3 Reasons Why Every School Needs Yoga (Even If They Think They Don’t)
Incorporating yoga in schools can positively impact the student experience
I was 11 years old when I was nearly kicked out of school for flipping over my desk during a heated argument with my sixth grade English teacher. That wasn’t the first time I’d had a violent outburst in the middle of class, and sadly it wouldn’t be my last.
I remember getting suspended in third grade for telling my teacher, I didn’t have to listen to anything a white woman told me to do. This was primarily due to my growing hatred for how I was treated differently in comparison to the Caucasian students in my class. Even at 8 years old, I was constantly reminded of how different I was through the means of racism, classism and prejudice.
But instead of suspension, detention or expulsion, my middle school Principal created a new, innovative way to inflict humiliation and degradation. She placed me in the newly established Academic Achievement Program, which was merely just a fancy name for the schools remedial English class.
Not surprising, every other student in class had the same skin complexion that I do. Our curriculum was centered around reading, The Contender, a coming-of-age novel depicting the trials and triumphs of an inner-city black kid from Harlem, whose introduction to boxing became the catalyst for turning his life around.
Throughout all of my guidance counselor visits, trips to the Principal’s office and administrative interventions, no one ever considered the possibility that my circumstances outside of the school were similar to those of the main character in the novel they had me reading.
My father was absent, spending his time in and out of jail, doing whatever he could to feed his heroin addiction. My mother worked three jobs as she struggled to support us financially. I’d witnessed a man get shot outside of my bedroom window, saw women get physically abused at the hands of their partners, observed drive-by shootings, all before my 12th birthday.
These traumatic events led to me eventually being diagnosed with severe generalized anxiety and panic disorder, and mild to severe major depressive disorder. I endured a two year addiction to my anxiety pills, survived two failed suicide attempts and an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. However, through the modalities of yoga, meditation and juicing (fruits and vegetables), I’ve been able to manage my mood disorders and successfully rid my body of all medications.
As a father of two boys and the Program Director of Bent On Learning, a non profit organization that teaches yoga and mindfulness to public school students throughout New York City, I’ve dedicated myself to providing my children and thousands of others with the tools necessary to navigate the world around them, including incorporating a regular yoga and meditation practice.
Every day I see the positive effects yoga has on children, including my own. Looking back, I wish yoga was an option at the schools I attended. I’m sure it would have saved me years of punishment, trouble and embarrassment. Here are 3 reasons why I feel yoga should be on the schedule of every student in every school.
1) Improved academic performance
In a 2009 study conducted by the International Journal of Yoga, 300 high-stress students were split into two groups. One group engaged in a regular yoga practice for 7 consecutive weeks, while the other group did not. The results of the study showed that the academic performance of the students who practiced yoga had improved significantly in comparison to the students that did not. The study also concluded that students with low stress performed much better than students under high levels of stress, and that yoga contributed to lower stress levels when practiced regularly.
2) Improved mood and memory
Most people learn through repetition and consistency, but according to a study by the Journal of Physical Therapy, a regular yoga practice can also contribute to a better mood and better memory. In the study, 108 students were divided into 4 groups, with each practicing a different style of pranayama (the formal practice of controlling the breath). Each of the groups reported an average 84 percent improved spatial memory score.
Researchers also suggest that yoga and meditation can reduce the cognitive and emotional problems associated with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, according to a recent report published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
3) Decreases stress and anxiety
It has been reported that children raised in violent, impoverished communities have higher rates of PTSD than soldiers returning from Afghanistan. My violent outbursts in school were a direct result of my undiagnosed anxiety and depression, based on my exposure to traumatic events early in life. I’ve personally battled anxiety for over 20 years, and have only found sustainable management through my yoga and meditation practice.
In a report published in Psychology Research and Behavior Management, The University of Tulane conducted a study, randomizing third-graders who had some degree of anxiety to receive either a yoga and mindfulness intervention for 8 weeks, or receive normal treatment and care.
The kids who received the yoga intervention saw an improvement in psychosocial and emotional quality of life scores, based on the pre/post yoga questionnaires that were administered. The study also concluded that yoga and mindfulness activities may actually facilitate stress management among elementary school students, and may be added as a complement to social and emotional learning activities.
Kevin Forner, Principal of Manhattan Hunter Science High School in New York City opens up about the current issues students face today, stating “our children are under extraordinary stress with fewer and fewer outlets. More than ever we need spaces where students can unplug and reconnect with themselves.”
He continues by mentioning the improvements he has seen in his students since starting a yoga program at MHSHS, “with a mindfulness room and yoga studio now on our campus, we believe that our strongest partnership is with the Bent on Learning team, who has helped fill these spaces with an outlet for students to reconnect, release, realign, and refocus.”
With yoga being a newly celebrated wellness modality in pop culture, why is it still unaccessible for many of those who need it most? We are merely scratching the surface on the impact this practice can have in the lives of our children. Until yoga and mindfulness replaces the need for detention and suspension, we still have a lot of work to do. I’ll see you on the front lines!
