Yoga in the Montessori Classroom
“…The true purpose of movement is much higher than producing an appetite or strengthening the lungs; it is to serve the ends of existence, the universal and spiritual economies of nature.” Maria Montessori, The Absorbing Mind
Maria Montessori was not only an educator and psychologist, she was also a yogi, albeit Italian. The word “yoga” means “union”, and this union refers to the body, mind and spirit. In her book The Absorbent Mind, Montessori tells us: “… movement has a great importance in mental development in itself, provided that the action that occurs is connected with the mental activity that takes place. Both the mental as well as spiritual growth are fostered by this… For students of any age, yoga reveals a path into ourselves. At the same time, it helps us create our own special place in the world around us. Yoga, like Montessori education, is a discovery process.
Purposeful movement is an integral part of the Montessori curriculum. For the past six years, the Houston Montessori Center has offered yoga as a movement curriculum for early childhood teacher training. Interns learn to incorporate nature themes into a basic routine that includes movement in all directions. Children enjoy imitating animals while learning how their bodies feel in different poses (“asanas”). Yoga for Kids, a book by Mary Stewart and Kathy Phillips, is an excellent resource for teachers or parents exploring yoga for the early childhood classroom or home.
Post Oak School’s Mirani Smith includes yoga as part of individual work in her elementary classroom. Materials include the Imaginazium Kids Yoga Kit and a designated mat or rug. “Basically, the children are allowed to use the yoga cards at any time of the day, and what seems to be happening now is that whenever they reach a point during their work where they need to take the initiative to move forward, they go to me…and saying, ‘Maybe I need to use yoga to start something else, or to have more energy to work, or to calm down my body.'” Mirani notes that children have internalized yoga and are using it in different ways. that work for them as individuals.”It’s amazing that the kids who really need it are the ones who are doing it.”
Yoga cards are chosen three or four times a day. Mirani, who had knee surgery a while ago, adds, “Since I can’t do most of it, I’ll tell them, ‘Show me how!’ “
Another way to use yoga in the classroom is to incorporate poses into actual lessons for children to use their bodies as kinesthetic learning tools. For example, a lesson on forests might include appropriate asanas such as tree or mouse. A form lesson might include triangle pose or arm circles. Many letters of the alphabet can also be created with the body.
As children reach elementary school age, their bodies become firmer and it becomes more important for them to work with a trained yoga teacher or experienced practitioner who can observe body alignment and make corrections if necessary. “If it hurts, don’t do it!” is an important rule for yogis of all ages learning to accept responsibility for their own bodies. Because yoga is non-competitive, it offers a healthy alternative to organized sports. At the same time, it provides a complementary form of training for young athletes who want to improve their performance.
Elementary school children can also deepen their understanding of how poses benefit the body and mind. An exuberant but rather wobbly six-year-old boy discovered focus while practicing tree pose, a one-legged position. As this girl concentrated on her pose, her standing leg steadied and her eyes became rounder and rounder… Perhaps she found other ways to apply that lesson!
In adolescence, students can work more abstractly with yoga. Many young people need to work with particular areas of the body as a result of sports or other activities. Gender differences also become more apparent at this age. Young women are generally more flexible and may wish to build strength; young men often prefer to stretch. Therefore, it is sometimes useful to teach them separately. However, almost all students benefit from relaxation practices, which can ease the stress of adolescence.
A carefully designed yoga curriculum works well as part of a high school physical education program and encourages growth on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Montessori adolescents can participate more fully in creating goals for themselves as individuals and for the class as a whole. These young adults can be introduced to more advanced practices, such as breathing, meditation, and philosophy. High school students often face intense pressures and can benefit greatly from regular meditation and relaxation practices. One young woman even credited yoga with saving lives because it helped her cope with her anger behind her wheel.
Yoga philosophy and practices are very compatible with Montessori principles. As a system of learning and permanent evolution, yoga invites us to continue discovering. And on top of all that, IT’S FUN! Surely Maria Montessori would approve.