Chaos to Calm: Classroom Regulation Strategies That Work

If you’re a primary school teacher, there’s a good chance you’ve whispered one of the following this term:

“Why is everyone talking at once?”

“Why can’t they just listen today?”

“Why does the energy feel… feral?”

“Is it a full moon or am I losing it?”

You’re not imagining it. And you’re definitely not the only teacher whose classroom feels more like a high-speed motorway than a place of learning right now.

Between sensory overload, social dynamics, developmental leaps, anxiety, attention challenges and the sheer pace of the school day… our kids are wired.

And here’s the truth we don’t say out loud enough:

You cannot teach a dysregulated child. They can only learn when their nervous system is calm first.

This is exactly where yoga comes in, and no, it doesn’t mean mats, incense, chanting, or 30-minute sessions you absolutely do not have time for.

I’m talking about tiny pockets of regulation that take 1–3 minutes and shift the entire tone of the room.

Why Yoga Works So Well in Classrooms (The Research in Plain English)

Over the last decade, schools across the world have integrated yoga, mindfulness and breath-based practices, not as “extras,” but as teaching tools.

Here’s what research shows:

1. Yoga improves focus, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.

A 2019 review in Frontiers in Psychology found that school-based yoga significantly improved attention and executive functioning in children aged 5–12.

Translation? Kids can actually think again.

2. Yoga reduces anxiety, stress and behavioural outbursts.

Studies show yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and regulate” part of the brain, helping kids settle faster and react less. A 2020 study found yoga in schools reduced emotional reactivity and improved self-regulation in children with and without neurodivergence.

3. Yoga boosts kindness, empathy, and peer connection.

A 2016 social-emotional learning (SEL) study found mindfulness plus movement increased compassion, improved conflict resolution, and reduced bullying behaviours.

4. It supports kids with ADHD, ASD, anxiety, trauma, and sensory needs.

Movement + breath = regulation.

Regulation = learning readiness.

The research is consistent: yoga supports calmer bodies and clearer thinking.

And maybe the biggest benefit?

5. It helps you regulate too.

Teachers who use these practices report lower stress, better classroom flow, and fewer “putting out fires” moments.

This is not a gimmick. It’s nervous system science applied in a way that teachers can actually use.

How to Bring Yoga Into Your Classroom (Without Stopping Everything)

You don’t need equipment.

You don’t need experience.

You don’t need silence (honestly, half the time you’ll get giggles first).

Start small.

Start simple.

Start messy if you need to.

Here are classroom-friendly options that take 1–3 minutes and work beautifully for transitions, morning routines, or those moments when you can feel the energy spiralling.

1. Breathwork That Calms a Whole Classroom in Under 60 Seconds

“Smell the Flower, Blow the Candle”

Ask students to imagine holding a fresh flower in one hand and a little birthday candle in the other.

They take a slow, gentle sniff of the flower…then blow out the candle with an even slower, softer breath.

Do this 3–5 times and you’ll feel the whole room settle.

It’s especially perfect for Prep–Year 3 because it turns regulated breathing into something playful and concrete.

The slow exhale helps calm the Heart and Pericardium meridians — easing emotional overload and bringing little nervous systems back into balance.

Smell the Flowers, Blow out the Candles

“Bubble Breaths”

Invite students to pretend they’re holding a bubble wand.

They take a slow breath in… and then gently breathe out as if blowing one big, magical bubble.

Not too fast or it pops. Not too slow or it won’t grow. Just a smooth, steady exhale.

This simple breath melts away anxiety, wiggles, and silliness by helping their nervous system settle, all while feeling like play.

Bubble Breath

“Humming Breath” (Bee Breath)

Invite students to take a quiet, gentle inhale… then exhale with a soft, steady hum, just like a little buzzing bee.

For those not feeling settled, ask them to try again, but this time use their index fingers to close their ears, so all they can hear is the hum and feel the vibration.

The vibration works wonders for overstimulated or sensory-seeking kids, calming the nervous system within seconds.

Research even shows that humming boosts nitric oxide and naturally slows the heart rate, making it a powerful tool for helping children settle, focus, and re-engage.

Humming Breath

“Square Breathing” (Box Breathing)

This one’s beautifully simple, and wildly effective.

Invite students to imagine drawing a little square in their mind:

Inhale for 4…Hold for 4…Exhale for 4…Hold for 4…

Then go again.

For young students, it would be best to have an image of a square in front of them so they can follow along with your instructions.

It’s the same technique used by Navy SEALs for focus and calm, and yes, it works just as well on a room full of wiggly Year 2s as it does in high-pressure environments. The slow, even pattern settles their nervous system, sharpens attention, and helps melt away the jitters or scattered energy that can take over a busy classroom.

Box Breathing

2. Easy Classroom Yoga Poses for Focus & Attention

These can all be done next to a desk.

Mountain Pose (“Build Your Mountain”)

Ask students to plant their feet firmly on the ground and rest their hands on their belly.

Invite them to feel tall, steady, and unshakeable, just like a mountain.

Then have them say softly (or in a fun, strong voice):

“I am strong. I am steady. I am ready.”

This simple posture is incredibly grounding. It taps into the Kidney meridian, helping children feel more confident, centred, and focused, perfect for settling the room before learning begins.

Eagle Arms

Have students wrap their arms around each other in front of their chest and lift their elbows slightly.

It’s a simple stretch, but it works wonders, melting shoulder and upper-back tension (a lifesaver after handwriting, cutting, or Chromebook time) and helping the brain re-focus by releasing built-up tightness.

A quick reset for bodies and attention.

“Shake it Off”

Pop on a bit of music and let the whole class shake like they’ve got glitter in their shoes.

Start with arms, then legs, then shoulders, and hips — then let their whole body wiggle.

Just one minute of shaking helps release stress, silliness, tension, and all that pent-up classroom energy. It also taps into the Bladder and Liver meridians, which means less reactivity, fewer frustrations, and a whole lot more calm.

It’s regulation disguised as a mini dance party, and kids love it.

“Brain Buttons”

Have students place one hand on their belly, and with the other, gently massage the soft spots just under their collarbones. It only takes a few seconds, but it’s powerful.

This little cross-body activation helps shift the brain from chaos to focus.

Occupational therapy research backs it too: cross-lateral movement boosts attention, prepares the brain for learning, and supports executive functioning.

A tiny movement with a big impact.

“Wings Up, Wings Down”

Ask students to breathe in as they slowly sweep their arms up like wings…then exhale as they float their wings back down.

It only takes about 10 seconds, but it resets their breath, settles their energy, and brings attention back into the room.

A simple, graceful way to calm the class between transitions.

Movement Breaks that work

3. Activities That Build Kindness, Teamwork & Emotional Awareness

“Mirror Moves”

Pair students up and have one lead slow, gentle movements while the other mirrors them, like they’re looking into a human mirror.

After a minute, they switch roles.

It’s playful, calming, and incredibly powerful for building empathy, connection, co-regulation, and awareness of others in the room. A quiet partner activity that brings the whole class back into harmony.

“Heart Tapping”

Invite students to use two fingers to gently tap the centre of their chest — right along the Pericardium line.

As they tap, have them repeat:“I am calm. I am kind.”

This simple practice helps release emotional heat, soothe big feelings, and create a sense of emotional safety. It’s a beautiful way to bring the whole class back into their hearts.

“Kind Eyes for 20 Seconds”

Invite students to gently look around the room using “kind eyes” (eyes that are soft, relaxed, and warm, the way we look at someone we care about or a pet we love).

No staring.

No judging.

Just soft, friendly eyes.

This tiny shift in facial expression actually sends a powerful message to the brain:

“I’m safe. The people around me are safe.”

It moves the nervous system out of threat mode and into social engagement, exactly what the polyvagal theory teaches us. It’s a simple, beautiful way to bring calm and connection back into the classroom.

Why This Helps Teachers Just as Much as Kids

You know that moment when the volume rises, the energy spikes, and you can feel your own chest tightening?

Yoga interrupts that cycle, for both you and them.

Even 60 seconds of breathwork shifts the room from:

chaotic → regulated

frantic → reactive → ready to learn

When you regulate with your students, you become the calmest nervous system in the room. And the calmest nervous system always wins.

A Word for the Teachers Who Are Tired

If you’re reading this thinking:

“I love this, but I don’t have time for one more thing.

”Please hear this:

Yoga isn’t something extra. It’s something that gives you your classroom back.

When children regulate, they learn better.

When they learn better, behaviour improves.

When behaviour improves, teaching gets easier.

And when teaching gets easier… You get to breathe again.

A Final Word for Teachers Who Are Doing the Impossible Every Day

If no one’s told you lately: you’re doing an extraordinary job.

You’re teaching academics and emotional regulation.

You’re managing behaviour and building tiny humans.

You’re holding 25 nervous systems together while trying to keep your own steady.

And you deserve support that actually helps, support that doesn’t add more to your plate, but lightens it.

That’s exactly why The GET Co. exists.

We help schools bring simple, evidence-informed yoga therapy tools into the classroom so students become calmer, more focused, more connected, and more ready to learn, and so you get to breathe again too.

If you’d love more ideas, teacher-friendly tools, or practical tips you can use tomorrow morning, we’d love to help.

Reach out to The GET Co. anytime — we’re here to support you, your students, and your classroom community.

Let’s create calmer classrooms together.