Schools taking time out for yoga

Breaks designed to help meet exercise recommendations

Published: Friday, Nov. 28, 2008 12:36 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
All the chairs in the classroom are tucked neatly beneath the corresponding desks. Pencils are set aside, textbooks haphazardly abandoned.

It's yoga time.

"We're going to use our bodies to make our minds stronger," says yoga master Yael Calhoun, instructing a class of second-graders to follow as she gently sways from side to side, arms reaching out like wind-blown tree branches.

As co-founder of the nonprofit organization GreenTREE Yoga, Calhoun has spent the past year promoting short, periodic yoga breaks in Utah elementary schools. The Utah State Office of Education recently approved GreenTREE Yoga's program — simple, instructional CDs teachers can pop into the stereo three times a day — as a physical education curriculum option. Calhoun has taken more than 300 teachers through the training process so far.

"We recommend teachers provide classroom breaks of about five to 10 minutes in length to get kids out of their seats, increase their flexibility and get them breathing deeply," said Frank Wojtech, health and physical education specialist for the state office. "Yoga is nice because it incorporates all three of those things."

Story continues below
The National Association for Sports and Physical Education recommends schools provide 150 minutes of physical education instruction weekly. In many Utah elementary schools, however, students only spend 30 minutes a week with a certified physical education instructor, Wojtech said. Classroom teachers, many of whom have little or no training in teaching athletics, are responsible for providing the remaining 120 minutes of exercise.

"It's tough to get that physical instruction in because the teachers have so many demands on their time," said Mountain View Elementary principal John Erlacher. His school in Salt Lake City has been collaborating with GreenTREE Yoga since spring. "We felt like yoga was something simple we could try to get our kids more active."

As a former teacher herself, Calhoun is familiar with the struggle to find time between academic subjects to get students up and moving. But, she argues taking a break to stretch and relax, actually contributes to a better classroom environment.

"Yoga calms the mind and decreases stress," she said. "It builds strength, concentration, balance and self confidence. The kids really love it, too, because it's just fun."

Students at Renaissance Academy in Orem certainly enjoyed themselves when Calhoun walked them through a few poses last week. She visited the school to get teachers started using GreenTREE Yoga's recorded breaks.

"I think yoga is relaxing," said 10-year-old Julia Snarr. "It makes me feel refreshed and less stressed."

"I hope we do it every day," said 6-year-old Ethan Jones.

The children were gung-ho, but the classrooms weren't exactly Zen-like. There was more wobbling going on than peaceful posing, more giggling than systematic deep breathing. Some children stretched too far and fell over.

Calhoun's not worried, though. The point of the exercise isn't, after all, to make the children into yoga masters.

"The idea is to introduce these kids to a powerful tool," she said. "It's about teaching them about lifelong health, fitness and stress management."


E-mail: estuart@desnews.com

Recent comments

True, yoga is from India. Not quite true that it is simply a series...

Charlotte | Nov. 30, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.

In response to the first commentator: yoga is not from the Middle...

Anonymous | Nov. 28, 2008 at 7:58 p.m.

"Why are our schools using middle eastern religious practices in our...

DR Don | Nov. 28, 2008 at 3:49 p.m.

Image

Jackson Turner, front left, bends over as Renaissance Academy second-graders learn yoga from Yael Calhoun. Calhoun has trained more than 300 teachers.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

BYU's old uniforms?

Just do it. USU blue is not BYU blue.

Another private city army to satisfy a Mayor and Councils ego, that is not...

Thunder rolls by Jazz

re:Unbelievable Sorry mate but with a losing record in the playoffs, this...

Is it me, or did this article take a 180 degree directional sporting change...

Lambert says he got carried away

Another evidence of style over substance. His lack of talent is shining...

We have been overdoing it for a really long time. We need to think about...

It seems that every time someone gets trapped in that cave there is a...

BYU's old uniforms?

BYU's current uniform color is actually closer to the team's original color...

Obama to pledge 17% cut in CO2

Too bad he didn't pledge to cut methane gas in half by the year 2012, the...

Matt Reynolds vs. Koa Misi

The only thing that matters is emotion. Throw the game plan out the window...

Advertisements