Yoga instructors in Sacramento work to bring yoga education to elementary schools here. Research has shown you can get measurable results. If you're looking for studies on how yoga can improve the grades of school children, check out the yoga research site relating to yoga for grades kindergarten through high school at K-12 Yoga.

Sacramento school children could benefit by learning the following three subjects, perhaps interweaved with other study programs throughout the day: yoga, nutrition, and mindfulness. For more information on mindfulness, check out the information, Mindfulness In School by Deb Cohen. Instead of cutting physical education activities to prevent obesity and pre-type 2 diabetes issues in children, without additional costs, teachers could spend some time teaching mindfulness.

Under that heading, some yoga stretching, if the teachers are trained in it, some nutrition, and the broad-label, "mindfulness" can be added to help prevent discipline issues or lack of focus in learning. Mindfulness could include not only relaxation and stretching or slower breathing to calm students down, but also to give the students a break from the stress of learning other subjects to which some children have problems paying attention.

Sacramento public schools have to deal with discipline problems sometimes when children aren't paying attention. Those children could be drained of energy or have too much energy that's not channeled. And nutrition issues could play a part when attention can't focus. Check out the website, Yoga as an Intervention for Children With Attention Problems, and Yoga for ADD.

How would you like to cut down the acts of violence in Sacramento schools? See the website, Non-Violence in School through Yoga. Check out the Sacramento directory of yoga education site, Certification Greater Sacramento Yoga Directory Featuring Local Teacher Training. Here's a chance where nutritionists and yoga teachers can discuss together how to improve the health of school children in Sacramento. In Sacramento, check out the websites, Trish Vance - About Yoga Ed., and Yoga Teacher Training.

With the focus that yoga can bring, students can go from a Yoga class to a nutrition class and learn how to make better food choices or even how to prepare healthier foods using 'smart' ingredients that may substitute for familiar, traditional foods that are not agreeing with the needs of each student's body. Studies show why yoga works so well with elementary school kids. See, Research Synopsis.

Yoga works well with those 9 and 10-year olds who are beginning to have discipline problems or begin to fidget, which may come from nutrition issues or too many school projects. Some students take a foreign language, music, art, math, science, reading, current events, and other courses in elementary as well as in high school. The stress can divert their attention even in the fourth grade. Read the research,  Study of 4th Graders.

And after learning nutrition strategies, children in Sacramento schools can use their 'recess' time or time spent before physical ed classes were cut for budget reasons, to practicing yoga for a few seconds throughout the day to re-gain focus on learning the basics in school such as reading and math.

One example is when a child's energy is low during the day or towards the end of the school session, a short break for a few yoga stretches, even chair yoga can help the child to gain focus again. Teachers who have had some yoga training for use with children can use yoga stretches to help channel anger or fidgeting into the yoga pose, to relax, breathe in a calm way, or stretch.

Also helpful for Sacramento school children are chair Yoga poses. It shouldn't be only for seniors or those with a disability because yoga stretches, poses, and mild yoga breathing tips or even chair yoga can help children with discipline problems and can be combined with a a nutrition class or session for part of the day, for example in a home room class.

 It's not going to take a big budget to help children focus for better learning by using a few minutes throughout the day when energy becomes low and discipline problems begin to show up. And as for a physical ed class for kids in Sacramento, regardless of a budget problem, schools should give a child the choice of yoga or other sports. The stretching and posing in a mild form made for kids can help children to redirect their energy that makes better learning possible, according to studies on yoga education for kids. Check out the yoga ed website for information and resources.

You can read about these studies. Check out the comprehensive assessment of the Yoga Ed. program by experienced and accredited educators and yoga professionals is essential to the expansion of its program. View a research study of the “Yoga Ed..”™ program at the Accelerated School by the Program Evaluation and Research Collaborative (PERC).

Teachers in Sacramento schools can also find research studies and more information by contacting the Program Evaluation and Research Collaborative (PERC), Cal State LA Charter College of Education, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032. Check out the collaborative's website.

Why Sacramento Teachers Need Training in Yoga Education, Mindfulness, & Basic Nutrition Strategies

After a short break beside the child's seat, the individual can go back to learning again, without the need for the type of discipline teachers usually see in class. With a yoga break, a child is less likely to turn around and annoy the child in the next seat.

With old fashion physical ed, where kids run in a circle, sometimes the boy next to the girl in the circle will give her a push, causing a thin child to hit the ground forcefully, face first. With yoga, stretching and cooperating in a hand pose with another child or alone is less likely to encourage gestures such as pushing the kid running beside the aggressive student.

That's simply because there's no running, pushing, shoving, or competition with yoga for kids. That's one more reason why elementary teachers could benefit by learning how to teach yoga in class to create focus for learning. It may lessen the need for discipline and similar directions.

Sacramento educators in physical education and/or nutrition need to teach yoga as part of physical education programs to help elementary school children to better focus. If you want some of the fidgeting, distraction, and discipline problems to decrease, yoga might help by showing students how to channel their behavior by stretching and cooperation. In fact, Sacramento teachers can be trained locally to teach and use yoga in their elementary school classrooms to help children focus, relax, and re-energize.

Studies show learning improves after a Yoga exercise break where students learn to stretch, relax, breathe to calm themselves, and cooperate with other kids instead of competing against classmates in other kinds of physical education. Also, mental and physical fitness is emphasized rather than aggressive strategies that teach direct competition.

What distinguishes Yoga Ed. from all other children’s yoga programs?

Yoga Ed is specifically designed for schools, according to the Yoga Ed website, www.yogaed.com/about_faqs.html . Unlike other yoga programs for youth, the Yoga Ed. K-8 Program is a written 36-week Curriculum of Lesson Plans for three different developmental levels, a Teacher’s Guide with poses illustrated and named, resources for enrolling a school administration and getting started, homework, quizzes, reproducible handouts and suggestions for intra-curricular projects. A Reference Book of all games and visualizations is also included. This format is specifically designed to conform to the requirements for implementation in public schools.

Low Cost / High Return

The Yoga Ed. K-8 Program offers schools an effective, low-cost way to develop physical and mental fitness in a form they can accept and support.  No high cost equipment or specialized space is required.  Through yoga education, children’s physical, mental and emotional fitness is enhanced; they are more ready to learn and achieve and to lead conscious, healthy and productive lives.

Measurable Results

Our philosophy and methodology provide an educationally integrated school-based program that offers tangible and measurable results.  Scientific studies prove that yoga improves focus, concentration and learning readiness as well as enhances health and fitness.  Yoga Ed.is committed to proving through additional research that the Yoga Ed. Program lays a foundation for lifetime health/wellness and academic achievement.  To that end, we continue to collect data and evaluate our programs.

Addresses the Whole Person

Each lesson or inquiry uses yoga to experientially, scientifically and creatively explore the body, mind and self.  Classes are designed to support an active exploration of themes that enrich children’s understanding of themselves and develop knowledge as well as awareness. 

A Community as Your Resource

Yoga Ed. Community provides our K-8 Instructor Training and Tools for Teachers graduates with a sense of belonging to a passionate and committed movement.  We support each other by sharing best practices, success stories, research data and job opportunities.

If you are interested in teaching yoga to children or in supporting the Yoga Ed. movement, please contact Yoga Ed.  The program invites your concerns, questions, ideas or resources. Yoga Ed welcomes volunteer assistance as well as hearing about ways that the program might be able to expand its trainings to new locations or support new research. 

What is the difference between Yoga Ed. Instructor Training and Yoga Ed. Tools for Teachers?

The Yoga Ed. Instructor Training prepares qualified yogis (people who are yoga teachers or who have completed a yoga teacher training or equivalent) to teach Yoga Ed. to children in schools and Yoga Tools to classroom teachers. It includes the 36-week Curriculum and Tools for Teachers Training Handbook.

Yoga Tools for Teachers trains classroom teachers, or anyone who works with children, to utilize simple yoga-based exercises to enhance health, well-being, learning and responsible behavior.  This program enables teachers to support themselves and their students in de-stressing and being their best.

Yoga Tools can be done by anyone in 5 – 15 minutes and require no previous yoga experience, extra space or equipment.  Yoga Tools are nurturing and transformational  techniques that are also used by parents, nurses, counselors, social workers and mentors of all kinds, according to the Yoga Ed website.

Is Yoga a religion?

No, yoga is not a religion. The practice of yoga is not faith based: yoga neither asks for nor requires an expression or practice of a transcendent belief.

Yoga is a science: an ancient methodology of mind-body-breath exercise that enhances physical and mental health. Yoga can help you achieve a specific goal: physical fitness, mental clarity, relaxation, academic achievement or emotional management. These outcomes have been documented in scientific studies from around the world.