Laying A Firm Foundation
Whatever we learned as children, we are now.
The stuff that children see, listen to, witness, learn, experience, enjoy, feel for, mull on and analyse will shape their characters, personalities, beliefs and principles in life.
That is the main reason we have yoga projects in schools.
There were 2 more schools in Banting that we visited this month. In the first school, SJK (T) Kampung Sungai Sedu, some teachers patiently stood around the outdoor assembly area as 74 students from standards 1 to 6 excitedly did the asanas with us. In the second school, SJK (T) Sungai Manggis, more than 230 students took part in the yoga session — kindergarten up to standard six.
Their shirts and pinafores were dirtied, but they were very keen to emulate Saandhi’s steady, swift and energetic yoga movements and didn’t show any qualms about lying flat on the ground for Bhujangasana, rolling up and down for Jhulana Lhurkasana or turning on their sides for a side stretch.
There were squeals of laughter, giggles and bursts of excitement as they discovered their talents to stretch and twist. They also laughed at themselves as they were not able to keep up with some of the postures, especially the balancing ones. In Sungai Sedu, a teacher pointed out that they looked very “awake” early in the morning. And, we know that our continuous effort with them will certainly “awaken” them to their innate potentials.
With yoga, they will slowly learn to understand, love and appreciate their bodies. Their mental stamina will increase and their focus will improve. The positive seeding we did through yoga nidra was a great way to bring out their self-esteem. And the encouraging words, ideas and images were a powerful boost to their positive ego.
Constant and continuous dose of this will undoubtfully take them very far in life and let them blossom into beautiful characters, personalities and strong-minded individuals who will lead the way the world is one day with their meritorious actions.
Just imagine the joy if we have contributed in the making of another head-strong, determined and beautiful soul like Mahatma Gandhi.