how to use trauma-sensitive chair yoga & mindfulness tools in the classroom how to use trauma-sensitive chair yoga & mindfulness tools to close out the school year an introduction As summer approaches, educators and students alike are looking ahead to the close of their school year with a mix of grief and relief. As vaccines roll out and plans for the next school year begin, some educators are being asked to return to in-person learning, and all are still reeling from the ongoing global-scale collective trauma. Frustratingly, the world continues to ask more of schools and teachers. In the U.S., many institutions are being required to administer standardized testing, adding even more stress to students’ and teachers’ mental health and potential lasting negative impacts on students’ academic records. This essential question looms large: How can we close out the school year as healthfully as possible, with resources that are already stretched so thin? Traditionally, the last weeks of the school year are a time for reflection and celebration. Classroom communities acknowledge the milestones and memories of their academic year together, supporting a shared sense of closure and release. As we reflect on the past year of quarantines, shutdowns, and distancing, we recognize the crucial role that schools fulfill in supporting the emotional, physical, mental, and social wellness of youth. Indeed, as the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” 2 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. In addition, the elevated importance of mental wellness has educators asking their students, “How are you?” more attentively than before. However, this familiar question often turns into a tightrope walk as educators find themselves balancing carefully in conversations more typical of a school counselor’s or social worker’s realm, while simultaneously navigating their own responses to the pandemic. presence—you are a caring human being, listening to them and validating their feelings. What we know about authentic presence, however, is that it can require a lot of giving from one’s own emotional reserves. After all, hearing difficult things from others can be difficult for us personally. Therefore, self-care and self-sustaining practices are essential for the well-being of all involved. Foremost in all self-sustaining practices is taking time to honor the thoughts, feelings, and sensations we experience at any given moment. With trauma-sensitive chair yoga and mindfulness practices, we are equipped to hold space for selfawareness, emotional regulation, and staying grounded in the present. Trauma-sensitive chair yoga and mindful practices aim to equip students with the skills to observe themselves and choose their responses while applying a tool such as physical movement, selfcompassion, or emotional support. When we feel supported in our minds and bodies, we are more empowered to learn and grow. Trauma is a very individual experience. While we may not be able to solve the problems of COVID-19 as a whole, we can support and validate current experiences with accessible, yoga-based resources. When a student shares that their family member passed away from COVID-19, or they haven’t seen their grandparent in over a year, what can you offer them? And what if the same or similar is also true for you? The answer is, there is no right answer. Rather, the best response can be to simply offer your With this toolkit, we offer trauma-sensitive tools and practices to support educators, caregivers, mental health professionals, and students in their emotional and physical wellness. The accessibility of chair yoga allows each of the tools to be facilitated and adjusted responsively to best meet the needs of students. 3 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. We offer the following suggestions for the application of these tools: • Transitions into and out of the classroom, whether physical or virtual space; • Test-prep practices; • Resetting the climate of the classroom or session, e.g. bringing energy up or down; and • Foundation of an at-home practice to support students over summer break. We at Yoga Ed. recognize the toll this year has taken on educators, caregivers, and students. We understand that the long-term impact of the pandemic has yet to be fully realized; further, we anticipate the need for significant ongoing support for students. Additional resources are available at YogaEd.com/ resource, including a library of toolkits, articles, webinars, and more. Join us in our online course, Trauma-Informed Chair Yoga and Mindful Practices for Youth, to bring these practices to your community, along with the research-backed, evidence-based training and live support from our team of expert educators. 4 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | BREATH PRACTICES constructive breath Constructive Breath 1 Constructive Breath 2 Constructive Breath 3 benefits instructions • • 1. Let students know how many rounds of breath you will practice. 2. Eyes can remain open with a soft gaze or closed. 3. Begin sitting towards the edge of your chair, with your feet wider than hips distance, feet on the floor. 4. Interlace your fingers. Touch your knuckles underneath your chin, with your elbows pointing down. 5. Inhale, raise both elbows out to the sides, keeping your interlaced fingers touching your chin. 6. Exhale, soften your ribcage and let your elbows arc downward, still keeping your knuckles connected to your chin. 7. Inhale, raise your elbows out to the sides and up, feeling your ribcage expand. 8. Exhale, lower your elbows again, feeling your shoulders relax. 9. Continue this inhale-up, exhale-down pattern. Calms the mind Releases tension in the neck and lower face 10. When you are ready, unlace your fingers, and sit back into your chair. 5 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | BREATH PRACTICES sunrise/sunset breath Sunrise/Sunset Breath 1 Sunrise/Sunset Breath 2 Sunrise/Sunset Breath 3 benefits instructions • • 1. Let students know how many rounds of breath you will practice. 2. Eyes can remain open with a soft gaze or closed. 3. Inhale, bring your right hand to your hip while your left arm swings up and overhead. 4. Exhale, start to bend to the right in your torso, and circle your left arm down and back to your left thigh. 5. Come back to a neutral seat with both hands on the hips and then repeat to the opposite side. • Focuses scattered energy Awakens the body, especially arms, shoulders and torso Releases physical and mental stress teaching tip • Depending on the energy level you are observing in your students and the theme of your class, you can use language to reflect this as a more calming breath (sunset) or a more energizing breath (sunrise). 6 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | YOGA POSES swaying self hug benefits instructions • • • • 1. Begin seated in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. 2. Inhale. 3. Exhale. Reach right hand to left tricep. 4. Inhale. 5. Exhale. Reach left hand to right tricep. 6. With arms crossed, gently begin to sway side to side. 7. Breathe. 8. Pause facing forward with arms crossed still. 9. Inhale. Stretches shoulders Releases tension Grounds the mind Self-soothing teaching tip • • • • Let students know where their tricep is before cueing. Offer to switch the crossing of the arms. Students can twist side to side if it’s comfortable. Try this suggestion for creative language: “You can offer yourself a gentle squeeze like a hug.” 10. Exhale. Uncross the arms. 11. Let hands rest on the top of the thighs, palms facing up. 7 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | YOGA POSES hands interlaced behind back benefits instructions • • 1. Begin seated in your chair with your feet on the floor sitting up tall in your spine. 2. Inhale, reach your arms out in front. 3. Exhale, bring your hands behind your back interlacing your fingers. 4. Inhale, sit up tall in your body 5. Exhale, extend your arms back until you feel a stretch. 6. Breathe. 7. When you are ready, exhale bring your hands back to your low back and release your hands to your side. • • Lengthens the spine Stretches the shoulders, back, and neck Builds concentration and focus Energizes the mind and body teaching tip • • Try this suggestion for creative language: “You may feel this stretch with your elbows bent, or you may feel the stretch with your elbows extended. Wherever you feel the stretch is okay.” Offer an option for students to grasp their forearms if interlacing their hands is not accessible. 8 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | BRAIN BREAKS gentle shake benefits instructions Read or paraphrase the following script. • • • Release tension in the body and mind Coordination and proprioception Breath awareness teaching tip • 1. “Let’s begin by settling into our seats, finding some comfort and ease. You’re welcome to soften your gaze or close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, and let it out. 2. “Notice if you can allow your spine to become just a bit taller by rolling your shoulders back. 3. “I invite you to notice where your energy is on a scale of 1 to 5 — 1 being the lowest amount of energy, and 5 being the highest amount of energy. There’s no right or wrong here. We’re just bringing a gentle awareness to how our energy is showing up right now. 4. “Let’s give our hands a gentle shake. Take a deep breath in, and let it go. Keep your hands shaking. Notice how that feels. You’re welcome to close your eyes or keep your eyes open, whichever you’re most comfortable with. You can shake your hands faster or slower. 5. “You might imagine that you have water on your hands that you’re trying to shake off, or sticky honey on your hands, so a bit heavier, that you’re working to fling off gently. 6. “You could imagine you’re shaking off anything that isn’t serving you anymore. Maybe it was something that happened earlier or something you’re anticipating for later. Shake it off, allowing yourself the gift of presence in this moment. 7. “Now, you’re welcome to try the same practice with your whole arms. You could try with your feet and your legs too. We’ll be here for another 30 seconds. You could shake your whole body, whatever feels good for you.” 8. Hold the space for 30 seconds of clock time. 9. “Now bring your shaking a bit slower, slower, and come back to stillness. Take a deep breath in, and let it go. Notice how you feel. This practice can also be done standing. 10. “Gently open your eyes or lift your gaze. Thank you for practicing.” 9 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | BRAIN BREAKS inspiration circle benefits instructions • • • 1. On a piece of paper, students draw a circular pattern. It can be an abstract pattern, or students can put themselves at the center of the circle like the nucleus. 2. Students write or draw all the different things that make them who they are and support the different aspects of their life. This is an Inspiration Circle. Creativity Focus Connecting to internal and external supports teaching tip • • Circles represent wholeness. They model the organizational structure of life itself. They remind us, like cells in the body or stars in the sky, that each of us is separate and also part of a much larger, even infinite, world that extends both within and beyond our bodies and minds. Circles appear in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call Earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community. To support students who may struggle to identify people in their life to include in their Inspiration Circle, share some examples of supports that are not people. Examples may include pets, hobbies, fictional characters, nature, and others. 10 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | RELAXATION layers teaching tip instructions • Read or paraphrase the following script. Let students know this practice will be 2–5 minutes long. Before you begin, invite students to come into Legs up the Chair or Forward Fold at the Desk. • After practicing this tool, you might reflect on this relaxation with your students and inquire about any thoughts they had during the visualization. Example reflection questions: • What judgment thoughts came up, if any? • Were they engaging in negative self-talk? • Did they discover any resources they didn’t realize were there earlier? 1. “You’re invited to close your eyes or keep your eyes open, whichever feels comfortable for you. We’ll be practicing this for about [insert minutes]. Breathe, and rest. As if you’re falling asleep, let go of all thoughts. Just feel your breath. I’ll wait for everyone to settle, sigh and melt. Release any movement and tension. With every breath, release any tension... great. 2. “With kindness and non-judgment, bring awareness to yourself as you see yourself. Picture fully your whole being and notice what or if any feelings start to arise. Breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in those feelings, then breathe them out. 11 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | RELAXATION layers 3. “Now, imagine seeing yourself as a collection of layers—a carefully and beautifully stacked arrangement of all the pieces that you are. 4. “Start with your topmost layer, the external. Perhaps, this is who you imagine people see you as, or who you want people to see you as. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in this layer, and breathe out as you peel that layer away. 5. “Take a moment to think about what’s underneath. What makes up that second layer of you. Maybe the person you are to your friends or even your family. What’s different or the same about this layer? Breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in this layer, breathe out and let it peel away. 6. “The third layer is who you are to yourself, the internal, who no one else truly knows, except for you. This may be a place of vulnerability, of uncertainty, or of strength and resilience, or even creativity and that which is still yet to be discovered. Breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Before you peel this layer away, ask yourself: How can I make this part of myself feel more loved, supported, and appreciated? 7. “As emotions or sensations arise, use your breath as a reminder to acknowledge the positive and release the negative. 8. “I’ll give you a few moments to reflect.” 9. Pause for a few moments. Breathe in all the layers as they work together, and breathe out any unhelpful expectations of yourself. As you breathe, experience you, exactly as you are. 11. “ Gently begin to move your fingers and your toes. Take any final movements that feel good to you in your body. Take any final stretches that feel good to you and slowly come back to a comfortable seated position in your chair.” 10. “Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Breathe in that which makes you uniquely you, and breath out anything holding you back. 12 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. TOOLS | RELAXATION count down teaching tip instructions • Read or paraphrase the following script. Let students know this practice will be 3–5 minutes long. Before you begin, invite students to come into Legs up the Chair or Forward Fold at the Desk. • You are welcome to decide how many breaths to count down from to meet the needs of your students. If 10 seems like too much, try 5. Starting to count from the higher number provides predictability for your students. 1. “This practice will be about [insert minutes]. You can keep your eyes open or close your eyes, whichever is most comfortable for you. Take a deep breath in, take a deep breath out. As if you’re falling asleep, let go of all thoughts. Just feel your breath. I’ll wait for everyone to settle, sigh and melt, release any movement and tension. With every breath, become more and more calm... great. 2. “Breathe in and breathe out. I’m going to take you through a progressive relaxation. We will be counting down from 10 focusing on taking one breath at a time, allowing our bodies to become more and more still and soft. Here we go. 3. “Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Ten. 4. “Deep breath in, deep breath out. Nine. 5. “Deep breath in, deep breath out. Eight.” 6. “Breathe in, breathe out. Seven.” 7. Keep repeating breath cues and counting down with each breath cycle. If students start to show irregular or labored breathing, encourage them to breathe whenever they need. If students become unfocused, encourage them to whisper along with your countdown. 8. “Now, take your slowest, deepest breath in… and a long, deep breath out. 9. “Notice how you feel in your body. Notice your thinking or your feelings. On your next breath, gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Take a long body stretch from your fingertips to your toes. Take any final stretches that feel good to you and slowly come back to a comfortable seated position in your chair.” 13 | TRAUMA-SENSITIVE CHAIR YOGA & MINDFULNESS TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM • YOGA ED. learn more about yoga ed. Evidence-based online programs that improve physical and mental health worldwide. www.yogaed.com By Email: info@yogaed.com By Phone: 310-471-1742 (US)