Limestone Central Elementary Montessori kindergarten students practice a yoga pose called the “Warrior” on Tuesday. The class is being taught by Cherokee County YMCA yoga instructor Paula Boggs. Limestone-Central Elementary Montessori kindergarten students concentrate and slowly tilt their heads forward, holding their arms out in the pose of a modern warrior Tuesday in the school gym.

The students are learning the basics of yoga in 30minute weekly yoga classes under the direction of Cherokee County YMCA instructor Paula Boggs.

The classical techniques of yoga date back more than 5,000 years.

While often viewed as bringing the body and mind together in harmony, Boggs is focused on a much simpler task in the yoga classes. All are skills students must develop to become successful learners.

Boggs has spent much of her time teaching students basic yoga poses with names like Mountain, Cat and Cow, Tree, Plank and Warrior I and II. In addition to improving students’ vocabulary, Boggs sees yoga as helping the students increase their flexibility and balance when participating in physical education. She is one of three yoga instructors teaching the class at the YMCA Monday-Thursday at 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday at 10:15 a.m.

“It’s been amazing to see how kids remember the yoga poses. I thinks young kids have a general preference for physical things and are very flexible,” Boggs said. “Yoga will hopefully help these students learn balance, coordination, concentration and improve their memory.”

Yoga is a recommended activity in Montessori, a state kindergarten program where students learn independently through a series of structured activities. Yoga is being taught once a week by Boggs to students in the classes of kindergarten teachers Robin Horton, Stacy Davidson, Karen Love and Kim Dillenger.

Parents turned in permission forms so the LimestoneCentral kindergarten students could begin learning yoga.

The exercises focus on improving the students flexibility and balance, Davidson said. Yoga has quickly become a hit with the kindergarten classes.

“The kids love it,” Davidson said. “When we come in on Tuesday, the kids say it’s yoga day.”