As part of the Wellness 3 curriculum at CRLS students in Mr. Caron’s Fitness classes are exploring a wide variety of fitness measures in the development of personalized fitness plans. Within these classes the students can be seen completing a circuit training unit inspired with the latest in fitness equipment and motivational music, practicing box-breathing as a way to enhance mindfulness during a vinyasa yoga class, or even showing their strength by completing a power clean in the Olympic weight training Unit.
Currently students are focused on Yoga with an emphasis on learning controlled breathing techniques designed to calm and center themselves. Students are learning about box breathing which is a type of breathing based on a four count system: students inhale for a count of four; hold for four seconds; exhale for a count of four; and then another hold for four seconds. This type of breathing is used in Yoga and Mindfulness circles and in particular by the United States Military as a way to enhance attention to the present. This breathing calms the body and centers the mind creating increased awareness, decreasing anxiety, and providing a structured method to focus on the present moment. This assists students in bringing a sense of self control over their increasingly busy lives; ultimately leading to advances in their ability to decrease anxiety and create an internal locus of control. The benefits to students developing this type of breath control are vast and may include: enhanced mindfulness and focus when taking a test, improved performance on the athletic fields, and developed maturity when resolving social conflicts and dealing with peer pressure.
This class is held in the War Memorial Building at CRLS!