| dc.description.abstract | This research studies how yoga and mindfulness, in an outdoor setting, helps elementary students
connect to and understand the natural world. The four interrelated spheres of holistic
development created as the conceptual framework for this research were based on Sauvé’s
(2009) framework, and focus on student wellbeing, yoga and mindfulness, forming community,
and understanding the natural world. This research borrowed from narrative inquiry, and artsinformed
research practices (both qualitative methodologies), focusing on student discussions,
journaling, drawing, and a clay creation to inform the research. Through their journey in a
program called Snowga (yoga in the snow), four students learned about mindfulness and living in
the present moment through yoga postures and meditations over an eight-week period (one-hour
session each week). This thesis describes the positive changes observed through my reflective
journaling (i.e. expressing care for the natural world; expressing a sense of belonging and
understanding of the natural world; showing that they feel a connection to the more than human
world and to understanding it at a deeper level) that occurred in student understanding and
growth of the natural world as they explored self, community, and the natural world through
yoga, mindfulness, and the creation and discussion of their journals and artwork. Through my
research, I hope to engender awareness of the efficacy of mindfulness and yoga practices in an
outdoor setting, and advocate for these practices to become a part of everyday class time in an
effort to move students outside and build a connection to the natural world. | en_US |
