It’s hard for everyone – not just students – to recover their energy after a long weekend or break. Since we’re heading into a five day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving, you’ll want to be prepared with some exercises to help your students stay awake and focused on their first Monday back. You can also break these out again in January after Christmas break.
Younger students will love and relate to Frog Pose. It’s similar to a squat, but with hands placed on the ground (like a frog). This pose uses the entire lower body, awakening the hips, thighs, calves and ankles and requires a lot of concentration to master the balancing aspect of it. You can choose to add “ribbit” noises if your class really needs the pick-me-up!
Middle school aged students who are lagging can try the Breath of Joy. The Breath of Joy is a three part breathing exercise sometimes used as a warm-up before a yoga class. It involves strong inhalations and synchronized arm movements to awaken the entire body. Built up tension is released during the exhale. Make sure students have enough space around them so they aren’t bumping into each other.
Tired older kids will benefit from a Seated Mountain sequence. Since it’s seated, the pose can be done quickly without needing to move desks and classroom furniture. Seated Mountain is great for stretching the entire upper body, which helps to work against that teenage “hunched” posture.
If you have extra time, you can try all these poses together as an energizing sequence when classes really need a boost. Sign up for your FREE ZENworks Yoga Online subscription at https://zenworksyoga.com/online-programs/ to view our other energizing video sequences, categorized by age level.
Happy Thanksgiving!