Merrimac students recently had a special week during physical education classes.
Merrimac has YOGARDIO—it is a combination of Yoga and Cardio in one great class. The program was developed by Danielle Gagnon, a third grade teacher and Robert Romano, a physical education teacher, at Merrimac. Gagnon’s goal is to spread the benefits of yoga to all.
“Over the past years, I have taken a journey through yoga that is unexplainable and would like to foster children to experience this same journey in a safe, creative and fun environment,” said Gagnon stated. “Children are required to fulfill very specific tasks in school and this can cause heavy stressors on children of all ages. I truly believe this is the way schools should be heading.”
Added Gagnon, “I have been using meditation and breathing in my own classroom to increase stamina and to promote healthy living for several years now. I currently provide yoga in my classroom with my third grade students and with my first grade buddy class and the benefits have been quite impressive.”
Yoga helps kids to:
- Develop body awareness
- Learn how to use their bodies in a healthy way
- Manage stress through breathing, awareness, meditation and healthy movement
- Build concentration
- Increase their confidence and positive self-image
- Feel part of a healthy, non-competitive group
- Have an alternative to tuning out through constant attachment to electronic devices
In a school setting, yoga can also benefit teachers by:
- Giving them an alternate way to handle challenges in the classroom
- Giving them a healthy activity to integrate with lesson plans
- Give them a way to blend exercise into their classes