Yoga and Mindfulness at Durand Primary School

All classes have been benefiting from yoga and mindfulness sessions throughout the year, delivered by our School ELSA and trained children’s yoga teacher, Mrs Brunnock. 

Regular participation in yoga and mindfulness allows children to: –

  • More easily focus their attention
  • Identify and release stress
  • Expand their self-awareness by identifying their emotions and improving their ability to express themselves
  • Increase self-confidence and self-discipline
  • Appreciate stillness and peacefulness and to think and behave compassionately
  • Gain physical benefits of improved flexibility, circulatory and cardiovascular health, strength building, and improved physical coordination.

The best part is that all of this happens in a non-competitive setting and while having a good time!

What the children say:-

“After yoga and mindfulness I feel relaxed because all of my arms and legs shut down. I enjoy tiger pose the most. And I feel so relaxed doing mindfulness that I nearly fall asleep!”

“If I feel wound up, stressed or anxious (which I do a lot) it really helps calm me down because if someone says something I always take it to heart and mindfulness helps me not to take it to heart so much.”

“What I found most helpful was the body scan because if I feel really stressed out or something I can notice how I am feeling and if I’m really deep with how I’m feeling I totally forget about it.”

“I enjoyed mindful eating because it was relaxing and I liked eating slow because I could taste the food more. After yoga and mindfulness I feel calm and relaxed and if I came in to school feeling sad it would make me feel better.”

“I feel  really relaxed and ready for the day or calmed to go to sleep because mindfulness helps me to get away from reality and just relax and be calm….I have found the focus on breathing useful because whenever I’m stressed I can just go to my room and focus on my breathing and it calms me.”

“I feel calm and happier after yoga and mindfulness and I enjoyed visualising my safe place the most because it stays in my mind all day….I find that mindfulness helps with my problems at school and home.”

“What I found most useful is the yoga because it always stretches you out and gets you ready to go back to learning….I would really recommend it because it calms you down and really helps you focus.”

“I feel relaxed after mindfulness and yoga, the yoga especially because I like the snake pose. I feel better after taking deep breaths….I have found the senses tasks useful and helpful in different situations, when my sister annoys me.”

“I feel really relaxed after every session and I like the visualisation the most because I like to make it my own and personalise it. I would recommend it to every child I know”

“I am very happy in yoga and mindfulness, it get’s all my bad feelings out. I have been teaching my younger brother and he goes to sleep ion minutes.”

I feel really relaxed and tired. I enjoyed going on the mindfulness walk feeling all the different things outdoors and smelling the different smells out doors and the visualisations. I found that the sessions made all of my sad feelings go away and made me happy for the rest of the day.”

“I feel much calmer and relaxed. I have enjoyed the mindfulness and I have done some at home to get to sleep and when it was over I just fell asleep. I have found learning how to take deep breaths helpful like the finger breathing on our hands.”

“I liked the breathing techniques the most because I can do that anywhere when I need to calm down.”

“ I would recommend yoga and mindfulness to other children because it calms you down and you get a lot better if you are feeling stressed or sad.”

“I like yoga and mindfulness because it makes me calm down and I can sit still for longer.”

“When I do yoga and mindfulness it makes all of my worries go out of the window. When I’m angry it just makes me zoom out so I feel better.”

“I feel like I am floating up on the clouds. I have enjoyed the class being so calm, I don’t want it to end! I have found it easier not to flip my lid and sit silently. I have used the belly breathing putting a teddy on my stomach”

What the staff say: –

“I was impressed with the in depth knowledge and the interest levels shown by all of the children in the class. Their response was excellent and they took a lot from the sessions. The lessons were well chunked and kept the children focused throughout….Although all of the children benefited, some key figures in the classroom really did get the most out of the sessions to emotionally regulate their feelings and behaviours.”

  • Mr Moses, Deputy Head & Year 5 Teacher

“I loved the sessions with Mrs Brunnock and the class. They enabled me to engage with the children and interact in a way that is impossible in the classroom. I found the sessions beneficial, both physically and mentally and the children have told me that they have taught and used the poses at home also.”

  • Mr Wilks, Year 3 Class Teacher