Calm and concentration through yoga – L’Écho de la Tuque

COMMUNITY. For two months now, elementary students at -La -Tuque -High -School (LTHS) have been entitled to yoga sessions every morning. Classes are given to them by -Claudie -Rivard, owner of the Latuquoise yoga company -Lunaison. According to what we hear in this school, the benefits are numerous.

Breathing, movement, postures and exercises bring not only physical but also mental well-being.

Popular among adults, yoga is proving more and more popular among children who derive immense benefits from it.

In addition to practicing strength, flexibility and balance, yoga is said to teach good management of emotions, decreases stress and anxiety, improves the ability to concentrate.

Ophélie -Lavergne, a first-year student, testifies that yoga makes her “calmer and quieter”.

“-They are more attentive, calmer,” says -Sylvie -St-Laurent, first-year teacher at -LTHS. She had already started yoga with them at the start of the school year. “-Students really like it, they say they can’t wait for yoga,” she adds.

As for her, the yoga teacher does not hide it, taking good postures, early in the morning, generates beneficial effects for the whole day.

“It helps to release stress, tension,” says -Claudie -Rivard. The half-hour exercise always ends with a meditation session.

Luaison has existed for a year. In addition to children, -M^me -Rivard gives lessons for adults. “It relaxes the children and it also gives them tips and tricks when they have a headache when they want to relax or when they have too many emotions”.

To keep the attention of the youngest, she even makes them imitate animal movements.

Young people often have quite busy daily routines. Also, parents let him know that they appreciate seeing that their child can do yoga at school.

The first time, the children were skeptical before starting the activities, but they showed a really strong interest in yoga.

The movements practiced vary with each session. One constant remains: calm music that encourages relaxation.

With the stressful life, -M^me -Rivard is convinced that yoga is becoming a must. The pandemic, the global situation can become stress factors for many people, young people or adults.

“They can use the stuff I give them at home to relax.” Teachers told me that they used things that I had told them”.

For now, only -LTHS offers morning yoga to its elementary students on a regular basis.

“-In addition to reducing stress and promoting well-being and good posture, yoga increases self-confidence, concentration and relaxation. A regular practice of yoga helps to develop the child’s attention span, to manage their emotions well and even to develop empathy to better live together. It encourages young people to lead healthy and active lives,” thinks -M^me – Rivard.

She trained to teach yoga in general after which she went for different other certifications for children, prenatal and postnatal. Next summer she will begin training to teach paddleboard yoga.