Why Yoga in the Schools

One Small Success Story

Like most change agents, I periodically question whether any of the stuff I do actually works. These doubts creep in after particularly difficult group sessions or when I see an obese teenager coming out of the local convenience with a 32 ounce soda and a pop tart for breakfast. Every now and then, a small spark comes along and that will feed my fire for a long time.

Last spring, after a session on the high ropes course with 5^th and 6^th graders, one of them approached me after everybody else left.

“Mr. Albin, I just want you to know that I have accomplished all of my personal goals in working with you this year.”

“You did?”

“Yes I did. I climbed to the top of the high ropes course and I started doing yoga at home on my own.”

Now that I’ve been doing yoga for quite a few years in the schools, more than one student has reported to me they do yoga at home. I would love to be a fly on the wall in those homes to see how and what they do but I have to settle for their personal anecdotes. I generally ask them to show me the poses they do. This allows them an easier way to explain it and allows me to make sure they’re doing the asanas in a safe way.

But this girl had a different story when I asked her what poses she did.

She told me she had started arguing and yelling at each other. It was a simple standard argument. She wanted to go over to her friend’s house and her mother said it was too late on a school night: a timeless parent child conflict.

Instead of continuing to yell she went into the bathroom, dimmed the lights and started to do volcano breaths (see integrated school health tips). She told me she would do three or four breaths and then turn the dimmer switch up a little. She continued this process slowly, breathing and turning the lights brighter and brighter until finally she was calm.

Crisis Averted

I thought about this for a long time afterwards because I am curious what skills people retain after I have taught them something. This young girl may or may not go on to include a daily yoga practice in her life but it seems clear she will remember how to breathe. Thank you Sabrina (name changed to preserve anonymity). You gave me just enough hope to continue in this work a little longer. Glad I could help you.