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Writer's pictureClarissa Pyeatt

#BackToSchoolYoga


(If your life doesn't involve back-to-school for you or your children, feel free to check out the pics and video flow to help reduce any anxiety in your life.)

It's August, and for my kids, it's time to head back-to-school. For the first time my children will be in the same school together - High School! I'll have a Senior and a Freshman when school begins. Each grade has its own stress and anxiety. My senior has the stress of auditioning for music programs and waiting for those college acceptance letters - all while focusing on her dual credit classes and special activities that make being a senior special. My freshman gets to navigate a much bigger school and participate in classes with students in multiple grades, which can add stress to young teenagers. Even though "technically" school starts next week, they both have already been participating in rehearsals/practice for their school activities. While their activities help them find strength and focus, yoga can also help them. There is an abundance of research documenting the benefits on yoga in helping children and teenagers focus and find overall improved health and wellness.

Students aren't the only ones feeling stress at the beginning of school; teachers also have their own anxieties. From getting the classroom ready and preparing lesson plans, to meeting a whole new set of students and parents - the beginning of school is a new adventure each year. Through facilitating the success of students, many teachers forget to nourish their own bodies and therefore begin to feel burnout. This article shares research on how yoga and mindfulness practices help these teachers.

Along with students, and teachers - we as parents feel anxiety for our children - as well as stress in reestablishing healthy routines to make the family function well. Being intentional in creating healthy food options, sleep schedules and fostering organizational skills for our family helps everyone feel more successful during this transitional time. That all can be stressful for parents and we can pass on that stress and anxiety to our children, creating a crazy stress cycle. Through mindful breathing and stretching, research has shown our entire nervous system functions better with yoga. When we as parents are able to find relaxation, we can share that calmness with our entire family.

Yoga is a blessing for me in helping my body to find peace in stressful situations. When I am able to tap into the relaxation of yoga, my demeanor then becomes more peaceful for everyone around me. This is a video of a flow that can help with reducing stress and anxiety, while also helping find focus.


Guided Flow - Feeling the anchoring of the feet on the ground as we stand strong in Mountain, continuing to build strength and confidence as our hips sink back into chair pose. Creating energy and strength by flowing with the breath in mini sun salutations. Then we find a reverse of blood flow lifting into headstand creating intensity in our focus and connection to the present moment. Releasing to the ground in butterfly, we find openness in the hips and length in the spine, releasing the areas holding on to stress. Extending the legs and folding the body allows complete release sending tension out with the breath. Finally, sitting in lotus posture with Gyan Mudra fingers as we find stillness for meditation. Feeling the breath moving through the body allowing our minds to release and feel relaxation.

If focusing on the breath doesn't help steady the mind for meditation, choosing a guided meditation that resonates with us is helpful. This link shares 15 guided meditations, specifically for reducing anxiety.

This is a picture of the majority of the postures in the video flow above. This flow works well with my body, but may not seem the best for yours. If you're not familiar with yoga, and you'd like to adjust this flow for what your body needs today, message me - clarissapyeattyoga@gmail.com and I can help you create a flow for your body. This can include chair only stretches or simply different options for you to flow on your yoga mat.


If you are getting ready to begin the school year (or have already begun), I'll be sending peace to you. We can all give each other an extra smile, and be mindful that everyone experiences life differently. As a student, relax and enjoy this time of your youth. As a teacher, breathe deeply until the routine sets in and life settles down some. As a parent, give yourself a break. None of us are perfect, but we can be mindful that we are all in this life together. We can all take time each day to be thankful for something - anything - in our lives EACH day, and our outlook immediately becomes brighter, our smile a little wider and our joy abundant. NAMASTE


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