"Yoga in Daily Life" in schools
"Yoga in Daily Life" in schools
Vienna, Austria
RUKMANI, Mag. Brigitte Zehetner
Profession: Teacher in grammar school & high school for French,
Sports and Yoga in Daily Life
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1. Summary of my work with the system Yoga in Daily Life for school teachers, children and students
a. Seminars for teachers of all types of schools (from elementary schools to high schools, schools for handicapped children etc.)
These seminars were organized by the Pedagogic Institute Vienna, an institution of government for teacher training. All seminars were paid by government and were under my direction, together with our Vienna yoga-teachers for Yoga in Daily Life. Period of time: Sept. 2002 - Nov. 2008
41 seminars in Reichenau/Rax (each seminar 2,5 days)
12 seminars in the Pedagogic Institut of Vienna (seminars of 1 day)
From 2010 till today 5 yoga seminars of 2nd day, organized by Pedagogic University Vienna, the successor of the Pedagogic Institute. These 5 seminars were running under the name "Cool down - regeneration and relaxation" (the name "yoga" was not accepted) under my direction in my school Bundesgymnasium GRG21O, Vienna.
Seminar subjects:
Yoga in Daily Life for beginners (many seminars), yoga against backache, yoga for healthy joints, yoga with children, anti-stress-yoga, activate your regenerative power with Yoga in Daily Life, regeneration for body mind and soul, stress in schools - yoga helps!, keep fit with yoga, refill your energy with yoga, healthy respiratory tract with yoga etc.
Seminar contents: According to the Yoga in Daily Life-books and Swamijis teachings
Objectives:
Imparting relexation and health techniques as a holistic system for teachers and also for children and students with many teaching units, which means yoga-lessons given by teachers to their pupils.
b. Yoga-classes for children (6 to 10 years old) in Vienna in elementary schools since 2003 till today, organized by the "Institut Bewegtes Lernen" (institute for learning by moving). Classes with the focal point "movement" can choose "Yoga in Daily Life" out of several other subjects with 2 hours/week. The yoga-lessons are given by our certified teachers of Yoga in Daily Life.
Since 2000 Yoga in Daily Life for children between 11 and 14 years in my school GRG21/O as an optional subject (2 hours/week)
c. "Yoga in Daily Life relexation-techniques" for students between 16 and 18 years, since 2009 in my school (2 hours/week). This is work with relexation techniques, especially with Yoga Nidra and health subjects. Students have to write a paper and have to present some Asanas and one Pranayama.
2. Experiences with Yoga in Daily Life in education
a. Most of the teachers estimate the high value of the system "Yoga in Daily Life" for their everyday-life and apply yoga techniques for themselves:
They practise at home.
They go to yoga-classes.
In some case they become disciples of Swamiji.
Teachers also want to give yoga-knowledge to their students. So they practise themselves as a preparation for their classes.
Especially during their breaks between classes they practise yoga exercises to regain power. They report that work is much easier because they are physically and mentally stronger because of yoga practice. They can hold out longer working periods.
They feel much better not only in school but also at home, their quality of life visibly increased.
It is worth telling that teachers for handicapped children reported, that their children made enormous progress:
Their physical skills remarkably improved, they showed more self-confidence and they enjoyed doing yoga exercises very much.
There are always many participants in yoga seminars. This is due to a strong recommendation and a very good reputation of Yoga in Daily Life in the field of education.
b. The feedback oft children in elementary schools as well as in grammar schools is: They like yoga-stories (mostly Swamiji's stories), because these wise and funny stories are so much different compared to all stories which they are used to hear nowadays. Mostly they like rather short relaxations. All of them adore asanas with animal postures and the games they can play with them.
For them Tratak is a very interesting technique and they tell that they are sure that their concentration increases a lot.
A very good support for the work with children is our book "Yoga for Children", especially the chapter which offers yoga techniques for school children with health problems.
c. Students report that "Yoga Nidra" is the best relaxation technique that they can imagine. It helps them to feel harmonious or better to say harmonized, stronger and clearer in mind. Asanas make them regain freshness and liveliness and Pranayama is the best stress-killer for them.
Meditation and Tratak allow some of them to get a look into their "inner space". Mostly they tell that they like our book "Yoga in Daily Life - The System", which they use as an e-book from our website.
As a conclusion Yoga in Daily Life is a perfect and scientific master system for teachers, children and students. I work with it since more than 12 years very successfully in school and high-school. To see how it works and helps is always a great pleasure for me.
RUKMANI
Mag. Brigitte Zehetner
Vienna / Austria