Yoga: Building Belonging in Schools

This week marks Place2Be's Children’s Mental Health Week, and the theme “This Is My Place” is a timely reminder that belonging matters. Not as an extra, but as a foundation for children’s emotional health and learning.

I’m Nicole, from In the Zone Yoga. Over the years, I’ve seen how a simple, steady yoga practice can change a child’s sense of themselves.  Belonging to yourself, in your body, mind and heart is the very essence of what In the Zone Yoga is all about and what our childrens yoga classes aim to deliver in schools in Wokingham and surrounding areas.

It brings me real joy to recall a neurodiverse preschooler in a local Wokingham school who, after a consistent term of our Play Zone yoga breath work, movement and simple mindset framework in our sessions, began to make big progress managing his reactions. As they felt safer in their own body and their nervous system became more regulated, they started to connect more easily with peers and teachers — a quiet but profound change in how he experienced belonging.

Why belonging matters

When young people feel that they belong, they:

•⁠ ⁠Are more likely to try things and show creativity

•⁠ ⁠Bounce back more easily from setbacks

•⁠ ⁠Form better friendships and communicate more clearly

•⁠ ⁠Experience less loneliness and anxiety

•⁠ ⁠Grow healthy self‑esteem and confidence

These outcomes are why belonging should be central to any school wellbeing approach—especially when using movement, breath and mindfulness.

How In the Zone Yoga builds belonging

Belonging is something we create intentionally. In our school programme we focus on practices that help children feel safe, known and included. We pride ourselves in making sure every child feels seen, heard and valued for who they are.

• Name and connection first: We begin by learning names, greeting each child and using predictable routines that feel welcoming. Being acknowledged matters.

• Active, imaginative participation: Sessions avoid long demonstrations or waiting. Children are invited to play, imagine and co‑create sequences that suit their pace.

• Gentle teamwork skills: We introduce partner and small‑group work, model communication and provide choices so collaboration feels safe.

• Inclusivity and choice: Every activity includes variations so children with different bodies, needs and sensory profiles can join without pressure.

• Internal belonging: We teach tools for noticing emotions and regulating the nervous system, so children can feel at home in themselves, making social belonging more accessible.

What a preschool teacher in Wokingham says:

"Nicole's yoga sessions have supported our nursery children by improving their flexibility, balance, and strength. It has introduced and encouraged mindfulness and emotional regulation, helping in supporting them to manage their emotions. Additionally, yoga has helped to develop the children’s body awareness, coordination and relaxation, impacting positively on their overall mental well‑being and social skills."

Holme Grange School (Wokingham): a practical example

Holme Grange embed weekly yoga for all preschool children with sessions delivered by In the Zone Yoga. These classes help preschoolers feel seen, valued and heard, building early self‑awareness and foundational relationship skills. For older students, Holme Grange offers weekly lunchtime yoga during term time, providing a consistent space for teenagers to reset, connect and feel supported within their school community.

These regular sessions, across age groups, show how consistent wellbeing provision helps children recognise they belong in both classroom life and the wider school culture. The benefits of the yoga sessions roll into the classroom, the sportsfield and into the heart of the homes.

Practical tips for educators

•⁠ ⁠Start small: regular, short practices beat occasional big events.

•⁠ ⁠Use names and rituals to anchor safety.

•⁠ ⁠Offer multiple options so participation feels voluntary.

•⁠ ⁠Teach emotion language and simple regulation tools (breathing, grounding).

•⁠ ⁠Invite student feedback, ask children what makes them feel included.

An invitation to local schools and settings

If you’re a headteacher, pastoral lead, head of sport, nursery manager or wellbeing coordinator in Wokingham, Berkshire or nearby and you’d like to create consistent spaces where pupils feel they belong, let’s talk!

In the Zone Yoga offers:

•⁠ ⁠Weekly preschool, prep and secondary school yoga programmes

•⁠ ⁠Curriculum‑linked workshops

•⁠ ⁠Staff wellbeing yoga sessions

•⁠ ⁠Taster sessions and community offers to help embed wellbeing across the school

Get in touch

If you’d like an exploratory chat about how weekly yoga could support belonging and mental health in your setting, contact Nicole at In the Zone Yoga via the website contact form.

I’m happy to arrange a visit, run a taster session or draft a tailored proposal for your school community.

This Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s invest in practices that help every child feel: This is My Place.