necessarily want to do the postures we’re familiar with. The best teaching reaches each individual child in a way that resonates with them because yoga is a lifestyle, not an exercise regimen,” she says. Yoga novices and parents that prefer specifi c guidance can take advantage of local studio classes for children and families or use DVDs, online streaming services and instruction books. Kevin Day, age 5, regularly starts his


days with a Boat pose. “I like it because you can do it with a friend,” he says. Lisa Flynn, the Dover, New Hampshire, founder and chief executive offi cer of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms, is optimistic about the future. “In 10 years, I envision social and emotional learning, yoga, and mindfulness integrated at every school and mandated by educational policy,” she says. In addition to improved physical, social, emotional and cognitive health and wellness of the students, teachers and parents, she foresees “a positive shift in the overall school climate.”


Julianne Hale is a freelance writer and Natural Awakenings franchise magazine editor in Cleveland, TN.


Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom


by Julianne Hale W


hen Scott Frauenheim, director of the Chicago International


Charter School (CICS) West Belden, noticed that some students in his kindergarten through eighth grade urban classrooms were not fully engaged, he decided to focus the 2014-2015 school year on mindfulness for both students and faculty. He enlisted the help of Mindful Practices, a Chicago-based school wellness organization founded by Carla Tantillo. Using the strategies


Tantillo recommends in her book Cooling Down Your Classroom, teachers were taught to involve students in mindful minutes—short bursts of simple yoga poses, breathing exercises and other techniques—to cultivate


mindfulness. The initiative proved to be powerful and helpful, explains Frauenheim. “Soon students were able to identify areas of personal need throughout the day and cultivate mindfulness within themselves using what they learned.” The program concluded


last year, but CICS West Belden teachers and students continue to use designated time to practice mindfulness in the morning and as a classroom mental reset when they notice that students are distracted or unfocused during the day. Mindful Practices’ innovative programs have achieved similar success in other elementary, middle and high schools in the Chicago area.


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