School-based Yoga Programs in the United States: A Survey.

Some research has suggested that mind-body practices, such as yoga, may have beneficial effects on the mental a and physical health of children and adolescents.1-4 Indeed, substantial interest has begun to emerge in the United States regarding the development and application of meditation- and yoga-based interventions in schools to improve students’ mental and physical health and performance.5-11 In a review proposing the implementation of contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation in education, Davidson et al5 have suggested that these practices induce changes in brain structure and function, which can 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. Similarly, Hyde12 points to recent governmental initiatives in the United States that have focused on educating the whole child and suggests that teaching yoga in schools is an important part of that movement. Yoga is increasingly being implemented in school settings,13 with several school-based yoga programs emerging across the United States.14 Research on School-based Yoga The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) defines yoga as follows: A mind-and-body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative-movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation.15 Research on school-based yoga interventions is in its early stages; however, initial results are promising. For example, Serwacki and Cook-Cottone16 recently reviewed 12 published studies of school-based yoga interventions. Although most of the studies were of low-to-moderate methodological quality, the preliminary evidence suggested that the yoga interventions exerted positive effects on several factors, including emotional balance, attentional control, cognitive efficiency, anxiety, negative thought patterns, emotional and physical arousal, reactivity, and negative behavior. Additional research has also revealed positive effects for school-based yoga on such factors as concentration, self-regulation, attention, anxiety, stress, mood, resilience, emotional arousal, self-esteem, and coping frequency.9,17-32 These preliminary findings suggest that providing yoga within the school curriculum may be an effective and feasible way to help youth develop skills in stress management and emotional regulation. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among youth,33 coupled with the fact that most schools do not prioritize training in stress management and emotional regulation,34 suggests that these types of interventions might be advantageous in school settings. The growing interest in providing yoga in school settings has resulted in the development and implementation of numerous school-based yoga programs.14 It is important for educational policymakers and administrators; school health providers, such as nurses and counselors; and academics to be aware of the growing number of school-based yoga programs that are emerging across the United States, particularly in light of preliminary research suggesting potentially positive effects for these interventions. However, school-based yoga programs have been created largely independently of one another, making it difficult for researchers, educators, and practitioners to compare features across programs and to assess whether a particular program suits their needs. The purpose of the current study was to provide a summary and comparison of school-based yoga programs across the United States. Although some preliminary research has been conducted on the efficacy of individual school-based yoga programs in isolation,16 to the research team’s knowledge the current article represents the first attempt to summarize and compare interventions’ characteristics across programs.