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.Research on school-based yoga interventions is in its early stages; however, initial results are promising.
For example, Serwacki and Cook-Cottone 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
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, coupled with the fact that most schools do not prioritize training in stress management and emotional regulation, suggests that these types of interventions might be advantageous in school settings.
Read full report: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4831047/
