3 Transformational Takeaways from School Yoga Program

Please welcome our guest writer, Cassandra Troughton, who graciously shares her takeaways from last summer’s School Yoga Program. We heard from our community that educators were looking for a way to create customized School Yoga Programs for their school communities, so we created this virtual lprogram to do just that. Please join us this summer to bring yoga and mindfulness to your school population in an inspiring and meaningful way!

Miss T, here again!

Let’s get real for a moment. Trying new things can be scary. But we’re never growing if we aren’t putting ourselves into uncomfortable situations.

This past school year, I took a leap into uncharted territories… I entered the dreaded hallways of middle school. Dun, dun, dunnnn!

We all have different comfort zones. For me, teaching elementary kids was my comfort zone. When making the move to middle school, I remember thinking:

“How am I supposed to teach yoga and mindfulness to teens?”

“Will they be receptive to me?”

Many thoughts swirled around in my head in June 2021. So many unknowns. So many uncertainties. Not a whole lot of confidence…

Then I attended the School Yoga Program over the summer. After the School Yoga Program, I had a plan. I had direction.

And in September, I walked confidently through the doors of my brand-new school, eager to jump right in… with a ton of new yoga and mindfulness tools in my back pocket!

**3 Transformational Takeaways from School Yoga Program:**

1. Deliberately add yoga into your daily schedule.

Don’t just say you’re going to add more yoga and mindfulness into your day—write it down and make it happen! We are more likely to stick to our plan when it’s written down. So take the time to schedule yoga and mindfulness into your day.

Last year’s School Yoga Program provided me with a ton of resources and ideas on how to make my plan—beginning with picking a time. Whether it’s five minutes or thirty minutes, make a plan and follow through!

Building a consistent routine (for you and your children) makes it easier for everyone to follow! And kids thrive under routine!

2. Use a variety of techniques.

You can practice yoga and mindfulness in a variety of ways! Not only did I get plenty of ideas of yoga and mindfulness techniques to use in my classroom during last year’s School Yoga Program, I also learned the importance of rotating through different yoga and mindfulness practices.

Switching things up is engaging and keeps things interesting for the kids. Plus, this way, we can take note of which activities work best for each individual kid and then adjust our plans as needed.

3. Know how and where to look for financial backing.

As an educational assistant, I’ve always had a hard time looking for financial backing. I usually have a tight budget that requires a little creative thinking (and many trips to the dollar store)!

After attending the School Yoga Program last year, I gained a ton of resources and more ideas on where to look for financial aid—ideas I never would have thought of on my own!

I implemented some of these ideas this school year: holding fundraisers, applying for grants, and even approaching my parent council for help with funds. You never know if you don’t ask!

The School Yoga Program provided so much value. I am eternally grateful for all that I learned. And I know the others in attendance were too.

3 C’s for Constructing a School Yoga Program

I not only learned a ton of lessons, I also walked away with these three essential C’s for constructing a fail-proof yoga and mindfulness program at my school.

CONFIDENCE

I walked away from the School Yoga Program feeling confident and capable! I had confidence in my newly acquired skills and confidence that I would be able to bring those skills into my new school, to new students (junior high *GASP*)!

CUSTOMIZABLE TEMPLATES

Giselle and the School Yoga Program made the follow-through extremely easy by providing a ton of templates to get my yoga and mindfulness program started. They are all laid out step-by-step (so simple!) and completely customizable. Templates included lesson planning, budgeting, and even grant application templates!

COMMUNITY

Hands down my favorite gain from the School Yoga Program was the community! This bootcamp gave me and others the opportunity to share our experiences and ideas, and receive feedback. Being surrounded with like-minded people working together toward a common goal was breathtaking. The value from being a part of a community and working as a team was immeasurable. I not only learned a lot from others’ experiences, but also walked away with new friendships.

I am excited to reconnect with everyone and welcome more into our community at the next School Yoga Program!

Hope to see you all there!

In gratitude,

Miss T.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassandra Troughton (a.k.a. Miss T) is an educational assistant from Canada. She has worked with Edmonton Public Schools for over seven years, primarily in the special needs adaptability program (Gr. 1-6) and as the Health and Wellness lead at her school in Edmonton, Alberta. Her passions include health, wellness, and the practice of mindfulness! She loves passing on her knowledge of mindfulness to her students and fellow educators. You can find her at https://mindfulmisst.com/.

JOIN US AT THE SCHOOL YOGA PROGRAM!

We’ll work together WITH you over the course of several weeks to create the perfect classroom/school yoga program that fits you, your students, and your school.

You will walk away from this virtual program with a plan in hand and resources to get started right away! PLUS, you’ll have access to support, a community of other like-minded professionals, and resources to give you the confidence to deliver a thoughtfully crafted program to your school community.

This program is based on a strong foundation, which starts with you, yet flexible enough to meet students where they’re at and change over time, if needed.

Are you ready to get started… and get it done?