We’re excited to introduce our new MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX classes! These sessions are the latest addition to our growing Learning & Wellbeing Support Hub which is currently available to all of our My Online Schooling UK pupils.
With all of us spending a lot more time at home these days, it’s important that we are moving our bodies and taking care of our mental wellbeing. Our MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions provide a perfect pick-me-up during a busy day of online learning. They give pupils a chance to regroup, re-centre and learn some valuable exercises and techniques to help keep them feeling their best, even in times of stress.
For this week’s blog, we caught up with Helen Singleton, our MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX teacher here at My Online Schooling. Helen is a qualified and experienced yoga teacher, and is also the owner of Lotuslily Yoga in Edinburgh. She is passionate about sharing the transformational power of yoga, no matter your experience level.
Check out our Q&A below to get to know more about Helen and our new MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions.
How did you first get into yoga?
My first class was with a colleague at work who was doing her teacher training and needed some guinea pigs to test on. I remember the first class she had me coming into a form of headstand which I was definitely not sure about. It was in this class that I learned the power of the breath and how with the right mindset anything is possible. I continued attending classes and sought out other classes I could attend before taking the plunge after a number of years to travel to India and train as a yoga teacher. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
What are the key benefits of yoga and meditation that you have found through your practice?
Yoga is so much more than the physical poses and breath work. It is a way of life that guides you through every living moment. Yoga is an incredibly powerful tool that can help with stress, anxiety or any challenging scenarios you face. It creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness and relaxes the mind. I could go on and on about the benefits, but the best way is to try a class and see for yourself!
What does ‘mindfulness’ mean to you, and how can it benefit children and young people?
Mindfulness means slowing down and paying full attention to something you are doing, even if it means just taking a few deep breaths. Mindfulness exercises are incredibly beneficial for children and young people; a perfect antidote for the challenges that come with growing up. With practice, mindfulness practices will help children get in better touch with their thoughts and feelings. With increased awareness of how they’re feeling in the moment comes less emotional reactivity and a greater ability to listen and communicate more thoughtfully and effectively. A calm mind and body creates a much more balanced and enjoyable life.
Do you have to be flexible or have yoga experience to join the MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions?
Absolutely not! Yoga is for everyone. Your size, age or level of flexibility doesn’t matter. Of course, over time, yoga will help you become flexible, but that is just one small benefit among many more.
Talk us through what a typical MOS MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX session looks like.
MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions include a combination of yoga – seated and standing poses to create mobility and flexibility in the body – breathing exercises to calm the mind and release tension, and meditation tools and techniques will be shared to develop overall wellbeing. Plus we have lots of fun!
What is your favourite yoga pose?
Child’s pose – a deeply relaxing pose that calms the mind and body. It aids with fatigue and takes the body into the part of the nervous system that can deeply relax.
Next steps…
We’re currently offering separate MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions for Junior and Secondary pupils. If your child is already enrolled at My Online Schooling, you can register for MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX sessions by filling out the ‘Add Subjects’ form on the Parent Portal.
If you have not yet enrolled your child with My Online Schooling, you can add our MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX classes as part of their subject selection. You can also enrol your child in these classes independently from our regular curricular classes. Click here for more information on how to enrol.
My Online Schooling is an online learning platform that offers a flexible, full-time English Curriculum-led education to children all over the world. We support home-educated pupils by providing live online lessons which follow a set syllabus, offering them the opportunity to receive International GCSE and A-Level qualifications that open doors to higher education. Click here to find out more about our school.
