Dirty Cafeteria Floors
by Tara MacKeigan
Filed Under General |
Teaching Yoga to six graders could sound like a nightmare to some, but in fact it has been an inspiring experience. As a Yoga teacher for The Wellness Initiative I currently teach in two middle schools and one elementary school. I have worked with children of all ages before taking on this task but I was curious how deep breathing, being still, and stretching our bodies would land with a group of young people who are at their most awkward stage in life.
It did not take long for me to see that not only were sixth graders capable of being still and stretching themselves emotionally and physically, they actually love being able to do so. On my first day with one of my 6th grade classes, a student who could be described as “the black sheep” said to me as we finished the class, “Wow, I feel so calm.” I could see as he handed me his tightly rolled mat that he wasn’t joking and that this might actually be something that helps him throughout his whole life.
It isn’t only the kid who seems to be an outcast who is benefiting from the yoga. During my class called “To Focus” I was teaching the students the “Eagle Wisdom Pose”. This is a modified yoga pose from our Yoga Ed. curriculum. The pose has you intertwine the hands, and then the arms and then the legs. The curriculum says, “The physical position literally hooks up mental and emotional intelligence, so that like an eagle, one can clearly see the big picture from a higher perspective”. We talked about doing this pose when we feel angry or unable to see a situation clearly. One of the very likable “popular” kids rose his hand and said “What about football?” He explained that in football he uses his anger to make a tackle or a good play. I wasn’t able to give him an answer to what seemed to be the question, “is it okay to use your anger?” But it knocked my socks off to see a young man distinguish his emotions so clearly and vulnerably speak about them in front of his peers.
The students aren’t the only ones who are noticing new things about themselves. When a visiting soon-to-be teacher observed our class she commented, “It seems that the children who have the hardest time in their regular classroom are the ones that are the most engaged and successful in your yoga class.” As someone who remembers what it is like to find something that you are passionate about, It gives me hope that these students can use their success in yoga and bring it to the rest of their studies and ultimately the rest of their life.
It must also be mentioned that not all our moments in class go smoothly. For instance when I present a new yoga pose there is more giggling and laughing than a typical adult yoga class but in some ways, why not? As adults we take yoga to be calm which sometimes can translate into being serious. For my class who is balancing on one foot for the first time in tree pose, or pulling each of their legs towards their head in boat pose, this is an outrageous feeling and they express themselves accordingly. Usually when they try the pose again the laughing passes and as a group they quiet. The feeling in the room changes from a dirty floored cafeteria, to a place of peace. And then, it is my turn to say, “Wow, I feel so calm”.
Tara MacKeigan
Fax: 303.265.9193