EPISODE NOTES In this episode, Claire talks with Helen Clare, founder of ‘Class Yoga’, about the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for staff and pupils in schools. Previously a primary school teacher, Helen now teaches yoga and mindfulness to adults and children and talks with Claire about the advantages of bringing in yoga and its related techniques into schools: including how it can improve wellbeing and mindfulness. With over 10 years’ experience, both internationally and in and out of schools, Helen has some great advice on how yoga can be established as a regular tool to help children with their behaviour and health, and also shares some tips for how other aspects can be used throughout the day to help improve focus.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The benefits of yoga. Yoga has a range of benefits, not least of which is its use as an effective way of finding a mindful state. Yoga is also an encompassing and inclusive activity: anyone can do it and there is absolutely no element of competition or judgement involved which can be encouraging for less confident pupils. It is also generally easier to find a calm and mindful state through the movement element to yoga than could be achieved by simply sitting and thinking. Yoga has been shown to improve focus and concentration along with developing mental and emotional wellbeing among participants and, for children, it can provide a toolkit that they can then draw on throughout their lives. Breathing. Along with the movement element, breathing is an important part of yoga. We can usually find ourselves breathing only from the top of our lungs – particularly when anxious or busy - and not taking deep enough breaths. Starting the day (and occasionally throughout the day) with a few calming deep breaths can help to boost energy levels, confidence, and even our posture. BEST MOMENTS “By offering appropriate yoga and mindfulness tools to children, we’re really giving them a toolkit to draw upon that they can use throughout their lives to help regulate emotion; help calm themselves down; to feel more confident and more resilient.” “If we can find tools to help us become more mindful, it means that we are staying more in the present moment. It means that our thoughts aren’t constantly whirling around in our head. So the end result, the end feeling, is one of calm, peace, ease, lack of stress, lack of worry.” “There’s a lot of yoga out there. There’s a lot of kids yoga out there and I don’t think they all take quite the same approach as I do. I’m a primary school teacher by background. This method that I’ve come up with is drawn from that experience and it’s quite an authentic approach to yoga, but in a very engaging way that is fun for children, but that maximises the benefits of yoga.” “My top recommendation, for teachers, would be to start your day with a few calm, deep breaths. Yoga is just as much about breathing properly as it is about moving properly.” “Essentially, yoga is one method of reaching wellbeing. It’s the holistic approach to finding improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We could also call it ‘moving mindfulness’ and it’s such a great practice for children. It can actually be a more effective way of finding a mindful state than just seated mindfulness practices.” “As we know, teachers quite commonly lose their voice and get sore throats. One of the reasons for that is breathing through the mouth which makes the throat very dry. It can take a bit of practice, and time, to start consciously breathing in and out through your nose only, so that would be something else to practise.”         “I would say the majority of children enjoy it the first time because it’s usually new. It’s usually different. If it’s taught well, then it’s engaging and they feel the benefits early on. It’s a