It’s that time of year where in my tween yoga classes, my students start to open up and verbalize how stressed out they are about EOG’s. The testing lasts all day and they complain that they aren’t allowed to stretch their bodies in a way that would be beneficial to reducing their stress level. I always offer my best guidance in helping them figure out other ways to help them cope. To start, I encourage them to always find their breath. I was discussing this, when all of a sudden a girl, the youngest one in the class who hasn’t quite experienced the level of stress yet that her peers are complaining about said “Mary Beth, don’t you always tell us that if we are breathing we are doing yoga?” AhhhHA! A wise soul indeed.
This led me to an exercise that would benefit the kids now and at the desk.
It went like this:
*We partnered up
*One partner went into table top position and the other sat at ‘the desk’. We imagined this as are desk and we are in a classroom taking the EOG’S.
*The person sitting at the desk extended their legs out in front and laid one forearm and palm on the desk and then stacked the other forearm on top followed by laying their forehead on top. They closed their eyes and breathed. Inhale breathe in through the nose exhale out through the mouth. We sat there for a minimum of 3 breaths.

The Tweens seemed hopeful and happy to have a technique that they could most likely use while taking the EOG’s.

The school system must come up with a solution for these kids. It’s the end of the year and they are stressed. Chances are the teachers are stressed and everyone needs to breathe. So then why not incorporate yoga. Create a system where the kids get mindfulness before and after school. Bring them into the classroom by warming them up with yoga poses. Get them into there bodies and allow them to find strength and serenity.
Then sit them down.
Get them up in intervals and incorporate more mindfulness. What about a game? A classroom game incorporating mindfulness and yoga. Nourish them. Nurture them.
In order to focus, the body needs to move and be in stillness. What about incorporating a short yoga nidra after lunch or a guided meditation after school. Something that can ground them and bring them back into their awareness and their surroundings.

I feel their pain. I’ve been there. I’ve almost crawled out of my skin and into the floor. I want to get this message out there. If you feel called or want to share this message then please share this link with others. I especially hope to reach educators.

Namaste.