1 148 84 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IDENTIFYING FACTORS RELEVANT FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING MANNER. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO KEY STAKEHOLDERS CRITICAL FOR IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS - STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM TEACHERS - MERIT ATTENTION IN THIS CONTEXT AND HAVE RARELY BEEN EXPLORED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. THIS STUDY REPORTS QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS OF A 16-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM IN THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVING LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES. FOUR THEMES RELATED TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS EMERGED: PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS, PROGRAM BUY-IN, IMPLEMENTER COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, AND INSTRUCTOR QUALITIES. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMING IMPLEMENTATION, ADAPTATION, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMMING IN URBAN SETTINGS. 2017 2 145 39 A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SKILLS USE IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM. PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMS HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY USED QUALITATIVE DATA TO INVESTIGATE PROGRAM CONTENT AND SKILLS THAT STUDENTS REMEMBERED AND APPLIED IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. DATA WERE GATHERED FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION DELIVERED AT THREE URBAN SCHOOLS BY A COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WITH NINE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AND HELD SIX FOCUS GROUPS WITH 22 FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES TWO PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT SKILLS DID STUDENTS LEARN, RETAIN, AND UTILIZE OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM? AND (2) WHAT CHANGES DID CLASSROOM TEACHERS EXPECT AND OBSERVE AMONG PROGRAM RECIPIENTS? FOUR MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO SKILL LEARNING AND APPLICATION EMERGED AS FOLLOWS: (1) YOUTHS RETAINED AND UTILIZED PROGRAM SKILLS INVOLVING BREATH WORK AND POSES; (2) KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HEALTH BENEFITS OF THESE TECHNIQUES PROMOTED SELF-UTILIZATION AND SHARING OF SKILLS; (3) YOUTHS DEVELOPED KEENER EMOTIONAL APPRAISAL THAT, COUPLED WITH NEW AND IMPROVED EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS, HELPED DE-ESCALATE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, PROMOTE CALM, AND REDUCE STRESS; AND (4) YOUTHS AND TEACHERS REPORTED REALISTIC AND OPTIMISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE IMPACT OF ACQUIRED PROGRAM SKILLS. WE DISCUSS IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR GUIDING FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. 2016 3 951 20 EFFECTS OF A CLASSROOM-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON CORTISOL AND BEHAVIOR IN SECOND- AND THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS: A PILOT STUDY. THIS UNCONTROLLED PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A CLASSROOM-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON CORTISOL CONCENTRATIONS AND PERCEIVED BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN. A 10-WEEK YOGA 4 CLASSROOMS INTERVENTION WAS IMPLEMENTED IN ONE SECOND-GRADE AND ONE THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOM. STUDENTS' SALIVARY CORTISOL RESPONSES WERE ASSESSED AT 3 TIME POINTS. CLASSROOM TEACHERS ALSO DOCUMENTED THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTION ON STUDENTS' COGNITIVE, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS. SECOND, BUT NOT THIRD, GRADERS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BASELINE CORTISOL FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. SECOND AND THIRD GRADERS BOTH SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CORTISOL FROM BEFORE TO AFTER A COGNITIVE TASK, BUT NEITHER GRADE SHOWED ADDITIONAL DECREASES FROM BEFORE TO AFTER A SINGLE YOGA CLASS. THE SECOND-GRADE TEACHER PERCEIVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SEVERAL ASPECTS HIS/HER STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR. THE THIRD-GRADE TEACHER PERCEIVED SOME, BUT FEWER, IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS/HER STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND BEHAVIOR. 2015 4 191 27 A RANDOMIZED STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF MINDS IN MOTION AND YOGA ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY AND ACADEMIC SKILLS AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS CRITICAL FOR THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN. SPECIFICALLY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN COORDINATION, BALANCE, ATTENTION, AND BEHAVIOR AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. HOWEVER, FOR MANY CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THOSE BELONGING TO MINORITY GROUPS, OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN QUALITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS OUTSIDE SCHOOL SETTINGS ARE LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE WHETHER A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM CALLED MINDS IN MOTION (MIM) THE MAZE BEFORE SCHOOL, AS COMPARED WITH YOGA, MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FRAMEWORK AS A BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO IMPROVE OVERALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 48 CHILDREN ATTENDING AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH LARGE MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MIDWEST WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO MIM-THE MAZE OR YOGA. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY, BEHAVIOR, BALANCE, AND ACADEMIC SKILLS BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. TRAINING CONSISTED OF EITHER YOGA OR MIM-THE MAZE 30 MINUTES PER DAY BEFORE SCHOOL, 5 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: MIM-THE MAZE AND YOGA GROUP STUDENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC SKILLS. CONCLUSIONS: MIM-THE MAZE IS FEASIBLE AND AFFORDABLE BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PROMOTE STUDENTS' CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. 2020 5 18 33 "THE PROGRAM AFFECTS ME 'CAUSE IT GIVES AWAY STRESS": URBAN STUDENTS' QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS AND A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. CONTEXT: SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA STUDIES GENERALLY MEASURE STRESS-RELATED OUTCOMES USING QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: HOW DO YOUTH DEFINE STRESS AND IN WHAT WAYS, IF ANY, WAS A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION HELPFUL TO YOUTH DURING STRESS EXPERIENCES? DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: TO EXPLORE YOUTHS' OWN PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS, STRESSORS IN YOUTHS' LIVES, AND PERCEIVED CHANGES IN RESPONSES TO STRESS POST-INTERVENTION, WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH 22 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS: USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, THE FOLLOWING THREE THEMES EMERGED: (1) YOUTH CONFLATED STRESS WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; (2) PEER AND FAMILY CONFLICTS WERE COMMON STRESSORS; AND (3) YOUTH REPORTED IMPROVED IMPULSE CONTROL AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. STUDY FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR REFINING INTERVENTION CONTENT (E.G., DISCUSSIONS OF STRESS), AS WELL AS INFORMING THE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF QUANTITATIVE MEASURES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON STRESS AND STRESS RESPONSES IN URBAN YOUTH. 2016 6 1949 20 SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION INCREASES ADOLESCENT RESILIENCE: A PILOT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOUTH OFTEN EXPERIENCE STRESSORS LEADING TO NEGATIVE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES. ENHANCING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ATTRIBUTES IS IMPORTANT TO FOSTER RESILIENCY TO FACE THESE CHALLENGES. YOGA MAY ENHANCE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY AMONG YOUTH. HOWEVER, RESEARCH REPLICATING SUCH RESULTS IN SCHOOL-SETTINGS IS LIMITED. THIS RESEARCH DETAILS AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE KRIPALU YOGA IN THE SCHOOLS (KYIS) INTERVENTION INTEGRATED INTO A PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS AMONG A RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION. METHOD: MIDDLE SCHOOL SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS (N = 23 STUDENTS; 52% FEMALE; MEAN AGE = 12.1 YEARS) WERE EITHER ENROLLED IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS THAT INCLUDED KYIS (N = 9), OR WERE ENROLLED IN ART AND MUSIC (CONTROL CONDITION; N = 14). TO EVALUATE EFFECTS ON STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR WERE ADMINISTERED PRE- AND POST-DELIVERY OF THE CURRICULUM. RESULTS: STUDENTS RECEIVING THE INTERVENTION INCREASED IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE OVER TIME RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION, AS STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED THE YOGA INTERVENTION SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE THAN STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT PRE-INTERVENTION MEASUREMENT TIME POINT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY IMPROVE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AMONG YOUTH AND FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE THE UTILITY OF YOGA CURRICULA IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. 2020 7 1712 30 PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG URBAN SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. THIS STUDY REPORTS ON THE FINDINGS OF A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR URBAN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YEAR-LONG YOGA PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES. RESULTS SHOW THAT STUDENTS PERCEIVED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AS INCREASED SELF-REGULATION, MINDFULNESS, SELF-ESTEEM, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND STRESS REDUCTION. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES FOR A YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDE LACK OF TIME AND SPACE. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED ARE INTERRELATED TO ONE ANOTHER IS DISCUSSED. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMING ARE ALSO OFFERED. 2016 8 1127 25 EFFICACY OF THE GET READY TO LEARN YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS USE SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS, BUT THESE INTERVENTIONS TYPICALLY LACK MANUALIZATION AND EVIDENCE FROM WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES. USING AN EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GET READY TO LEARN (GRTL) CLASSROOM YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). THE INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED THE MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM DAILY FOR 16 WK, AND THE CONTROL GROUP ENGAGED IN THEIR STANDARD MORNING ROUTINE. WE ASSESSED CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS WITH STANDARDIZED MEASURES AND BEHAVIOR CODING BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. WE COMPLETED A BETWEEN-GROUPS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN GAIN SCORES ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. STUDENTS IN THE GRTL PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES (P < .05) IN TEACHER RATINGS OF MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR, AS MEASURED WITH THE ABERRANT BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT USE OF DAILY CLASSROOMWIDE YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON KEY CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS AMONG CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2012 9 1216 25 EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF A LOCALLY DEVELOPED YOGA PROGRAM ON THE WELL-BEING OF NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL-CHILDREN AND THEIR LEARNING. YOGA IS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO EXERCISE FOR GOOD HEALTH AS WELL AS TO FOSTER HARMONIOUS MIND-BODY CONNECTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFECTS OF THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF YOGA ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NEW ZEALAND. THE IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON CHILDREN'S LEARNING CAPABILITIES WAS ALSO EXAMINED. THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF ONE HOUR WEEKLY SESSIONS TAUGHT OVER A PERIOD OF 5 WEEKS IN THE HALL OF A SCHOOL THAT EMBRACES A MODEL OF HOLISTIC EDUCATION IN ITS CURRICULUM DELIVERY. SCHOOL CHILDREN PARTICIPATION WAS VOLUNTARY AND 6 SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM YEARS 6 - 10 TOOK PART AS PART OF A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE IN THIS STUDY. A QUALITATIVE HERMENEUTIC-PHENOMENOLOGICAL EPISTEMOLOGY WAS USED IN CONDUCTING THE DESIGN OF THIS STUDY. SOME OF THE BENEFITS THE SCHOOL CHILDREN REPORTED FROM A REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA INCLUDED DEEPER RELAXATION, GREATER INNER CALMNESS, BETTER ENERGY IN TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF DAILY LIFE. YOGA WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE AN EFFECTIVE AGENT IN FOSTERING A SOCIALLY MEDIATED FUN-FILLED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE CHILDREN CAN ENGAGE IN PLAYFUL INTERACTIONS AND MEANINGFUL BONDING. THE SCHOOL CHILDREN ALSO REPORTED BETTER FOCUS AND ATTENTION SPANS IN THEIR LEARNING ACTIVITIES. 2021 10 2191 27 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON CHILDREN'S MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PROGRAMS IN CHILDHOOD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS, TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN. AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES ON THE MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS OF 6-8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 16 CHILDREN FROM THE 1(ST) GRADE OF A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, TWICE WEEKLY, WITH 45 MIN EACH SESSION. TO ASSESS CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE, WE USED THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY - SECOND EDITION, THE FLEXIBILITY TEST (SIT AND REACH - EUROFIT, 1988), THE PICTORIAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND CLASSROOM' TEACHER. DATA WERE ANALYZED WITH WILCOXON TEST AND LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS 5%. RESULTS: THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS WELL ACCEPTED BY CHILDREN, CHILDREN ALSO DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE CHANGES IN OVERALL MOTOR ABILITIES SCORES (BALANCE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY). IN ADDITION, THE INTERVIEWS REPORTED CHANGING IN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND THE USE OF THE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM IN CONTEXTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS CONTRIBUTED TO CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT. 2016 11 955 24 EFFECTS OF A KUNDALINI YOGA PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE YOUR OWN GREATNESS AFFIRMED (YOGA) FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERS YOGA TO URBAN INNER-CITY SCHOOLS WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING PRACTICAL BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AT HIGH RISK OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. A 10-WEEK YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERED 1 TO 2 TIMES PER WEEK WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 3 SCHOOLS IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF THE PROGRAM ON STUDENT STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. METHODS: THIRTY CHILDREN WERE ADMINISTERED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE, AND THE RESILIENCE SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM. AFTER THE PROGRAM, INFORMAL QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH SCHOOL TEACHERS, YOGA TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED STUDENTS STRESS (P < 0.05), POSITIVE AFFECT (P < 0.05), AND RESILIENCE (P < 0.001). THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS INDICATED THAT STUDENTS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND YOGA TEACHERS ALL FOUND THE PROGRAM TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENTS' WELL-BEING. CONCLUSION: TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE STUDENTS IN LOW-INCOME URBAN SCHOOLS WITH BEHAVIORAL SKILLS THAT WILL PROTECT AGAINST RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. 2018 12 2062 29 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH TO THE EFFECTS OF POSES AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. BACKGROUND: DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LIKELY TO BE MORE SEDENTARY AND OBESE AND EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOGA AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS LEVELS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND BEHAVIOR OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. AIMS: USING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO EXAMINE BEHAVIORAL, PERSONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE MULTILEVEL INFLUENCES OF A YOGA-BASED CLASSROOM INTERVENTION ON URBAN YOUTH. METHODS: USING A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS (N = 40) AT ONE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A SURVEY CONTAINED STRESS, YOGA BEHAVIOR, AND AGGRESSION SCALES. IN ADDITION, INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERVIEWS, A TEACHER INTERVIEW, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PAIRED AND INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS SHOWED PRE/POST DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PARTICIPATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS (P < 0.01). QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE MAIN THEMES: (1) INCREASED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES, (2) BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BOTH IN/OUT OF SCHOOL, AND (3) IMPACT ON PERSONAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT URBAN CLASSROOMS SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO DAILY STUDENT PA AND ALSO CAN BE STRESS RELIEVING, FUN, CALMING, AND EASY TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. 2020 13 1954 24 SECULARITY: GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR INCLUSIVE YOGA IN SCHOOLS. THIS COMMENTARY EXPLORES THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF YOGA PROGRAMS AND TEACHERS TO UPHOLD BOTH THE PRINCIPLES AND THE SPIRIT OF SECULARISM WHEN TEACHING YOGA IN SCHOOLS. ARGUING THAT SECULARITY IS ESSENTIAL BOTH TO COMPLY WITH LEGAL MANDATES AND TO MAXIMIZE INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESS, EACH FACET OF A SECULAR APPROACH TO YOGA IN SCHOOLS IS EXPLORED THROUGH AN INQUIRY-BASED MODEL MEANT TO HELP THE READER GAIN CLARITY AND MAKE INFORMED CHOICES WHEN DEVELOPING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMMING. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT ADDRESS THE USE OF NONSECULAR YOGA FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL SETTING. IT INSTEAD SPEAKS TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF TOPICS SUCH AS SPIRITUALITY, PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, SECULAR ETHICS, AND THE USE OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS WITHIN SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WHILE INVITING CONTINUED REFLECTION ON THE NUANCES OF THE TOPIC, THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT GIVEN BOTH THE LEGAL IMPERATIVES AND POTENTIAL RISK OF EXCLUSION, FAILURE TO OFFER SCHOOL-BASED YOGA USING A SECULAR APPROACH THREATENS TO UNDERMINE THE SUCCESS OF THE FIELD AND HINDER ACCESS TO PRACTICES THAT HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON YOUNG PEOPLE. 2019 14 1950 23 SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES: A SURVEY. 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. 2015 15 1145 30 ELEMENTARY STUDENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IN SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FROM ELEMENTARY YOUTH AND TEACHERS? CONTEXT: A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED CURRICULUM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 15 SCHOOLS. THE CURRICULUM WAS TAUGHT TO STUDENTS DURING A PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR DANCE CLASS BY INSTRUCTORS WHO WERE WITHIN EACH SCHOOL AND RECEIVED TRAINING ON THE CURRICULUM. SAMPLE SELECTION: VOLUNTEER FOCUS GROUP ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED FOR ONE YEAR AND TEACHERS WHO DID NOT IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM WERE QUALITATIVELY INTERVIEWED, BY THREE TRAINED UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. DATA COLLECTION: NINE FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THREE DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITH 3RD AND 5TH GRADE STUDENTS. THREE FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH TEACHERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL WHICH RECEIVED THE PROGRAM, EXCLUDING INSTRUCTORS. ANALYSIS: FOCUS GROUP DATA WERE CODED AND A THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED AMONG THE 40 STUDENTS AND 23 TEACHERS. INTERPRETATION AND MAIN RESULTS: TEACHERS HAD VARYING DEGREES OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATION EMERGED AS A CRITICAL THEME FOR BUY-IN AS COMMUNICATION REPRESENTS THE UNDERPINNINGS OF CREATING AND RETAINING STAKEHOLDERS. MOST STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN FOCUS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, FLEXIBILITY, BREATHING, AND SCHOOL WORK. A COMMON THEME TO DESCRIBE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM EMERGED WITH THE IDEA OF "INCREASED FOCUS". CONCEPTUALLY, IT MAY BE THAT INCREASING MINDFULNESS INCREASES "FOCUS" THUS INCREASING POSITIVE OUTCOMES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND IF "FOCUS" MAY SERVE AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2020 16 249 27 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN: SELF-REGULATION AND EMOTION REGULATION. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS AND DEMONSTRATED PROMISING RESULTS ON STUDENTS' SELF-REGULATION OUTCOMES. NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS LIMITED LITERATURE ON THE EFFECTS THAT YOGA MAY HAVE FOR CHILDREN IN THE EARLY PRIMARY GRADES, DESPITE THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNE PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENT FOR EARLY SELF-REGULATION. FEW STUDIES HAVE FOCUSED ON YOUNG CHILDREN LIVING IN THE CONTEXT OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTY, WHICH CAN HINDER CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS AND EDUCATIONAL TRAJECTORIES. THE EFFECTS OF AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN'S SELF-REGULATION AND EMOTION REGULATION WERE EXAMINED VIA A PAIRED WITHIN-SUBJECTS COMPARISON STUDY. NINE CLASSROOMS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION (TREATMENT FIRST, TXFIRST; N = 90) OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP (TREATMENT SECOND, TXSECOND; N = 64). ALL CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED AT PRE-INTERVENTION (TIME 1), POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT FOR TXFIRST (TIME 2), AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT FOR TXSECOND (TIME 3). CHILDREN DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT PREDICTED GAINS ON A BEHAVIORAL TASK OF SELF-REGULATION AND DECLINES IN TEACHER-RATED SUBMISSIVE VENTING AND TOTAL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS. IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED, WITH A FOCUS ON INCLUDING FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS AND MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION. 2021 17 1733 20 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 18 853 20 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND THE FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS. YOGA AS A MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTION IS INCREASINGLY CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE THE MOTOR SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEIR MOTOR SKILLS. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF GROUP YOGA PROGRAM ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. FORTY-THREE CHILDREN WITH ASD FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 23) AND CONTROL (N = 20) GROUP. A STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM OF 45 MIN FOR 12 WEEKS WAS DELIVERED BY TRAINED YOGA TEACHERS WHO ALSO TRACKED THEIR DAILY RESPONSES. THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY. SECOND EDITION WAS USED TO ASSESS BOTH THE GROUPS PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA APPEARS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE GROSS MOTOR RATHER THAN FINE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND IS FEASIBLE TO BE DELIVERED AS GROUP INTERVENTION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. 2022 19 952 21 EFFECTS OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AS WELL AS AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A MULTISYSTEM INTERVENTION DUE TO ITS IMPACT ON BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF THIS APPROACH IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). THE CURRENT PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE IMPACT OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. METHODS: 24 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH ASD RECEIVED EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA (E.G., BREATHING, POSES, RELAXATION) OR TABLETOP PLAY/ACADEMIC INTERVENTION (E.G., READING, ARTS-CRAFTS, BUILDING ACTIVITIES). CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION. ADDITIONALLY, CHANGES IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED THREE TIMES DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, I.E. DURING EARLY, MID, AND LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS. RESULTS: CHILDREN WITH ASD SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION IN BOTH GROUPS IN THE POSTTEST VS. THE PRETEST. FURTHERMORE, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACROSS THE INTERVENTION SESSIONS, I.E. GREATER SPONTANEOUS AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNICATION FROM EARLY/MID TO LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN AFFECTIVE STATES WITH THE INTERVENTION, HOWEVER, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED GREATER INTERESTED AND LESS NEGATIVE AFFECT COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IS A PROMISING TOOL THAT LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERVENTION-RELATED SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND GENERALIZED JOINT ATTENTION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2021 20 1843 21 QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL YOGA PROGRAM: FEASIBILITY AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS. THIS IS THE FIRST PUBLISHED QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF A YOGA PROGRAM APPLIED IN A HIGH SCHOOL SETTING. THIS QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW STUDY WAS NESTED IN A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM OFFERED IN PLACE OF A SEMESTER OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES AT A RURAL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENT INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AFTER TAKING PART IN A SEMESTER OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. A FORMAL PASSIVE CONSENT WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS SENT HOME TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF ALL STUDENTS IN THE PARENT STUDY BEFORE THE INTERVIEWS. MOST STUDENTS ENJOYED THE YOGA CLASSES AND FELT BENEFITS. NEGATIVE REPORTS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GENDER AS MOST MALES SENSED PEER PRESSURE AGAINST PRACTICING YOGA. DESPITE THIS FINDING, MOST STUDENTS WANTED TO CONTINUE YOGA AND WOULD CONTINUE IF IT WERE OFFERED IN SCHOOL. POSITIVE REPORTS INCLUDE A GREATER KINESTHETIC AWARENESS, WHICH SOME STUDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER RESPECT FOR THE BODY AND IMPROVED SELF-IMAGE. AMONG STUDENTS REPORTING PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS, MANY CITED STRESS REDUCTION; MANY USED YOGA TO MANAGE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; AND SOME PROPAGATED MORE OPTIMISM. MOST THOUGHT YOGA COULD REDUCE INTEREST IN THE USE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND INCREASE SOCIAL COHESION WITH FAMILY AND PEERS. WE FOUND THAT A YOGA PROGRAM IS FEASIBLE IN THIS SAMPLE OF 9TH AND 10TH GRADERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER BENEFITS ARE PERCEIVED. WE ALSO FOUND EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY LEAD TO EMERGENT POSITIVE BENEFITS IN HEALTH BEHAVIORS NOT DIRECTLY PRESCRIBED BY THE PROGRAM. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AT A SOCIETAL LEVEL BY FOCUSING ON THE PREVENTION OF NEGATIVE PATTERNS DURING THE ADOLESCENT TRANSITION. 2013