Pennekamp kindergarteners start yoga classes

A Pennekamp Elementary School kindergartener lifts her leg up while in downward dog. Photo by Alene Tchekmedyian “Are you guys ready to go surfing?” Amy MacConnell asked a group of 18 energetic boys in one of Pennekamp Elementary School’s Developmental Kindergarten classes. “Yeah!” the class of soon-to-be-yogis chirped, all of them spread out on a colorful mat. MacConnell blasted the Surfari’s “Wipe Out” as the boys got into surf position – in yoga, more commonly known as warrior pose – and grooved to the music. The Bikram-trained instructor, with her arms spread out and face scrunched as she balanced on her imaginary surfboard, fell to the floor. Laughter erupted from the crowd. Last month, the School Board approved bringing kids yoga to Pennekamp’s two developmental kindergarten classes as part of the artists-in-residence program funded by the school’s Parent Teacher Association. Schools across the nation are embracing yoga in the classroom, as studies have shown yoga improves students’ attitudes toward themselves, behavior in the classroom and academic performance. A 2003 California State University, Los Angeles study showed that students who “had high participation rates in…

Read this story on easyreadernews.com