ABSTRACT
Yoga is featured on the Education Endowment toolkit as an intervention which may have some benefits at relatively low cost for early years. In mindful yoga, children are required to focus on particular poses and learn how to regulate their breath, their bodies, and their minds, which mirrors the processes of executive functions. The mindfulness practices involved in yoga for children such as breathing, meditations, and bodily control have all been used in research studies as ways to teach children how to control their emotions. Mindfulness has been studied in adults as a preventative measure and therapeutic intervention for anxiety and depression, and research was hopeful for the effects on children as well. Understanding the mechanisms behind the behaviours and emotions that children express led to a desire to implement a practice which could help children cope better in emotionally charged situations.
