Middle schoolers in Kent City are learning to control their emotions through yoga, which they practice regularly.
As educators look for ways to help children cope with stress, high on the list of is having students experience the ancient practice of yoga.
In a Kent City Middle School classroom for students with emotional challenges, School social worker Dan Sullivan leads the group in traditional Yoga poses at least once a week.
Improving classroom management and educational gains from doing yoga is researched based, he said
“Every morning we have breakfast together. Some days we cook. We find that that doing life skills and exercising together helps us learn to control our emotions,” said teacher Rachel Kallemyn. “On ‘Wellness Wednesday’ students clear their minds with yoga. It gets them ready for our day and the work ahead.”
Other districts have also seen the benefits. In East Grand Rapids, students use yoga to relax before testing and the Godwin Heights district created a special space for students to de-stress and practice yoga throughout the school day.
Educators agree that doing mindfulness exercises — like yoga —is essential to help students succeed.
For School News Network, this is Janice Holst