Port Washington Union Free School District’s young student yogis are working on their mindfulness and meditation at South Salem Elementary School.
Throughout “I AM M.E. (Mindful & Embodied),” a nine-week program taught by Lenora Gim and Ann McDermott, Salem’s kindergartners will be given the skills to connect with themselves, peers, and those around them with a more positive outlook.
“Yoga and mindfulness cultivate kindness and unity among students in the building—an ongoing goal of the district,” said Kathleen Mooney, superintendent of Port Washington Union Free School District. “Thank you to each member of the South Salem HSA who generously funded this phenomenal program and for providing our kindergartners with learning that leads to a more conscious and caring relationship with their environment.”
Each week students will engage in a variety of lessons—leadership, senses, seasons/weather, gratitude, loving, kindness and community—to enrich their physical and emotional education.
During the 45-minute classes, Salem’s kindergartners will be taught the importance of body awareness and mindfulness by practicing several yoga poses and breathing techniques.
The classes are designed to encourage students’ self-discovery, improve concentration and patience, and help to enhance students’ confidence. Gim and McDermott, yoga and mindfulness teachers at “I AM M.E. (Mindful & Embodied),” also hope to help students better manage their feelings of exhaustion and anxiety that they often experience today.
Salem’s teachers are thrilled for their students to be introduced to new solutions to clear their minds, improve their focus, and gain a more positive outlook on themselves and others.
