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Bethany Butzer, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow, Marina Ebert, MA, research assistant, Shirley Telles, PhD, director,research consultant, and Sat Bir S. Khalsa, PhD, assistant professor of medicine

Abstract

Context

Substantial interest has begun to emerge around the implementation of yoga interventions in schools. Researchers have found that yoga practices may enhance skills such as self-regulation and prosocial behavior, and lead to improvements in students' performance. These researchers, therefore, have proposed that contemplative practices have the potential to play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of US public education.

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to provide a summary and comparison of school-based yoga programs in the United States.

Design

Online, listserv, and database searches were conducted to identify programs, and information was collected regarding each program's scope of work, curriculum characteristics, teacher-certification and training requirements, implementation models, modes of operation, and geographical regions.

Setting

The online, listserv, and database searches took place in Boston, MA, USA, and New Haven, CT, USA.

Results

Thirty-six programs were identified that offer yoga in more than 940 schools across the United States, and more than 5400 instructors have been trained by these programs to offer yoga in educational settings. Despite some variability in the exact mode of implementation, training requirements, locations served, and grades covered, the majority of the programs share a common goal of teaching 4 basic elements of yoga: (1) physical postures, (2) breathing exercises, (3) relaxation techniques, and (4) mindfulness and meditation practices. The programs also teach a variety of additional educational, social-emotional, and didactic techniques to enhance students' mental and physical health and behavior.

Conclusions

The fact that the present study was able to find a relatively large number of formal, school-based yoga programs currently being implemented in the United States suggests that the programs may be acceptable and feasible to implement. The results also suggest that the popularity of school-based yoga programs may continue to grow.

Some research has suggested that mind-body practices, such as yoga, may have beneficial effects on the mental a and physical health of children and adolescents. Indeed, substantial interest has begun to emerge in the United States regarding the development and application of meditation- and yoga-based interventions in schools to improve students' mental and physical health and performance. In a review proposing the implementation of contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation in education, Davidson et al have suggested that these practices induce changes in brain structure and function, which can enhance skills, such as self-regulation and prosocial behavior, and lead to improvements in students' performance. These researchers, therefore, have proposed that contemplative practices have the potential to play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of US public education. Similarly, Hyde points to recent governmental initiatives in the United States that have focused on educating the whole child and suggests that teaching yoga in schools is an important part of that movement. Yoga is increasingly being implemented in school settings, with several school-based yoga programs emerging across the United States.

Research on School-based Yoga

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) defines yoga as follows:

A mind-and-body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative-movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation.

Research on school-based yoga interventions is in its early stages; however, initial results are promising. For example, Serwacki and Cook-Cottone recently reviewed 12 published studies of school-based yoga interventions. Although most of the studies were of low-to-moderate methodological quality, the preliminary evidence suggested that the yoga interventions exerted positive effects on several factors, including emotional balance, attentional control, cognitive efficiency, anxiety, negative thought patterns, emotional and physical arousal, reactivity, and negative behavior. Additional research has also revealed positive effects for school-based yoga on such factors as concentration, self-regulation, attention, anxiety, stress, mood, resilience, emotional arousal, self-esteem, and coping frequency.

These preliminary findings suggest that providing yoga within the school curriculum may be an effective and feasible way to help youth develop skills in stress management and emotional regulation. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among youth, coupled with the fact that most schools do not prioritize training in stress management and emotional regulation, suggests that these types of interventions might be advantageous in school settings.

The growing interest in providing yoga in school settings has resulted in the development and implementation of numerous school-based yoga programs. It is important for educational policymakers and administrators; school health providers, such as nurses and counselors; and academics to be aware of the growing number of school-based yoga programs that are emerging across the United States, particularly in light of preliminary research suggesting potentially positive effects for these interventions.

However, school-based yoga programs have been created largely independently of one another, making it difficult for researchers, educators, and practitioners to compare features across programs and to assess whether a particular program suits their needs. The purpose of the current study was to provide a summary and comparison of school-based yoga programs across the United States. Although some preliminary research has been conducted on the efficacy of individual school-based yoga programs in isolation, to the research team's knowledge the current article represents the first attempt to summarize and compare interventions' characteristics across programs.

METHODS

Data collection for the current study took place between January 2013 and April 2014. School-based yoga programs were defined as yoga practices or curricula developed by organizations specifically for use in school settings.

School-based yoga programs were identified in 3 primary ways: (1) through the current research team's personal knowledge and communication with experts in the field; (2) through reviews of the research literature on yoga in schools; and (3) through online searches of 2 databases- the International Association for School Yoga & Mindfulness (IASYM) database, and the Garrison Institute's Contemplative Education Program database.

The Garrison Institute's database compiles information about US and Canadian programs that provide contemplative education for students from kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12). Similarly, the IASYM database was created as a resource to compile and disseminate information regarding school-based yoga programs around the world. After exhausting those primary sources, a final online search was performed using Google to identify any remaining programs. Terms for the Google search included words such as school-based yoga, yoga in schools, yoga programs in schools, and contemplative education programs.

Inclusion criteria required that an organization was currently providing yoga-based programming in schools within the United States. Mindfulness and/or meditation programs were included only if they explicitly incorporated a significant focus on yoga-based practices, such as physical postures and/or breathing exercises, in addition to meditation. Programs that focused exclusively on meditation (ie, solely on sitting meditation) and/or programs that were located outside of the United States were excluded. Meiklejohn et al, Black et al, Burke, Sprengel and Fritts, Zenger et al, and Weare provide reviews of research on mindfulness programs for youth.

The current research team queried the organizations that were found to provide school-based yoga programs by reaching out directly via e-mail or phone using a formal script. In particular, each organization was asked to provide answers to a series of questions regarding its program, including (1) the grade level(s) covered; (2) the type of program-in-academic-classroom instruction (eg, yoga at one's chair or desk), full-yoga practice in an open space or gym, or both; (3) the primary geographical region(s); (4) the number of formally trained instructors; (5) the existence of a requirement for basic yoga-teacher certification prior to receipt of training in the program, including the number of hours required for certification; (6) the number of hours of training required by the school-based yoga program; (7) the number of schools currently implementing the program; and (8) the number of years that the program has been in service.

To gain additional breadth regarding the characteristics of each program, the current research team also compiled and reviewed online and print materials regarding each program's scope of work, curriculum characteristics, teacher-certification and training requirements, implementation model, mode of operation, and primary geographical region.

RESULTS

provides a detailed summary of the information gathered from each program. Thirty-six organizations were identified that are currently offering yoga programs in school settings in the United States. The number of years in service across all of the programs ranged from 2 to 21 years, with an average of 9 years.

Table 1

The results suggested that more than 940 schools across the United States are currently implementing a yoga program, and more than 5400 instructors have been trained by those organizations to facilitate yoga in schools. The programs represent a mix of nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Several of the organizations provide customized curricula and implementation plans (ie, manualized programs outlining a series of yoga-class lesson plans) for individual schools and whole school districts. However, some of the smaller organizations do not have manualized programs, and, thus, yoga teachers are encouraged to develop their own lesson plans based on the core principles and guidelines of the overarching program. Some programs focus exclusively on school programming, whereas other yoga programs are also run at mental health organizations, community youth programs, or community organizations for at-risk youth. In addition to children's programming, many programs also include yoga instruction for parents, classroom teachers, and other school staff.

Grades Covered

A total of 75% of the programs surveyed (ie, 27 of 36) offer yoga programming that spans kindergarten, or even preschool, through grade 12, whereas the remaining programs focus specifically on elementary, middle-school, or high-school students. Some programs have developed separate manuals for each age group (eg, "Yoga Ed" and "YoKid"); however, most programs simply allow teachers to use existing manuals and modify their yoga instruction to be appropriate for the age level that they teach.

Setting and Components

The organizations were also asked about their primary modes of operation, distinguishing between instruction in the academic classroom (eg, yoga at one's chair or desk) and a full-yoga practice in an open space or gym. Programs that use in-classroom lessons insert short yoga breaks throughout the school day during regular class time to introduce a few simple exercises, instead of providing a typical, full, yoga class (30-45 min). Full-yoga implementation, on the other hand, places a greater emphasis on the elements of physical exercise in the yoga practice and often operates as a part of physical-education class, an after-school elective, or a between-class recess. This form of yoga program typically requires special equipment (eg, mats, blocks, blankets, or straps) as well as a space other than the regular classroom (eg, a gym).

Eight programs in the current study's sample indicated that they run a full-yoga program exclusively; 3 programs specialize in in-classroom yoga instruction; and the remaining 25 programs indicated that they offer both a full-yoga program and an in-classroom option, tailoring the program to each school's needs.

All of the programs outlined in typically have incorporated the 4 basic elements of yoga practice into their curriculums, including physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness and meditation practices. Most programs also include didactic elements, such as ethics, philosophy, or psychology lessons.

Each yoga class can include all 4 aspects of yoga or only a few elements. Many programs also allow the inclusion of nonyoga components, such as games, songs, arts and crafts, journaling, team-building, and community-enhancing exercises as well as activities that teach skills, such as social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, peer-counseling techniques, community action and outreach, leadership training, and character development. In most cases, these nonyoga elements are woven into the yoga lessons.

All 36 programs also stressed that their yoga lessons are secular (nonreligious) and teach universal values, often referred to as life skills. The inclusion of elements that are not traditionally part of a yoga class allows the yoga programming to be integrated with a school's values and existing school-wide, social-emotional learning programs. Although the majority of programs do not have a formal relationship with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), many of the programs have goals that are aligned with the core CASEL competencies (ie, enhancing students' self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making).

Training and Implementation

A great deal of heterogeneity exists with regard to the training and implementation methods currently used by school-based yoga programs. In particular, the levels of training and certifications required as well as the nomenclature employed within a program's structure (eg, certified teacher, facilitator, apprentice, or licensed trainer) can vary extensively.

For example, some organizations offer training for independent yoga teachers who are interested in implementing yoga in schools as part of what might be considered a yoga internship or residency, whereas other organizations train classroom teachers, physical education teachers, school counselors, school nurses, and/or paraprofessionals to implement a limited subset of practices from their programs. Depending on the model of implementation and the target audience, the organizations may offer 1-day, professional development workshops for school staff, design customized trainings for a particular school or school district based on needs and funding, or host multiday trainings for professional yoga teachers who want to expand their repertoire and become certified in a program to be applied in schools.

The prerequisite training requirements across the surveyed organizations were also quite variable. Some programs require their candidates to be classroom teachers with professional experience, with an additional background in yoga and mindfulness. Other programs do not set prerequisites for participation in their yoga-training programs and instead require extensive training for all.

A total of 42% (n = 15) of the organizations stated that a basic 200-hour, registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification by Yoga Alliance, the governing yoga-teacher training authority in the United States, is required prior to attending their specialized, school-based yoga training.

However, some variability and exceptions exist (). In summary, programs vary in terms of their instructors' training; however, many programs try to combine the 3 primary delivery methods into a coherent structure to ensure sustainability: (1) external yoga teachers who are not staff members of the school, (2) on-site staff members of the school who become certified yoga instructors, and (3) classroom teachers who are trained to apply a limited subset of yoga practices.

DISCUSSION

The current study makes a unique contribution to the literature by providing a preliminary indication of the scope of implementation of school-based yoga programs in the United States. Specifically, the results of the present study suggested that numerous formal programs exist that provide yoga within school settings as a strategy to enhance students' mental and physical health, behavior, and performance.

Indeed, the present survey identified a total of 36 programs that are currently offering school-based yoga programming, with nearly 5400 yoga instructors reaching students in more than 940 schools across the United States. In general, the programs showed a substantial degree of variability with regard to their training and implementation models. For example, a large range exists with regard to the total number of hours and other requirements that are necessary to complete each program's teacher training. Variability also exists with regard to who is trained, for how long, and with what intention.

At a curriculum level, most of the programs surveyed were more alike than different. For example, despite the variability in the exact mode of implementation- in-classroom versus full-yoga, level of training requirements, number of locations served, or the grades covered, the majority of programs share the common goal of combining the 4 basic elements of yoga-physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness/meditation practices-with a variety of additional techniques to promote positive outcomes for students. Indeed, the majority of programs state explicit goals around improving students' psychological and physical health, social-emotional skills, classroom behavior, and academic performance.

Although additional research is necessary to confirm whether school-based yoga does in fact deliver on those proposed benefits, preliminary studies in the area are promising. provides the Web sites of the programs found in the current study, which outline how school-based yoga programs are being implemented at individual schools.

It is also of interest to note that many of the programs surveyed have come into existence in a relatively short period, with most being in their first 5 to 10 years of service. This fact suggests that the popularity of school-based yoga programs is increasing and that the smaller organizations may begin to create manuals for their curriculum materials in time. Taken together, despite some differences that may exist between programs, it can be seen that most programs share an overarching mission to provide yoga in school settings as a technique to promote a variety of positive outcomes for students.

Implications

Schools play an essential role in helping children develop social and academic skills that are required to be successful as adults. Indeed, several preliminary studies suggest that school-based yoga interventions may positively affect numerous aspects of students' health. Thus, implementing yoga within the curricula of US schools could have widespread implications, especially considering the fact that school attendance is legally mandated in the United States.

Given that the majority of psychiatric disorders have onsets during childhood or adolescence and that more than one-third of US children are considered overweight or obese, school-based yoga programs have the potential to provide a large-scale preventive intervention that may target early risk factors for psychological and physical health problems in both childhood and adulthood.

It is important to note, however, that implementing yoga within school settings often comes with a unique set of challenges. Traditional bureaucratic structures, combined with potential fears and misunderstandings about yoga, can cause some parents to be reluctant to endorse participation of their children in yoga-based programming. The yoga programs surveyed for the present study were very careful to emphasize the secular nature of their offerings; however, that reassurance is not always sufficient for some parents. A recent court case in Encinitas, California, in which a group of parents attempted to sue a school district for implementing a yoga program, serves as an example of that type of resistance. In addition, bringing external teachers into a school to teach yoga can sometimes create logistical issues and cause concern among in-house school staff regarding their roles while the yoga is being taught as well as the stability of their employment. It will be important for future research to examine the most effective and feasible delivery methods for school-based yoga programming.

Limitations

Although every effort was made to contact and include as many school-based yoga programs as possible for the present study, it is possible that the Internet, database, and literature searches did not capture all of the programs that are currently in existence, especially those that are new or emerging. In addition, the current study focused primarily on organizations that have developed school-based yoga programs, not on individual schools that may be offering yoga internally. Thus, it is likely that school-based yoga is being taught more widely than is reflected by the information in . It is also possible that some of that information is under- or overestimated, due to the fact that many of the included organizations brought up a lack of recordkeeping during discussion with the research team, or mentioned that they were unable to accurately estimate the prevalence of their program due to the nature of their implementation model. In addition, some of the statistics in may not be directly comparable across programs, largely due to the variability that exists in the program models and delivery methods as well as to the fact that the programs are not centrally regulated and do not interact with each other.

Future Directions

Based on the limitations described above, it is important to keep in mind that the results of the present study are tentative and preliminary. A more rigorous study of the prevalence of yoga in schools in the United States should consist of a systematic evaluation of the prevalence of the programs by recruiting a random selection of schools to determine what programs are offered as well as the programs' characteristics. Such a study might include a random selection of 100 schools from various geographic regions in which the researchers query senior school staff as to whether their school is currently implementing a yoga program and then complete an analysis of the programs. This approach would not only give a more systematic overview of existing school-based yoga programs, it would also provide an estimate of the prevalence of yoga in schools across the country.

In addition, it will be important for future research to rigorously evaluate the efficacy of school-based yoga programs. Although initial research on yoga in schools has shown promising results, the research is highly preliminary and is often of low methodological quality, with many researchers creating their own informal yoga interventions that are not evidence based. Peer-reviewed research has begun to emerge on some of the yoga programs described in the present study, such as the Holistic Life Foundation, Yoga Ed, Kripalu Yoga in Schools, YogaKids, Niroga Institute, Yoga 4 Classrooms, and Get Ready To Learn; however, additional research is needed to build the evidence base for teaching yoga in schools.

Further, the current paper has focused exclusively on an analysis of school-based yoga programs in the United States; thus, it would be worthwhile for future research to examine the extent to which school-based yoga programs exist in other parts of the world. Some evidence of such programs in other countries is available, including the programs YogaBugs, Yoga'd Up, Yoga at School, and the Yoga Factory in the United Kingdom as well as the New Leaf Yoga Foundation and Yoga in Schools in Canada.

However, it is possible that school-based yoga programs are viewed and implemented differently across cultures. For example, given that yoga originated in India, researchers might assume that introducing yoga in schools in India would be well received. However, yoga is viewed differently in the United States and India, largely due to cultural differences.

For example, in India, a child's exposure to yoga often begins at home, where certain breathing exercises are a part of daily prayers. Indeed, programs to introduce school-based yoga as a part of governmental policy in India are usually met with objections, because people of other faiths associate yoga with the Hindu religion. With that background, yoga is being introduced in schools and in separate camps based on individual interests and the response that a program receives. However, at the current time, attempts to introduce yoga systematically into all schools across the Indian subcontinent have not been successful. In summary, it will be beneficial for future researchers to conduct a cross-cultural comparison of school-based yoga programs around the world.

CONCLUSIONS

The fact that the present study was able to find a relatively large number of formal, school-based yoga programs currently being implemented in the United States suggests that the programs may be acceptable and feasible to implement. The present results also suggest that the popularity of school-based yoga programs may continue to grow. Indeed, it is likely that the need for the positive outcomes that yoga may provide for students is increasing, including improved social-emotional skills, classroom behavior, and performance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful for the support of Shekhar Agrawal, president of the Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust, which largely funded the preparation of the manuscript by a generous grant. The Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) trust is an affiliate organization of the Patanjali Yogpeeth-Divya Yog Mandir Trust and the Patanjali Research Foundation, both in Haridwar, India. Two authors were also supported in part by a grant from the Institute for Extraordinary Living of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. In addition, one of those authors was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant number 5r34da032756-02. The authors are also grateful for the contributions of Amanda Lorusso, who assisted in preparing the article for publication.

Contributor Information

Bethany Butzer, Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Marina Ebert, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Shirley Telles, Patanjali Research Foundation in Haridwar, India. Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust in Sugar Land, Texas.

Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

REFERENCES

7. Saltzman A, Goldin P. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for school-age children. In: Greco LA, Hayes SC, editors. Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents. New Harbinger Publications; Oakland, CA: 2008. pp. 139-161.

12. Hyde A. The yoga in schools movement: using standards for educating the whole child and making space for teacher self-care. In: Gorlewski JA, Porfilio BJ, Gorlewski DA, editors. Using Standards and High-Stakes Testing for Students: Exploiting Power with Critical Pedagogy. Peter Lang Publishing; New York, NY: 2012. pp. 109-126.

14. Lowry RA. A Survey of Youth Yoga Curriculums. Temple University; Philadelphia, PA: 2011. [dissertation]

16. Serwacki ML, Cook-Cottone C. Yoga in the schools: a systematic review of the literature. Int J Yoga Therap. 2012;(22):101-109.

28. Ramadoss R, Bose BK. Transformative life skills: pilot studies of a yoga model for reducing perceived stress and improving self-control in vulnerable youth. Int J Yoga Therap. 2010;(20):75-80.

31. Felver JC, Butzer B, Olson KJ, Smith IM, Khalsa SB. Yoga in public school improves adolescent mood and affect [published online ahead of print September 30, 2014] Contemp Sch Psychol [ PMC free article]

49. Bergen-Cico D, Razza R, Timmins A. Fostering self-regulation through curriculum infusion of mindful yoga: a pilot study of efficacy and feasibility [published online ahead of print February 8, 2015] J Child Fam Stud

53. Singleton M, Byrne J, editors. Yoga in the Modern World: Contemporary Perspectives. Routledge; New York, NY: 2008.

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School-based Yoga Programs in the United States: A Survey

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Bethany Butzer, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow, Marina Ebert, MA, research assistant, Shirley Telles, PhD, director,research consultant, and Sat Bir S. Khalsa, PhD, assistant professor of medicine Substantial interest has begun to emerge around the implementation of yoga interventions in schools.

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10 Ways to Use Sensory Experiences to Build Mindfulness

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Flexing your mindfulness muscle doesn't always have to entail 10 minutes of silent meditation. Here are 10 ways to use your senses to build mindfulness every day.

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https://thinkkidswv.org/simple-concept-no-easy-feat/
Scroll to movement section

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It's no secret we're living through challenging times. COVID has removed us from what we know as "normal" life, our nation is grappling with painful questions of racism and equity, it's a divisive election year, and omnipresent social media gives platform to our meanest impulses.

Against this stark background, we have children who look to us for reassurance and stability. Wouldn't it be great if we could fix it all for them? Sure, great. But not likely. However, we can teach them to develop the skills to cope with these uncertain times, to calm themselves, and to express their emotions in healthy ways. Mindfulness strategies that are age-appropriate and trauma-informed can help.

Mindfulness counteracts anxiety by focusing our attention on the present moment. It's a simple concept, but it's no easy feat. How often do we fall into the habit of chasing our thoughts down endless mental rabbit holes? Before we know it, we've driven home without any recollection of the trip or we've impulsively snapped at our partner or children without recognizing what was actually troubling us. Developing a greater awareness of our physical and mental state in the moment allows us to respond to the stressors of our daily lives more thoughtfully and to feel our joys more fully.

For children who have experienced trauma, mindfulness can be particularly useful. Traumatic events and toxic stress can activate a child's sympathetic nervous system beyond its ability to regulate, resulting in a mismatch between stimulus and reaction. Even minor occurrences can trigger a full-blown "fight, flight, or freeze" response, the body's automatic and natural reaction to danger. For the sake of self-preservation, this response inhibits the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for functions such as complex cognitive behavior, social behavior, and decision making.

Trauma-reactive behaviors span the gamut - loss of temper, withdrawal, edginess, fatigue, just to name a few - but regardless of how they manifest, the only way to bring that prefrontal cortex back online so that the child is able to learn and interact is to calm the nervous system. Mindfulness practices target the nervous system directly and provide experiences that not only calm but also, with practice, demonstrate to the child they can calm themself.

Online mindfulness resources abound. To get you started, below are some of the TIME4K team's favorite activities and links, many of which may skew toward the elementary school children we serve. However, a high school counselor told me that most of what we do appeals to the students who show up in her office, too. Some of this stuff is ageless. (Think adult coloring books.)

Sensory activities - Sensory input is a great connection to the present moment, and the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise is effective with kids and adults, individuals and classes. To begin, look around the room and notice five things you can see, then four things you can feel, notice three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. By the end, you'll feel more grounded in the present moment.

Other activities that appeal to the senses include

Breathing exercises - Breathing deeply so that you fill your diaphragm calms the nervous system. Belly breathing increases the supply of oxygen to the brain on the inhale and triggers a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure on the exhale. To practice this, sit upright with your hands on either side of your belly; inhale through your nose and feel your hands move apart slightly. Exhale through your nose or your mouth and feel your belly contract. If you can, make your exhale slightly longer than your inhale. Repeat this 3 - 5 times.

To make this more engaging to children, add props like a pinwheel, bubbles, or a small stuffed animal that a supine child can balance on their belly and ride up and down. An inexpensive oximeter allows the child to see how breathing deeply can cause physical changes in their body.

Other breathing exercises include 4-7-8 breathing, Take 5 breathing, and square breathing. When doing any exercises with a count, remember that little lungs fill more quickly!

Meditation - People typically think meditating means sitting cross-legged on a cushion and focusing on your breath while keeping your mind clear. This is one method, but if you try it with kids, please don't get too attached to the results. Start with a short session - maybe one minute - and add time gradually.

Other techniques to try include guided visualization, body scan, and loving kindness meditation. Videos can be helpful when exploring a meditation practice, but meditation scripts allow you to be part of the exercise. When leading your child or class in a guided meditation, read slowly in a gentle voice, give them time to follow any instructions, and take ample pauses for your own deep belly breaths. It will help with the pace and your own nervous system!

Movement - Human bodies need to move, and children need an outlet to burn off excess energy. Mindful movement can serve this purpose while building body awareness and physical literacy.

Yoga may be one of the most well-known mindfulness techniques, and there are many online resources to help you practice with your child or class. Cosmic Kids is a robust resource for younger children, while Yoga Ed. offers free classes for children and teens when you create an account. Karma Yoga Institute is a local source for kid-friendly yoga videos.

We must maintain a trauma-informed mindset when teaching and practicing these strategies with the children and teens in our lives. Sounds, settings, and even smells we find calming may have the opposite of our intended effect. Consider investing in a small chime or harmonica to get your children's attention and to begin and end mindfulness activities. Raising your voice or clapping should be avoided. Be aware that flickering lights off and on and darkened rooms can negatively affect children who have been traumatized.

Choice is a crucial component of trauma-informed mindfulness. We always invite kids to participate, invite them to close their eyes, invite them into a particular posture, like lying down on their backs. If they don't wish to do it, we modify the activity or change it entirely, we suggest alternate focal points or anchors or postures. These are body-based interventions, and we must respect the child's autonomy and comfort level. In a classroom setting, if a child would rather sit quietly or draw or read, they should be allowed to without being made to feel embarrassed or chastised for it.

And if your child just isn't into the above techniques, remember that any activity we undertake can become a mindfulness exercise depending on the quality of attention we bring to it - taking a walk, eating a meal, making our bed, petting our dog. As you spend time with your child performing these and other tasks, you can prompt them to be more mindful by asking them to reflect on the sensations of an activity. What do they notice? What does it feel like? How do they feel?

Planting seeds of mindfulness now can help our children develop into adults with the skills to manage their stress and be more present in their own lives, improving their focus, performance, and ability to connect meaningfully with others. Couldn't we all use a little more of that, especially in 2020?
Andrea Roy is the project coordinator of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Engagement for Kids (TIME4K), a DOJ/OVC grant-funded program that teaches mindfulness skills to children impacted by Substance Use Disorder in eight elementary schools. Check out more ideas and activities with the TIME4K team via their YouTube channel.

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Simple Concept, No Easy Feat: Mindfulness for Kids in These Challenging Times - Think Kids

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It's no secret we're living through challenging times. COVID has removed us from what we know as "normal" life, our nation is grappling with painful questions of racism and equity, it's a divisive election year, and omnipresent social media gives platform to our meanest impulses.

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https://thinkkidswv.org/simple-concept-no-easy-feat/
Scroll to meditation section

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's no secret we're living through challenging times. COVID has removed us from what we know as "normal" life, our nation is grappling with painful questions of racism and equity, it's a divisive election year, and omnipresent social media gives platform to our meanest impulses.

Against this stark background, we have children who look to us for reassurance and stability. Wouldn't it be great if we could fix it all for them? Sure, great. But not likely. However, we can teach them to develop the skills to cope with these uncertain times, to calm themselves, and to express their emotions in healthy ways. Mindfulness strategies that are age-appropriate and trauma-informed can help.

Mindfulness counteracts anxiety by focusing our attention on the present moment. It's a simple concept, but it's no easy feat. How often do we fall into the habit of chasing our thoughts down endless mental rabbit holes? Before we know it, we've driven home without any recollection of the trip or we've impulsively snapped at our partner or children without recognizing what was actually troubling us. Developing a greater awareness of our physical and mental state in the moment allows us to respond to the stressors of our daily lives more thoughtfully and to feel our joys more fully.

For children who have experienced trauma, mindfulness can be particularly useful. Traumatic events and toxic stress can activate a child's sympathetic nervous system beyond its ability to regulate, resulting in a mismatch between stimulus and reaction. Even minor occurrences can trigger a full-blown "fight, flight, or freeze" response, the body's automatic and natural reaction to danger. For the sake of self-preservation, this response inhibits the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for functions such as complex cognitive behavior, social behavior, and decision making.

Trauma-reactive behaviors span the gamut - loss of temper, withdrawal, edginess, fatigue, just to name a few - but regardless of how they manifest, the only way to bring that prefrontal cortex back online so that the child is able to learn and interact is to calm the nervous system. Mindfulness practices target the nervous system directly and provide experiences that not only calm but also, with practice, demonstrate to the child they can calm themself.

Online mindfulness resources abound. To get you started, below are some of the TIME4K team's favorite activities and links, many of which may skew toward the elementary school children we serve. However, a high school counselor told me that most of what we do appeals to the students who show up in her office, too. Some of this stuff is ageless. (Think adult coloring books.)

Sensory activities - Sensory input is a great connection to the present moment, and the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise is effective with kids and adults, individuals and classes. To begin, look around the room and notice five things you can see, then four things you can feel, notice three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. By the end, you'll feel more grounded in the present moment.

Other activities that appeal to the senses include

Breathing exercises - Breathing deeply so that you fill your diaphragm calms the nervous system. Belly breathing increases the supply of oxygen to the brain on the inhale and triggers a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure on the exhale. To practice this, sit upright with your hands on either side of your belly; inhale through your nose and feel your hands move apart slightly. Exhale through your nose or your mouth and feel your belly contract. If you can, make your exhale slightly longer than your inhale. Repeat this 3 - 5 times.

To make this more engaging to children, add props like a pinwheel, bubbles, or a small stuffed animal that a supine child can balance on their belly and ride up and down. An inexpensive oximeter allows the child to see how breathing deeply can cause physical changes in their body.

Other breathing exercises include 4-7-8 breathing, Take 5 breathing, and square breathing. When doing any exercises with a count, remember that little lungs fill more quickly!

Meditation - People typically think meditating means sitting cross-legged on a cushion and focusing on your breath while keeping your mind clear. This is one method, but if you try it with kids, please don't get too attached to the results. Start with a short session - maybe one minute - and add time gradually.

Other techniques to try include guided visualization, body scan, and loving kindness meditation. Videos can be helpful when exploring a meditation practice, but meditation scripts allow you to be part of the exercise. When leading your child or class in a guided meditation, read slowly in a gentle voice, give them time to follow any instructions, and take ample pauses for your own deep belly breaths. It will help with the pace and your own nervous system!

Movement - Human bodies need to move, and children need an outlet to burn off excess energy. Mindful movement can serve this purpose while building body awareness and physical literacy.

Yoga may be one of the most well-known mindfulness techniques, and there are many online resources to help you practice with your child or class. Cosmic Kids is a robust resource for younger children, while Yoga Ed. offers free classes for children and teens when you create an account. Karma Yoga Institute is a local source for kid-friendly yoga videos.

We must maintain a trauma-informed mindset when teaching and practicing these strategies with the children and teens in our lives. Sounds, settings, and even smells we find calming may have the opposite of our intended effect. Consider investing in a small chime or harmonica to get your children's attention and to begin and end mindfulness activities. Raising your voice or clapping should be avoided. Be aware that flickering lights off and on and darkened rooms can negatively affect children who have been traumatized.

Choice is a crucial component of trauma-informed mindfulness. We always invite kids to participate, invite them to close their eyes, invite them into a particular posture, like lying down on their backs. If they don't wish to do it, we modify the activity or change it entirely, we suggest alternate focal points or anchors or postures. These are body-based interventions, and we must respect the child's autonomy and comfort level. In a classroom setting, if a child would rather sit quietly or draw or read, they should be allowed to without being made to feel embarrassed or chastised for it.

And if your child just isn't into the above techniques, remember that any activity we undertake can become a mindfulness exercise depending on the quality of attention we bring to it - taking a walk, eating a meal, making our bed, petting our dog. As you spend time with your child performing these and other tasks, you can prompt them to be more mindful by asking them to reflect on the sensations of an activity. What do they notice? What does it feel like? How do they feel?

Planting seeds of mindfulness now can help our children develop into adults with the skills to manage their stress and be more present in their own lives, improving their focus, performance, and ability to connect meaningfully with others. Couldn't we all use a little more of that, especially in 2020?
Andrea Roy is the project coordinator of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Engagement for Kids (TIME4K), a DOJ/OVC grant-funded program that teaches mindfulness skills to children impacted by Substance Use Disorder in eight elementary schools. Check out more ideas and activities with the TIME4K team via their YouTube channel.

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Simple Concept, No Easy Feat: Mindfulness for Kids in These Challenging Times - Think Kids

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It's no secret we're living through challenging times. COVID has removed us from what we know as "normal" life, our nation is grappling with painful questions of racism and equity, it's a divisive election year, and omnipresent social media gives platform to our meanest impulses.

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Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation

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Using a common set of mindfulness exercises, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) have been shown to reduce distress in chronic pain and decrease risk of depression relapse. These standardized mindfulness (ST-Mindfulness) practices predominantly require attending to breath and body sensations.

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15 Simple Sensory Activities That Teach Mindfulness

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As my son and I played outside the other day it got windy, cooler and the sky grew dark very quickly. All I was thinking about was getting everything put away and getting inside before

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Citation: Meiklejohn, J., et. al. (2012). Integrating mindfulness training into K-12 education: Fostering the resilience of teachers and students. Mindfulness, 3(4), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0094-5.

Note: This is one of the articles recommended by the NJ DOE (linked above). It is not available through Rutgers libraries, so I requested it for a future week and will share it with the group when I get it.

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This is the resource we found on NJ DOE together at the end of class.

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citation: King, L. M., Lewis, C. M., Ritchie, D. M., Carr, C., & Hart, M. (2021). Implementation of a teacher‐led mindfulness program in a low‐income pre‐ and early‐elementary school as part of a trauma‐responsive, resilience‐building community initiative. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(6), 1943–1964. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22557

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Journal Community Psychology - 2021 - King - Implementation of a teacher‐led mindfulness program in a low‐income pre‐ and

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Citation: Thomas, M. S., Crosby, S., & Vanderhaar, J. (2019). Trauma-informed practices in schools across two decades: An interdisciplinary review of research. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 422-452.

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Addressing trauma and empowering students through school-based mindfulness practices

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Citation:
Kraemer-Holland, A. (2021). Addressing trauma and empowering students through school-based mindfulness practices. Contemporary Justice Review : CJR, 24(1), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2020.1819802

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Resource 2: Chased from Sophie's article (TY Sophie!)

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Resource 2: Chased from Sophie's article (TY Sophie!)

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Citation: Dorado, J. S., Martinez, M., McArthur, L. E., & Leibovitz, T. (2016). Healthy environments and response
to trauma in schools (HEARTS): A whole-school, multi-level, prevention and intervention program
for creating trauma-informed, safe and supportive schools. School Mental Health, 8(1), 163–176.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-016-9177-0

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citation: Black, D. S., & Fernando, R. (2013). Mindfulness Training and Classroom Behavior Among Lower-Income and Ethnic Minority Elementary School Children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(7), 1242–1246. doi: 10.1007/s10826-013-9784-4

summary
analysis

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Mindfulness Training and Classroom Behavior Among Lower-Income and Ethnic Minority Elementary School Children

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Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children

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Citation:
Flook, L., Smalley, S. L., Kitil, J., Galla, B. M., Kaiser-Greenland, S., Locke, J., et al. (2010). Effects of mindful awareness practices on executive functions in elementary school children. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 26(1), 70–95. doi:10.1080/15377900903379125.

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Self-awareness is the ability to be aware of one's inner life-one's emotions, thoughts, behaviors, values, goals, strengths, challenges, attitudes, mindsets- and how these elements impact our decisions.

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Empowering Students and Educators with Mindfulness and Self-Care Training that is Simple, Sustainable, and Impactful.

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Potentially good general sources as we make this website

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Potentially good general sources as we make this website

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https://thinkkidswv.org/simple-concept-no-easy-feat/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJPcdiLEkI

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Citation:
[Mindful Schools]. (2019, March 1). 5 Simple Mindful Movements for Your Classroom [Video]. Mindful Schools. https://www.mindfulschools.org/video/5-simple-mindful-movements-for-your-classroom/

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https://www.mindfulschools.org/video/5-simple-mindful-movements-for-your-classroom/

Citation:
[Mindful Schools]. (2019, March 1). 5 Simple Mindful Movements for Your Classroom [Video]. Mindful Schools. https://www.mindfulschools.org/video/5-simple-mindful-movements-for-your-classroom/

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5 Simple Mindful Movements for Your Classroom

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Rough draft of facilitation for group meeting on Monday

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Rough draft of facilitation for group meeting on Monday

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I think this has what we need for Monday. The link to our working google doc is here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1legz0EhcgkCoSG794bDhoU2CPFv4WBRPbd_PSwOj7ac/edit?usp=sharing

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Using Sensory Objects to Teach Mindfulness | Calm Classroom

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Sensory objects like play-doh, fidget spinners, and weighted blankets can help many children stay calm during class.

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Meeting 1 - Link to our Collaborative Google Doc

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Meeting 1 - Link to our Collaborative Google Doc

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VF_NmqAxEv6WoV4-g5etXlSm0OhQ0nq2uzaflvi9SW0/edit?usp=sharing

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citation: WMAR-2 News. (2014). Baltimore City schools turn to yoga, meditation to help students process trauma. YouTube. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDP6lwn_0c.

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Baltimore City schools turn to yoga, meditation to help students process trauma

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this is the the toy I was talking about that they have at the daycare--I just wanted to provide a link so it could be more clear what I was talking about! https://www.amazon.com/Battat-Wooden-Activity-Discover-Animals/dp/B07BF1V8K8/ref=asc_df_B07BF1V8K8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=278525945678&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6349073663487886180&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003655&hvtargid=pla-568826271093&psc=1

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https://www.mindfulschools.org/

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Mindful Schools | An Integrated Approach to Create Equitable and Joyful School Culture

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We help educators create equitable and joyful learning environments that center collective well-being. Mindful Schools has trained over 70,000 educators. What's New at Mindful Schools Make a Gift Today We've kicked off our annual fundraising campaign and we hope we can count on your support.

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Inquiry Project Guiding Question: How do Trauma Informed Care mindfulness resources in elementary school classrooms impact low-income learners?

Resource Review format- from canvas

Citation:

Summary: A summary establishes the purpose of the resource and offers information explaining what the resource is about or clarifies what the resource is. This could also be used to establish the authors’ authority

Analysis:

The analysis answers questions such as:

• How is this information relevant to my driving question?

• How was the information collected?

• What is the point of view of the research?

• What was discovered in the research?

• What are the implicit biases (i.e. political, cultural, racial, etc.) that need to be considered?

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Citation:
[Bethany Thiele, Art Teacher]. (2020, August 8). Neurographic Art Tutorial : Mindfulness In Art [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoIgdt-uQR0

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Neurographic Art Tutorial : Mindfulness In Art

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At Edmunds Elementary, a diverse inner-city school in Des Moines, Iowa, yoga is on the daily schedule.

Each morning, every classroom begins the day with a "Be Well" discussion about topics such as gratitude, good citizenship, being a peacemaker, and getting enough sleep. Breathing, yoga-based movement, and a mindful meditation follow, helping students bring their attention to the present moment and preparing them for learning time.

© Sue Barr Photography

After lunch, the lights are dimmed and soft music plays as students return from recess for 10 minutes of quiet mindfulness and reflection activities, such as journaling, coloring, or listening to a guided relaxation story. Teachers even integrate yoga at other times of the day as needed, and they unanimously agree it's time well worth taking.

One teacher shared, "Practicing yoga and taking these mindful pauses throughout the day is like hitting the reset button, for all of us. I was going to leave teaching I was so overwhelmed. Not anymore."

Thanks to that reset button, the school is seeing results: Test scores increased more than 18 percent and the number of students being sent to the office decreased by more than two-thirds over two years. The school's principal notes that everyone is feeling a greater sense of community, connectedness, and engagement in school.

Edmunds Elementary, which uses a program we developed called Yoga 4 Classrooms, is not alone. Schools around the country, from San Francisco to D.C., are implementing yoga in classrooms and beyond, with students, teachers, and parents reporting tremendously positive effects. But does research back up their experiences? And what kind of results can we hope to see from yoga programs in schools?

While the science behind school-based yoga is relatively new, the initial evidence from a growing number of studies is promising. Here are seven ways that integrating yoga in schools can support students and teachers, while helping schools address many of the challenges common in education today.

1. Emotion regulation

In order for students to succeed at school and in life, it's crucial for them to develop self-regulation skills: the ability to monitor and adapt their behavior, attention, and emotions in response to internal cues, the environment, and feedback from others. And research suggests that school-based yoga may benefit students' self-regulation.

For example, a randomized controlled trial of 37 high school students found that doing 40 minutes of yoga three times per week for 16 weeks significantly improved their ability to regulate their emotions, compared to participating in a standard physical education (PE) class.

In addition, another study of 142 sixth-graders compared students who performed four minutes of mindful yoga at the beginning of their English Language Arts (ELA) classes over an entire school year to students who received regular ELA classes that included a few short discussions about mindfulness (but no mindful yoga). The results showed that this mindful yoga program also led to increases in self-regulation, according to student questionnaires.

2. Academic performance

Most schools use academic performance as the primary criteria for student success. Unfortunately, many students struggle to achieve or maintain adequate grades, which can lead them to disengage or drop out. But research suggests that yoga might improve attention and memory and alleviate academic stress, three factors that are important for academic success.

School-based yoga might also improve students' grades. For example, one study randomly assigned 112 high school students to participate in either yoga or PE twice per week for 45 minutes across the entire academic year. Among students who had high levels of participation, the yoga group ended up with a significantly higher grade point average (GPA) than the PE group.

Another similar randomized controlled trial assigned 95 high school students to participate in either a yoga program or a standard PE class. The study found that students who participated in the yoga program were able to maintain their GPA, whereas students in the PE group showed a decline in GPA during the 12-week program.

The authors write, "Yoga may improve academic performance by enhancing self-regulation which may, in turn, mitigate stress, thus leading to enhanced attention and learning."

3. Reduced anxiety and tension

Children and adolescents are exposed to a variety of stressors at school and at home. These stressors can range from extreme, chronic stress such as living through poverty or abuse, to relatively minor stressors such as test anxiety. Adolescents with unmanaged stress are at a higher risk for developing mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, which is why some researchers have explored whether school-based yoga might help reduce anxiety, tension, and stress.

One randomized controlled trial of 97 fourth- and fifth-graders assigned some students to participate in a mindful yoga program that met four days per week for 45 minutes. Compared to attending school as usual, 12 weeks of mindful yoga led to significant reductions in students' problematic responses to stress, such as experiencing repetitive negative thoughts and strong, intrusive emotions.

A study of the Yoga 4 Classrooms program found that a group of 18 second-graders who participated for a half hour per week for 10 weeks showed a significant decrease in cortisol concentrations from before to after the program. Cortisol in our saliva tends to increase during stress, and heightened cortisol concentrations as a result of repeated stressors may be detrimental to our mental and physical health. This study provides preliminary evidence that school-based yoga might help mitigate these negative effects.

In addition, one study enrolled 49 inner-city high school students to participate in a semester-long yoga and mindfulness program several days per week, and students reported significant reductions in their anxiety. Another study randomly assigned 51 high school students to participate in either a 10-week yoga program or a PE group that met a few times per week. The study found that tension and anxiety worsened in the PE group but improved in the yoga group.

4. Resilience to stress

School-based yoga may also help students cope with negative life events, like troubles at home or getting a low grade in an important class. For example, a randomized controlled trial of 155 fourth- and fifth-graders assigned some students to participate in an eight-week mindful yoga program that met for one hour per week. The study found that the yoga program helped students cope more often with difficult life events, compared to regular schooling.

Another study found that 30 elementary and middle school students who participated in a 10-week yoga program once or twice per week improved their resilience-the ability to successfully cope with challenging life events.

The authors concluded, "Yoga practice may increase the [students'] sense of control and self-efficacy with respect to stress and emotion, thereby increasing resilience."

5. Fewer problem behaviors

Bullying occurs quite regularly in schools; in 2011, approximately 28 percent of U.S. adolescents reported being bullied during the past school year. Bullying can lead to a variety of negative effects on students, including difficulties with academic performance. In addition, problem behaviors such as bullying often result in suspensions and disciplinary referrals, which means those students end up missing out on important academic material, too.

But research suggests that yoga might help. For example, third- to fifth-grade students who participated in a 10-week yoga program for one hour per week reported bullying others less after the program.

Similarly, another study of 159 sixth- and ninth-grade students assigned some of them to a semester-long, yoga-based social-emotional wellness program several days per week for a half hour. The results revealed that students in the yoga group had fewer unexcused absences and detentions, and became more engaged in school, compared to students who went to school as usual.

These positive effects might be due to yoga-based improvements in students' awareness of their emotions and behaviors. That might help students "control impulsive behaviors and negative reactions in order to meet situational demands and achieve personal goals," the researchers explain.

6. Physical well-being

National surveys estimate that nearly one-third of youth in the United States are overweight or obese, and that a lack of daily physical activity is a key factor at play. As a form of mindful movement, yoga is particularly well-suited to provide non-competitive, gentle ways for youth to engage in physical activity.

This 12-week study of 16 first-grade students who participated in 45 minutes of yoga twice per week found that yoga can improve motor abilities, including balance, strength, and flexibility. In addition, based on surveys from hundreds of parents, students, and PE teachers, another study found that a year-long program of yoga-based activities for 5-15 minutes per day improved students' physical well-being, including their body posture, sleep quality, fatigue, and diet.

"Yoga appears to be simply a stretching activity, but the variety and sequencing of postures coupled with the practice of deep breathing creates an extremely diverse and effective method of enhancing a range of health-related fitness skills," the authors write.

7. Teacher well-being and classroom climate

Advocates for school-based mindfulness programs suggest that the benefits of these programs might reach beyond students to impact classroom climate and teacher effectiveness. Preliminary research on yoga programs for educators suggests that yoga might be good for teachers' well-being, too.

For example, one study randomly assigned 64 educators to either participate in a 20-minute yoga and mindfulness program four days per week, or go about their work as usual. The results revealed that the 16-week program helped educators improve their mindfulness, positive mood, classroom management, and physical symptoms, compared to regular work. These educators also showed improvements in blood pressure and cortisol.

The promise of school yoga

Research on school-based mindful yoga is still in its infancy. Several research reviews support implementing these programs, but it's important to keep in mind that some studies have found limited or no effects from them. And many studies use "self-report" questionnaires where students rate themselves, rather than collecting objective data or reports from parents and teachers. Larger, more rigorous research needs to be done to clarify the benefits of these programs and what causes them, including the optimal amount of practice time and best practices for implementation.

In just the past two years, more than 350 new studies have come out exploring the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for youth-a clear sign that interest in this subject is growing rapidly. We're confident that the evidence for yoga in schools will continue to expand, and that it will help students cultivate social, emotional, and physical health; academic success; and a positive school climate.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Seven Ways That Yoga Is Good for Schools

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Teaching yoga at school might help students feel better and improve their grades, new research suggests.

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Citation:
[Bethany Thiele, Art Teacher]. (2020, August 8). Neurographic Art Tutorial : Mindfulness In Art [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoIgdt-uQR0