTATION All sessions of Yoga asanas begin with the Sun Salutation. This excellent warming-up exercise consists of a sequence of positions that move the spine in various ways and promote flexibilty in the limbs. It is of special benefit to beginners, to stiff people and to the elderly, as it helps the body to gain flexibilty. It also regulates the breath and focuses the mind. Technically, Sun Salutation is not an asana but a series of gentle flowing movements synchronized with the breath. Once you have learnt the positions of the routine, it is important to tune them to a rhythmical breathing pattern. Try to do 6/12 cycles of the Sun Salutation every day.

11. Sun salutation routine

12. BALANCE The balance postures develop the power of mental concentration And single-mindedness of thought, as well as physical balance. They are great for improving leg strength and stability in beginners. Physical balance improvement leads to mental balance improvement. Fixing the eyes on a point in front of you is the key to balancing the body. It’s very important to co-ordinate movements with breathing. Begin with the basic pose and challenge yourself further as your balance improves.

13. SPINAL BALANCE POSTURE HALF MOON WARRIOR ARDHA BADDHA PADMASASA FLOWERING LOTO VATYANASANA

14. EAGLE POSE DOWNDOG SPLITTREEKARATE KID POSE SHIVA TWISTTIPTOE POSE DANCER EXTENDED HAND TO TOE

15. Nature STORY :” HOW THE ELEPHANT GOT ITS TRUNK” High up in the MOUNTAINS of Africa, a small trickle of water became a stream, which became a WATERFALL that cascaded, splashing down over rocks and cliffs By the time it reached the floodplains it had become a large river that looked just like a huge SNAKE’s body winding its way over the land. The river was called the Great Limpopo River and it was home to many people-eating CROCODILES. The meanest one of all was called Mandabeka. His home territory was a deep still HOLE in the river. Children like stoies and drama, so can use them to train students asking them to mime the animals of the story

16. Along the riverbank a vast jungle of green trees stretching their branches towards the sky. This jungle was home to many animals. This jungle was home to many animals The black and yellow striped TIGERS who flicked their TAILS UP AND DOWN (6). The cunning spotted HYENAS. And the fierce golden-maned LIONS, whose roar would echo through the trees. The largest animals of all were the huge grey ELEPHANTS, who in those days had short stumpy noses. Now it just so happened that a wise mother ELEPHANT BENT DOWN to caution her new baby elephant. ‘Never stray too far from my side. The jungle is a dangerous place, and never ever go down to the Great Limpopo River by yourself.’ But one day the baby ELEPHANT was terribly thirsty, and, forgetting his mother’s warning, he trundled down to the edge of the Great Limpopo River and began to drink. Lying close by, as still as a log, was Mandebeka the CROCODILE. Quietly he swam up to the baby elephant and with one SNAP of his powerful jaws he took hold of the elephant’s nose and began to pull him into the river.

17. The baby elephant screamed for help and the mother ELEPHANT lumbered up and took hold of the baby. But Mandebeka the crocodile would not let go so,she called to the LIONS to help. They all joined in a line one behind the other and pulled, but Mandabeka still held on. As the animals helped pull, the baby elephant’s nose began to stretch and stretch. The mother elephant called the TIGERS, then the HYENAS to help, but still they could not free the baby elephant and his nose grew longer and longer. At last the animals called on the SNAKES. The snakes pulled the hyenas, who pulled the tigers, who pulled the lions, who pulled the mother elephant, who pulled the baby elephant. Mandabeka the crocodile could not compete with all of the animals’ strength. Suddenly, he let go of the baby elephant’s nose! And all of the animals fell backwards one on top of each other. And do you know, from that day on, all elephants have had long trunks! © Joanna Gardner 2005

18. MOUNTAIN WATERFALLS HOLE CROCODILE TIGER WHO FLICKS ITS TAIL UP AND DOWN HYENA ELEPHANT LION SNAKE

19. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle and symbolises wholeness. It is normally two-dimensional. There is a central point of focus from which the design radiates, often in a symmetrical fashion. Mandalas are frequently rich in religious, traditional and personal symbolism.To Tibetans, mandalas are the Architecture of Enlightenment. A mandala creates a temple in two dimensions, and this temple is accessible to the human mind in meditation. This "temple" is none other than the Universe, in its most perfect form. A form we can begin to embody, as we meditate on it. In creating your mandala you can use spiritual symbols that have special meaning to you. These symbols will act as harmonizing powers that bring you back in line with your spiritual center. The range of personal benefits from making a mandala range from emotional to health, from mental clarity to spiritual growth. In a busy, often chaotic and over-stimulated world it is increasingly difficult for many people to find a place of silence and inner calm. Creating a mandala is an ideal opportunity to escape the rat race for a while and connect with the Self.

21. The slow, flowing motion not only builds flexibility but takes a lot of concentation to children and can help slow young minds down. It can help your child acheive balance in his young life. Almost all children experience stress with homework; pressure to compete with other children as well as non-stop after-school activities. Yoga for kids is a mean of helping them to develop better body awareness, better controll on themselves and flexibility as well as coordination. Kids may be able to carry the yoga skills they learn beyond class and into their normal everyday routines. Yoga for kids may also help hyperactive as well as attention -deficit children who may be craving for movement as well as sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga helps them channel these impulses in a positive manner.

22. Especially good for kids are the postures that seem to instill calm, confidence as well as balance in them. Some children may not be able to close their eyes and relax, so yoga for kids should inculcate in them visualization and imagining that they are at a beach playing their favorite sport in order to get them to relax. Yoga is a fun and relaxing activity that can be a great sport alternative, or can supply your children’s sports to add balance to their lives and perhaps even increase performance, due to their increased concentation and flexibility that comes naturally with learning this ancient art form. Have a try !!!