In today’s world, teaching and learning techniques are changing. In the earlier methodology, exposure to a stimulus, cognition, memory and recognition of the information was the learning model. Now, the emphasis is on a child’s physical, emotional, mental, and psychological well-being. The holistic growth of a child is based on the development of physical, intellectual, cognitive, mental or emotional faculties. It also emphasises the improvement of a child’s social skills.
Physical Activities for Holistic Growth
Physical activities are related to the holistic development of a child and are as essential as water is to a plant for growth. These activities impact a child’s growth in many ways:
- Physical growth – Exercise helps the child build stronger muscles and bones, acting as a stimulus for the body to adapt to various situations. A physical foundation helps to build healthy bone mass and density and better bone health.
- Better Fitness and Posture – Fitness due to physical exercise helps the child build the strength required to perform daily tasks well. It enables the child to become more flexible and stable. A good posture ensures increasing the core and spine strength.
- Weight Management – Physical activity helps burn calories and regulate weight management. Childhood obesity increases a child’s chance of acquiring cardiovascular illnesses such as high cholesterol and metabolic problems such as Type 2 diabetes.
- Cognitive Development – During exercise, the nerve cells in the brain’s hippocampus and prefrontal cortex grow and make new connections. It improves concentration and memory, which help in proper cognitive development for academic tasks.
- Better Mental Health – Physical activities help with stress and anxiety relief, ensuring good hormones and positive moods.
- Improved Self Esteem – Exercise improves a child’s health and mood. Being good at a game and good weight management is a confidence booster and raises the child’s self-esteem. Exercise as a group activity is a positive way to develop interpersonal relations and builds self – confidence. It nurtures the child’s social skills and team building abilities. The child learns several roles to practise teamwork and also try to be a leader.
Meditation for Holistic Growth
Meditation, a form of regulated exercise, helps children learn emotional regulation and achieve cognitive growth. It helps in the following ways:
- Enhances focus – Meditation changes brain patterns and heightens mental focus, thus improving cognitive performance. People who do not meditate display higher activity in their ventral posteromedial cortex, the brain region linked to spontaneous thoughts and mind-wandering. Meditation is essential, as a constant stimulation during the hours a child remains awake— from the internet, video games, social media, and school assignments — requires them to multitask and cultivates a wandering thought process.
- Fosters Self-Esteem and Self-Love – Meditation provides access to a more incredible feeling of inner stability and security. Meditation slows down the hyper activity of the mind and leads to the experience of relaxation, inner peace, self-love and joy. Focusing helps to mitigate your fears, self-doubt and insecurities.
- Relieves Stress for Peak Performance – Academic studies, competition and the compulsion ‘to do things right ‘often hinder relaxation and the ability to relax. Meditation can help children cope with the stresses and the traumas by being mindful and assisting children in thinking clearly. It can profoundly impact academics and athletic, creative, and social performance.
- Supports Healthy Emotional Development – Children face fears and should be taught to navigate through phases of insecurity, frustration and impatience without too much stress. Mediation allows children to access self-awareness and mindfulness and overcome negative emotions.
- Enhances Empathy and Connectedness – Meditation increases compassion by self-awareness, which comes from mindfulness mediation.
Physical activities and meditation have a developmental effect on a child’s long-term health.
Ruby Park Public School: Your gateway to world-class education
Ruby Park Public School aims to educate and nurture students to become a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders of tomorrow. With a holistic pedagogy and delivery methods at RPPS, the students are taught life skills to live responsibly by caring for the self, the people around them and their environment. Being a sister concern of DPS Ruby Park, the school ensures quality education in the academic ad co-curricular spheres.
Being affiliated with the CBSE board, it visions to impart 21st-century skills to its students and maintain a delicate balance between traditional values and modern ethos. The stimulating and peaceful learning environment has motivated the students to successfully achieve the highest standards of discipline and excellence in their educational endeavours.
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