Some days it’s just hard to focus.

We are distracted and racing from one idea to another or the brain is cloudy and slow.

Whatever the reason moving, especially conscious moving will help to find balance and help us to focus.

Classroom Tip: You may want to phase this activity in by first introducing the principals of balance.

Empower your students ability to focus and concentrate by allowing choice. The lesson will go deeper when students choose the yoga poses that work best for them.

Supplies: This exercise works really well if you use the YogaKids Tools for Schools Cards or other yoga cards with pose pictures. But it also works well just brainstorming and writing the poses on the whiteboard.

Choose Your Yoga Poses for Focus and Concentration

Step 1. Write or post the cards that involve balance:

Stork, Flamingo, Tree, Eagle, Dancer, Warrior 3, Owl, Crow, Row Your Boat

Optional: Have students brainstorm other balance poses that are not included in the cards.

Step 2. Try each of the balance poses.

Notice which ones are easy for you to find your focus, which ones you need to work on for focus and which ones are challenging for strength.

Step 3. Pick a pose to go with each of the four affirmations:

• Focus
• Strength
• Courage
• Accept

Write the affirmation on your paper and list a pose beside each one that best fits that word for you.

Run through the poses and see if the order you put them in flows well, make any adjustments if you need to.

Step 4. Show perseverance by practicing your balance flow several times making sure to do both sides evenly. Over the week gradually add in more reps or hold the poses longer.

If students are lethargic and slow run through the series quickly. If they are already overstimulated, have them hold the poses longer (perhaps use a chime) to slow down to connect.

This activity included with more details and a printable pose guide in the 21 Days of Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids. Check that out here.

Share Your Success

Let us know how it worked for you and your students.

• Which poses do they like best?
• Were you surprised by their choices?
• Did you find they like the challenging ones best?

Share your experiences and inspire us all…