"Yoga helps me release bad stress and feelings and totally relax." ~Tian, grade 8

Yoga Farm

Jenn O'Connor

 928.308.0567

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Creating Space and Balance 

Place-Based science curriculum infused with yoga

Fire

What makes a fire burn is the space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing, too many logs, packed in too tight
can douse the flames almost as surely as water would.

So building fires requires attention
to the spaces in between
as much as wood.

When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way we have learned to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how it is fuel, and the absence of fuel
together, that makes fire possible.

We only need to lay a log lightly from time to time.
A fire grows simply because there is a space there,
with openings in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn can find its way.

-Judy Brown

"Yoking" the Adolescent Experience to Create a Sustainable Future

Adolescence is a time of tremendous physiological, emotional, and social change. This dynamic time period can often be tumultuous and challenging for a young adult to navigate through. Therefore, as the opening poem indicates that fire building requires attention to ensure positive results, so does addressing student needs. As educators, we must build a strong, but flexible educational framework, which allows space for growth, structure for consistency, and trust in the process. These elements provide the necessary fuel for a  student’s individual fire, purposefully burning in a meaningful direction.

The "logs" proposed by Yoga Farm, are found in the inclusion of pedagogies meant to identify, nurture, and celebrate the unique characteristics common in adolescence. These elements are demonstrated through the inclusion of an intentional yoga practice and the engagement of place-based education (PBE) in the mirror of a science curriculum. They are spatially arranged as layered aspects of relevant, meaningful learning endeavors. Just as each fire burns in a slightly different manner, so does each student. When allowed the necessary space, balance, and connection, there is enormous potential to grow.

The direct translation of yoga is "to yoke". This refers to the yoking device put around oxen necks, joining them together. Yoga essentially means to unite the mind, body, and spirit. When yoked with PBE, create a synergistic curriculum, which effectively addresses middle school needs. In doing this, hopefully the student will discover more fully who they are and how they fit into the world.

PBE requires students to take an active role in determining their educational pursuits. This engagement, coupled with yoga, allows students to develop a skill set, in which to interact with their environment, forge concrete connections with their community, and proactively deal with stress. With this new, refined knowledge, they will experientially discover their unique "arrangement of logs".  The result will be a distinct, purposeful, and well-built fire. This light and energy is an innate part of each student and will serve as an ever-present resource they can always draw upon.

The purpose of this curriculum is to explore life science topics through the practice of yoga and PBE. These modalities allow educators to heed the space students often need, in order to support them in their unique learning experiences and provide a sense of balance through self-discovery. 
 

Yoga Farm's Curricular Purpose

• Connect students to their environment through yoga.
• Kinesthetically engage students in their learning.
• Observe and identify relationships in the natural world.
• Integrate principles of yoga with naturalist skills and academic instruction.
• Create a holistic, constructivist, and project-based educational framework.
• Support your local community through place-based learning endeavors.
• Facilitate self-discovery and connection in your students.
• Manage academic, social, and personal stress.
• Identify and use test-taking strategies.
• Build confidence, trust, and collaboration skills among students.
• Encourage self-discovery and connection in your students.
• Learn human anatomy through yoga 
• Integrate yoga and athletics.
• Engage in professional development and personal self-care.

The curriculum will be available in Spring 2011...please continue to check the website for updates.