DeStress Monday at School

For Teachers

Many of us wake up on Mondays feeling tired and not ready to start the week; and finding the motivation to go to the gym or yoga studio can seem like an impossible feat. But according to NYU Langone’s Department of Integrative Health Programs, you can begin the day on the “right side of the bed” without even leaving it! That’s where bed yoga comes in.

Given that yoga is a proven stress and anxiety reliever, practicing bed yoga can help you start the day with zest and positivity. Even more, it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, improve sleep, and get you in better shape. The comfortable surface is very accommodating to older people or those with a disability or injury, and bed yoga is great for busy people who might more easily add five to ten minutes of bed yoga to their day rather than an hour-long workout session.

Ready to try bed yoga? Follow our Monday Morning Bed Yoga routine that was created by Amy Eberhardt, MPH, CYT, LMT, CPMT, integrative health educator at NYU Langone. She developed it to be useful for hospital staff and caregivers regimens.

Because we live such busy lives, we often do most routine household tasks distractedly. But a recent study showed that when college students were asked to wash dishes with mindful awareness, they reported feeling less nervous, less negative, and more inspired to complete the task.

This means we can use a simple chore like making our bed as an actual meditation — to slow down our thoughts, become more mindful, and enjoy just being in the present moment. The fruits of this kind of mindful bed-making are numerous: a clearer head, a brighter heart, and the ability to be more resilient in the face of stressful challenges throughout the day. (Not to mention an inviting, neatly made bed to come home to.)

This Monday, once you finish your bed yoga routine, extend the benefit by making your bed mindfully:

• Rolling out of your last yoga position, keep your sense of mindful breathing going as you smooth the sheets and tuck in corners.
• Take the time to see your bed-making not as a chore but as a moving yoga pose — a way to further calm your mind and body.
• See how long you can keep this mindful, relaxed awareness flowing as you go about your day.

Enjoy this beautifully artistic video on using your bed-making as a form of meditation:

For the Classroom

These recordings introduce students to the practice of paying attention to the breath. This practice trains concentration and awareness, and it can help us calm down and settle. It is a great way to begin the week… or the day… or a class. The breath is always with us, and it can be an anchor to the present moment. Once students learn to pay attention to the breath, it is something they can practice almost anywhere and anytime.

Practice deep breathing by following along with this helpful GIF: