Research on Yoga for children in a school environment
- A Study of the Yoga Ed Program at The Accelerated School
- Yoga as an Intervention for Children with Attention Problems
- A Study of the Yoga Ed ‘Tools for Teachers’ Program with First Graders at the Public School # 198 in Bronx, NY
- Mindfulness in Schools
- Non-violence at Schools
- Synopsis
Additional Research
- Impact of Yoga In Schools Full report
- Focus on ADD
Other Resources
- Sonia Sumar: Yoga for the Special Child
- The Effects of Yoga on the Attention and Behavior of Boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Journal of Attention Disorders, Vol. 7, No. 4, 205-216 (2004)
Research on Yoga for Adults
Overview over world-wide research articles
Although the NIH is very cautious and says that yoga research is still in its beginning phase, many positive results have been noted.
See articles published in the health and alternative health sections.
This is an article I found on the effects of stress on the brain:
Stress- a Land Mine for the Brain
by Dr. Kathie F. Nunley
Stress is more than just uncomfortable, it’s dangerous to the mind and body. In addition to increasing health problems, chronic stress causes problems with our memory systems, blood pressure, problem solving skills, and thought processes in that decision-making region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex.
Although some teachers feel stress is an inevitable part of the education process, research shows it can actually undermine the learning process. Stress in the classroom or elsewhere, releases a chemical called TMT* into the brain. TMT disrupts working memory and reduces a person’s desire to explore new ideas and creatively solve problems. While students under stress will work “harder”, the quality of the work decreases. The higher the stress, the worse the results. Short term memory is crippled, the student has a difficult time retrieving previous information from memory and decision making ability decreases.
Obviously, we wouldn’t want to remove all stress from life, as a small amount can help keep arousal levels high enough to complete a task. But large amounts, particularly when the stress causes accompanying feelings of fear and anxiety, are dangerous and work against the learning process.
Be careful in the classroom. A little excitement and encouragement built on a strong foundation of trust and care can help build enthusiasm for doing well. An environment perceived as intimidating, frightening and overwhelming can shut the learning process down.
Recently while visiting a graphic design class, I saw a poster on the door to the special effects lab that read “don’t make a garlic sandwich”. I love that thought. It helps remind us that some things are only good in very small quantities.
Kathie F. Nunley is an educational psychologist, author, researcher and speaker living in southern New Hampshire. Developer of the Layered Curriculum method of instruction, Dr. Nunley has authored several books and articles on teaching in mixed-ability classrooms and other problems facing today’s teachers. Full references and additional teaching and parental tips are available at: http://Help4Teachers.com. Email her at: Kathie (at) brains.org
Brain Biology
Working With Styles
How the Adolescent Brain Challenges the Adult Brain
By: yogaforschools on August 10, 2011
at 9:39 pm