yoga assignment for students

Yoga in Education: 7 Poses and Activities for Your Classroom

An online survey called ‘Stress in America’ reported an average stress level of 5.4 out of 10 among 18 to 33-year-olds (Hagen & Nayar, 2014; American Psychological Association, 2021).

When young adults such as these become parents, they may transmit their tension to their children. In addition, children may internalize stress and hide distress from their parents to keep them from worrying.

With high levels of stress becoming a norm in younger households, instilling positive coping mechanisms in an educational setting benefits students, their parents, and future generations.

For that reason, we are specifically going to look at the concept of offering yoga in education and whether this approach instills stress relief mechanisms and improves self-regulation.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology, including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

A look at yoga in schools and education, why is yoga important in schools 6 benefits, creating yoga programs and lesson plans, how to teach yoga to children in schools, 7 activities, poses, and exercises, teacher trainings in yoga for children, 3 best courses and online training options, 5 fascinating yoga books for teaching children, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

The implementation of a daily yoga practice in the classroom has specific benefits in school settings, such as reducing stress and bullying behaviors (Thomas & Centeio, 2020).

Students come to school with a variety of different experiences and mindsets based on their living situations and biological predispositions. And because of difficulties they experience, children and adolescents can internalize their stressors to help deal with self-imposed expectations placed on them by their circumstances.

Having yoga as an option to help reduce stress and learn mindfulness may be able to help students respond better to stressful situations.

Other positive outcomes that daily yoga practice offers are listed below (Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

• Improved concentration and memory Practicing daily yoga can help children, specifically those with attention issues, have increased focus. As a result, their concentration, memory, and academic performance can improve, as yoga requires you to focus heavily on the moment.
• Respect for peers and others Since yoga requires you to be aware of your surroundings, it can help facilitate respect for others, as everyone’s practice is unique and self-directed.
• Self-regulation Improving self-regulation can help children with their emotions. The pace of yoga allows for children to take the time to identify the emotions they are experiencing and implement strategies to regulate them.
• Self-confidence Since yoga focuses on deep breathing and other breathing exercises, it increases a child’s ability to remain calm by increasing oxygen flow to the brain. This makes it more likely that children can stay calm, which can result in increased self-confidence, since it is less likely they will be dominated by negative emotions .
• Feeling of wellbeing As yoga increases a child’s self-confidence and ability to self-regulate, children are more likely to experience higher levels of general wellbeing.
• Physical fitness Yoga specifically helps improve posture and muscular control. These components help with physical fitness, as it allows children to be more aware of their body and increase physical strength.

Children’s mental health and yoga: 3 Research findings

Several research studies have highlighted the benefits of yoga in improving mental and physical health. Specific improvements that are significant to classroom settings include improved outcomes in behavior, stress reduction, and emotional balance.

To help test outcomes in classroom settings, researchers will often incorporate daily yoga interventions over a period of a few months to a year to study the impact on children’s mental health . Butzer et al. (2015) and Chen and Pauwels (2014) both incorporated 15-minute yoga activities daily.

Butzer et al. (2015) reported improvements in second- and third-graders’ behavior, specifically in attention span and the ability to focus on work and stay on task. They also noted improvements in social-emotional learning .

Chen and Pauwels (2014) implemented the Yoga Ed Tools for Teachers program for a full year for approximately 5–15 minutes per day. Results showed that daily yoga practice improved student mental, social, and physical wellbeing.

These emotional indicators suggest that students who practice yoga may feel less stressed and more resilient when confronted with stressful situations. Overall, yoga was found to be an excellent remedy for reducing negative emotions and distress in children.

Last, Telles et al. (2019) studied adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15 as they engaged in an 18-minute pranayama yoga intervention for three days. Even though the intervention time was short, there was significant improvement noted in attention and general anxiety reduction. These results indicated that yoga helps promote overall emotional balance.

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Although yoga benefits children, especially in classroom settings, it may be overwhelming for teachers to get started. Integrating a new activity into daily routines and lesson plans can be challenging, especially when there are so many other curricular initiatives that need to be covered.

Similar to planning other lessons, it is important for teachers to lay the groundwork for the lesson. Identifying areas of the curriculum that highlight emotional awareness and then looking at areas where your students would most benefit are good first steps.

Another tactic is to do a stage activity with your students to see if they can identify what situations trigger difficult emotions and what the sensations are. Our My Feelings My Body worksheet is an excellent starting point in helping children identify the sensations in their body and how they are reacting to them.

When making your lesson plans, add in reminders relevant to the pace and students’ ability to engage fully in their practice (Myers, n.d.). Make sure you are starting with easier poses and work your way up to more difficult ones.

Once you’ve decided what kind of yoga practice you are integrating into your classroom, make sure you are making notes where you remind students to breathe or take a break. That way, you can use these cues to help you and your students stay on track and derive the most meaning from classroom yoga.

• Create a space and choose a consistent time to practice Designate a time for yoga practice and add it to your class’s daily schedule. Always begin with a shorter session and move any furniture necessary to allow children to spread out.
• Plan your lessons with intention Teachers should consider the purpose of integrating daily yoga into the classroom. By coming up with a theme or emotional purpose (e.g., having a daily emotional goal), children can work toward something. Including visualization and breathing exercises will also help children work toward the goals you are setting.
• Integrate opportunities for relationship and community building among peers Yoga does not have to be an individual practice all the time. Incorporating cooperative games where children help each other and engage in visualization activities as a group can help with community building and increase trust among classmates.
• Use resources If you’re overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for help. This article will also provide you with several books, online courses, activities, and exercises you can use in your classroom when getting started.

Which yoga is best for mental health?

Although all types of yoga can be beneficial in improving mental health, hatha yoga has been proven to have the most significant impact on reducing anxiety and stress. It improves chronic fatigue, general self-esteem, general wellbeing, and quality of life (Taspinar et al., 2014).

Unlike other types of yoga that are more vigorous, hatha yoga focuses on simple positions with lots of time for breathing and meditation. Due to its simplicity and ease of integration for individuals of all fitness levels, this type of yoga is the easiest type to integrate into different settings.

When practicing hatha yoga with children, there are some non-movement-based strategies that can be integrated into daily practice, such as the following (adapted from Integral Yoga Magazine, n.d.):

• Singing/chanting Students can simply chant ‘ohm’ at the beginning and end of their practice. ‘Ohm’ is a sacred chant of the universe that helps them recognize their connection to other living creatures and the universe. Students should try to make the ‘ohm’ sound from their throat and feel free to say it as loud as they want to.
• Mental body scans Get students to close their eyes and focus on one body part at a time. Start from the top of their head to the tips of their toes and get them to tighten, then relax, every individual part.
• Story telling Reading a story to children at the end of their practice, while they keep their eyes closed and relax, will allow them to reflect on the story being told.
• Brief meditation Teachers can play soothing music or a meditation script for children and allow them to follow the prompts provided or reflect on a central question.

Video one: “four steps to teaching yoga to children”

When integrating yoga in the classroom, there are several activities, poses, and exercises that you can introduce to your students. The activities, poses, and exercises mentioned below are especially easy to integrate into the classroom environment.

When integrating yoga, it is important to have activities that introduce this concept. A good introduction to yoga is by having a “be well” discussion every morning after all the students arrive.

Teachers can choose a central theme for the discussion that focuses on daily routines that help improve health, such as getting enough sleep, drinking water, and having a healthy diet.

The discussion can also be centered on spreading positivity such as gratitude, good citizenship, and being a peacemaker. Having this discussion will help put students in a positive mindset, which makes them more open to the calming mindset that yoga requires.

Take 5–10 minutes throughout the day for self-directed relaxation time. During this time, students can engage in quiet mindfulness and reflection activities, such as journaling, coloring, and listening to a guided meditation story. After doing this self-directed reflection activity, children can start their daily yoga in a good mindset.

It is best to integrate these activities at the beginning of the day or after recess so that students are refreshed and have an empty slate to engage in relaxation and meaningful reflection . After engaging in these activities, teachers should start integrating yoga poses and exercises to keep the practice consistent.

Poses and exercises

The poses and exercises teachers choose to integrate depend on how much space they have in their classroom and the focus they have chosen for their students.

To help teachers get started, we have provided five simple poses for students’ yoga practice. The poses are organized in a flow sequence so students can move easily from one pose to the next.

Teachers should demonstrate the poses in real time or hold up a picture of what they should look like. Make sure children are doing the poses on both sides and holding each pose for at least one minute, focusing on their breathing.

Mountain pose

Instructions : Get children to stand straight with their arms at their sides with their palms facing outward.

Descriptors : Stand tall like a tree with your shoulders back, palms facing up.

Extension : Ask children to raise their hands above their head parallel to their ears with palms open.

Instructions : From the mountain pose, get children to transfer their weight to one side. They will then place the bottom of one foot on the inside of the opposite thigh or calf (avoid the knee). Ask children to place their palms together in a praying position at their chest.

Descriptors : Stand tall like a tree, make a bike stand with one of your feet, and place your hands in a praying position.

Extension : More flexible children can extend their leg up to their thigh and raise their hands above their head (similar to mountain pose extension).

Warrior pose

Instructions : From the tree pose, move into a lunge position with one foot back and one forward. Get children to bend their front knee and hold their palms in a praying position over their head with their arms straight. They can then look up toward the sky.

Descriptors : Move into a runner’s lunge. Turn your front foot forward like you are running and press both hands together over your head.

Extension : Spread arms parallel at their sides like a plane.

Cat/Cow pose

Instructions : Get children to move onto their hands and knees with their arms straight and legs arm’s length apart. Get them to tuck their head and arch their back.

Descriptors : Get down on all fours like a baby who is learning to crawl. Tuck your head in between your arms and lift your spine up like a cat waiting to pounce.

Extension : Get children to lift their heads and lift their bottom up.

Child’s pose

Instructions : Begin on all fours in a tabletop position. Get children to push their arms forward alongside their torso, palms facing down.

Descriptors : Lower down to the floor and put your arms and legs in a table position. Push your arms forward as far as you can with your arms straight and relax.

Extension : Children can start on their knees and push forward with their arms.

With a growing number of yoga training options for teachers, choosing the right program to suit your classroom is important.

When looking for a training provider, consider the following:

• Is the style of yoga a good fit for your class? There are many styles of yoga that vary in speed, technique, and underlying theory. Be sure to choose to train in a style that will suit the educational aims of your class (e.g., emotion regulation, improving physical strength).
• Is the training suited to your age group? Kids will benefit more from a classroom yoga program when the poses are at a difficulty level suited to their age. Be sure to keep this in mind and select a course that includes the foundational basics.
• Is it formally accredited? To ensure you’re getting the highest quality training, consider looking for a training provider recognized or accredited by a formal association or body, such as Yoga Alliance .

Another tip for finding good in-person training is to take a class with the trainer beforehand. That way, you can see if their teaching style is likely to suit you and the needs of your classroom.

3 Education requirements

Most teacher trainings in yoga do not require any additional requirements except to be a teacher. These depend on where teachers are located and working across the world. At a minimum, teachers are required to have:

• A three or four-year bachelor’s degree
• Training in a teacher education program or a Bachelor of Education
• License or registration with an accredited organization that certifies them to teach in their country of residence

It may also be beneficial for teachers pursuing this pathway to have a health and physical education background, since yoga is rooted in movement and healthy living.

The courses we recommend are delivered in varying formats, ranging from virtual to in-person and group to self-paced.

Yoga 4 Classrooms

The Yoga 4 Classrooms training program is a science-backed yoga and mindfulness curriculum, giving teachers the skills to support their students’ mind–body awareness and social and emotional health (Butzer et al., 2015).

The training offers a holistic solution to supporting the wellbeing of students and teachers through 67 foundational activities (‘mindful moments’) while helping to increase concentration and reduce problem behavior in the classroom.

In addition to yoga, other features of the course include conscious breathing, seated and standing stretches, ‘loosen up’ activities, guided visualizations, and character development.

This training offers continuing education credits and is delivered in a combination of virtual and in-person modes. To learn more, visit the Yoga 4 Classrooms website.

Introduction to Teaching Yoga in PE – Yoga Foster

The four-hour training course offered by Yoga Foster provides a comprehensive introduction to yoga as a form of physical activity, consistent with America’s national standards for student fitness.

The course trains educators to:

• Deliver a week-long yoga unit to their students
• Articulate the benefits of yoga for students pre-K through fifth grade
• Lead a variety of basic yoga-based movements
• Adapt techniques to accommodate different fitness and ability levels

This training offers professional development credits and is delivered entirely online. To learn more, visit the PE Central website.

The Yoga Child Training – Yoga Child

Yoga Child’s in-depth training course out of Philadelphia teaches educators the skills to provide mindfulness-based yoga training to students pre-K through fifth grade.

With the training, you will gain access to the Yoga Child Teacher Training Manual, which includes a range of musical compilations, meditations, and stories recommended by parents.

This training is conducted in person and ranges from 21 to 33 hours. Upon completion, educators will have a complete curriculum in hand to confidently teach yoga that is safe, fun, and developmentally suited to target age groups between 3 and 10 years old.

You can learn more at the Yoga Child website.

Here are some of our favorite books for teaching children the benefits of yoga and principles around mindfulness and wellbeing.

1. Yoga for Kids: Simple First Steps in Yoga and Mindfulness – Susannah Hoffman

This book is an excellent aid for children’s yoga educators, featuring more than 50 poses and activities.

It includes detailed advice on the equipment you’ll need to get started, as well as tips to ensure each pose is done safely.

Vibrant photos and illustrations make this an engaging and handy reference for teachers and parents alike.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools: A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners – Catherine Cook-Cottone

This is among the first research-based resources to help teachers and other educators set up a classroom yoga program.

The book includes detailed evidence for the effectiveness of yoga and mindfulness in improving educational outcomes, as well as photographs, scripts, and figures to help craft a school program suited to your context and grade level.

3. Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses: A Practical Workbook for Integrating Themes, Ideas, and Inspiration into Your Class – Sage Rountree and Alexandra DeSiato

This book provides a detailed look at the philosophical foundations of yoga. It covers 54 complete themes instructors can use to develop their own lessons, where students come away learning not just poses but lessons for better living.

With practice, teachers can adapt these themes to create their own unique lessons using the templates provided.

4. Mindfulness Workbook for Kids: 60+ Activities to Focus, Stay Calm, and Make Good Choices – Hannah Sherman

This book provides a kid-friendly introduction to mindfulness and its benefits for handling tough situations and living happily. It includes over 60 thought-provoking health and wellness activities, including meditation, breathing, and introspection.

Among the many topics covered, this book touches on the themes of worry, decision-making, and kindness.

5. Breathing Is My Superpower: Mindfulness Book for Kids to Feel Calm and Peaceful – Alicia Ortego

This book is an excellent aid for both parents and educators looking to teach children the power of mindful breathing.

It presents different breathing techniques to help children regain control of emotions when faced with challenging situations.

Beautifully illustrated, this book is suited for children up to 12.

Looking for more tools to support your classroom yoga? Take a look at the following free resources from our site:

• Meditation Grounding Scripts for Children This reference sheet includes two guided meditations, useful for helping calm a class of students. Two versions of the meditation are provided to suit different age groups.
• Deep Breathing for Kids This script is a great warm-up to a yoga lesson. Across 11 steps, it teaches children the value of deep, calm breathing for soothing intense emotion and inducing calm.
• Teaching Others About Mindfulness This worksheet helps children plan a lesson to teach their peers about mindfulness. Through the exercise, students will consider how to explain the benefits of mindfulness and recommend techniques and resources to their peers.
• When I’m Scared… This worksheet may be a useful supplement to a lesson about emotions and the body. It helps children explore what it feels like when they are afraid and sets the stage for a discussion about yoga as a tool for emotion regulation.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others enhance their wellbeing, check out this signature collection of 17 validated positive psychology tools for practitioners. Use them to help others flourish and thrive.

17 Top-Rated Positive Psychology Exercises for Practitioners

Expand your arsenal and impact with these 17 Positive Psychology Exercises [PDF] , scientifically designed to promote human flourishing, meaning, and wellbeing.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Children are being brought up in an increasingly fast-paced world with new and more complex stressors. Yoga is one avenue for kids to learn to handle such stressors while also being a great form of physical activity.

When taught well, yoga can be a powerful tool to help children discover the interaction between a healthy body and mind. Educators, therefore, have an opportunity in the classroom to introduce kids to one such pathway to wellness – one that also happens to benefit learning and classroom management.

We hope you’ve found the poses and activities explored throughout this post useful or that they’ve inspired you to consider yoga in your classroom.

If you’ve given classroom yoga a try with your students, be sure to tell us about it in the comments.

As always, we’d love to hear from you.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

• Action for Healthy Kids. (n.d.). Yoga for children . Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/activity/yoga-and-mindfulness/
• American Psychological Association. (2021). Stress in America™ survey . Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/index
• Butzer, B., Day, D., Potts, A., Ryan, C., Coulombe, S., Davies, B., Weidknecht, K., Ebert, M., Flynn, L., & Khalsa, S. B. S. (2015). Effects of a classroom-based yoga intervention on cortisol and behavior in second and third grade students: A pilot study. Journal of Evidence Based Contemporary Medicine , 20 (1), 41–49.
• Chen, D. D., & Pauwels, L. (2014). Perceived benefits of incorporating yoga into classroom teaching: Assessment of the effects of “Yoga Tools for Teachers.” Advances in Physical Education , 4 , 138–148.
• Cook-Cottone, C. P. (2017).  Mindfulness and yoga in schools: A guide for teachers and practitioners.  Springer.
• Hagen, I. & Nayar, U. S. (2014). Yoga for children and young people’s mental health and well-being: Research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Front Psychiatry , 5(35).
• Hoffman, S. (2018).  Yoga for kids: Simple first steps in yoga and mindfulness. DK Children.
• Integral Yoga Magazine. (n.d.). Integral Yoga hatha class for children (ages 4-12) . Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://integralyogamagazine.org/integral-yoga-hatha-class-for-children-ages-4-12/
• Myers, J. (n.d.). Yoga lesson plan tips for creating your own . Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://yoga.lovetoknow.com/How_to_Write_Out_a_Yoga_Lesson
• Ortego, A. (2020).  Breathing is my superpower: Mindfulness book for kids to feel calm and peaceful.  Author.
• Rountree, S., & DeSiato, A. (2019).  Teaching yoga beyond the poses: A practical workbook for integrating themes, ideas, and inspiration into your class.  North Atlantic Books.
• Sherman, H. (2020).  Mindfulness workbook for kids: 60+ Activities to focus, stay calm, and make good choices.  Rockridge Press.
• Taspinar, B., Bas-Aslan, U., Agbuga, B., & Taspinar, F. (2014). A comparison of the effects of hatha yoga and resistance exercise on mental health and well-being in sedentary adults: A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 22 , 433–440.
• Telles, S., Kumar-Gupta, R., Gandharva, K., Vishwakarma, B., Kala, N., & Balkrishna, A. (2019). Immediate effect of a yoga breathing practice on attention and anxiety in pre-teen children. Children (Basel), 6(7), 84-91.
• Thomas, E. M., & Centeio, E. E. (2020). The benefits of yoga in the classroom: A mixed-methods approach to the effects of poses and breathing and relaxation techniques. International Journal of Yoga , 13 (3), 250–254.

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Seven ways that yoga is good for schools, teaching yoga at school might help students feel better and improve their grades, new research suggests..

At Edmunds Elementary, a diverse inner-city school in Des Moines, Iowa, yoga is on the daily schedule.

Each morning, every classroom begins the day with a “Be Well” discussion about topics such as gratitude, good citizenship, being a peacemaker, and getting enough sleep. Breathing, yoga-based movement, and a mindful meditation follow, helping students bring their attention to the present moment and preparing them for learning time.

After lunch, the lights are dimmed and soft music plays as students return from recess for 10 minutes of quiet mindfulness and reflection activities, such as journaling, coloring, or listening to a guided relaxation story. Teachers even integrate yoga at other times of the day as needed, and they unanimously agree it’s time well worth taking.

One teacher shared, “Practicing yoga and taking these mindful pauses throughout the day is like hitting the reset button, for all of us. I was going to leave teaching I was so overwhelmed. Not anymore.”

Thanks to that reset button, the school is seeing results: Test scores increased more than 18 percent and the number of students being sent to the office decreased by more than two-thirds over two years. The school’s principal notes that everyone is feeling a greater sense of community, connectedness, and engagement in school.

Edmunds Elementary, which uses a program we developed called Yoga 4 Classrooms , is not alone. Schools around the country , from San Francisco to D.C., are implementing yoga in classrooms and beyond, with students, teachers, and parents reporting tremendously positive effects. But does research back up their experiences? And what kind of results can we hope to see from yoga programs in schools?

While the science behind school-based yoga is relatively new, the initial evidence from a growing number of studies is promising. Here are seven ways that integrating yoga in schools can support students and teachers, while helping schools address many of the challenges common in education today.

1. Emotion regulation

In order for students to succeed at school and in life, it’s crucial for them to develop self-regulation skills: the ability to monitor and adapt their behavior, attention, and emotions in response to internal cues, the environment, and feedback from others. And research suggests that school-based yoga may benefit students’ self-regulation.

For example, a randomized controlled trial of 37 high school students found that doing 40 minutes of yoga three times per week for 16 weeks significantly improved their ability to regulate their emotions, compared to participating in a standard physical education (PE) class.

In addition, another study of 142 sixth-graders compared students who performed four minutes of mindful yoga at the beginning of their English Language Arts (ELA) classes over an entire school year to students who received regular ELA classes that included a few short discussions about mindfulness (but no mindful yoga). The results showed that this mindful yoga program also led to increases in self-regulation, according to student questionnaires.

2. Academic performance

Most schools use academic performance as the primary criteria for student success. Unfortunately, many students struggle to achieve or maintain adequate grades, which can lead them to disengage or drop out. But research suggests that yoga might improve attention and memory and alleviate academic stress , three factors that are important for academic success.

School-based yoga might also improve students’ grades. For example, one study randomly assigned 112 high school students to participate in either yoga or PE twice per week for 45 minutes across the entire academic year. Among students who had high levels of participation, the yoga group ended up with a significantly higher grade point average (GPA) than the PE group.

Another similar randomized controlled trial assigned 95 high school students to participate in either a yoga program or a standard PE class. The study found that students who participated in the yoga program were able to maintain their GPA, whereas students in the PE group showed a decline in GPA during the 12-week program.

The authors write, “Yoga may improve academic performance by enhancing self-regulation which may, in turn, mitigate stress, thus leading to enhanced attention and learning.”

3. Reduced anxiety and tension

Children and adolescents are exposed to a variety of stressors at school and at home. These stressors can range from extreme, chronic stress such as living through poverty or abuse, to relatively minor stressors such as test anxiety. Adolescents with unmanaged stress are at a higher risk for developing mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, which is why some researchers have explored whether school-based yoga might help reduce anxiety, tension, and stress.

One randomized controlled trial of 97 fourth- and fifth-graders assigned some students to participate in a mindful yoga program that met four days per week for 45 minutes. Compared to attending school as usual, 12 weeks of mindful yoga led to significant reductions in students’ problematic responses to stress, such as experiencing repetitive negative thoughts and strong, intrusive emotions.

A study of the Yoga 4 Classrooms program found that a group of 18 second-graders who participated for a half hour per week for 10 weeks showed a significant decrease in cortisol concentrations from before to after the program. Cortisol in our saliva tends to increase during stress, and heightened cortisol concentrations as a result of repeated stressors may be detrimental to our mental and physical health. This study provides preliminary evidence that school-based yoga might help mitigate these negative effects. 

In addition, one study enrolled 49 inner-city high school students to participate in a semester-long yoga and mindfulness program several days per week, and students reported significant reductions in their anxiety. Another study randomly assigned 51 high school students to participate in either a 10-week yoga program or a PE group that met a few times per week. The study found that tension and anxiety worsened in the PE group but improved in the yoga group.

4. Resilience to stress

School-based yoga may also help students cope with negative life events, like troubles at home or getting a low grade in an important class. For example, a randomized controlled trial of 155 fourth- and fifth-graders assigned some students to participate in an eight-week mindful yoga program that met for one hour per week. The study found that the yoga program helped students cope more often with difficult life events, compared to regular schooling.

Another study found that 30 elementary and middle school students who participated in a 10-week yoga program once or twice per week improved their resilience—the ability to successfully cope with challenging life events.

The authors concluded, “Yoga practice may increase the [students’] sense of control and self-efficacy with respect to stress and emotion, thereby increasing resilience.”

5. Fewer problem behaviors

Bullying occurs quite regularly in schools; in 2011, approximately 28 percent of U.S. adolescents reported being bullied during the past school year. Bullying can lead to a variety of negative effects on students, including difficulties with academic performance. In addition, problem behaviors such as bullying often result in suspensions and disciplinary referrals, which means those students end up missing out on important academic material, too.

But research suggests that yoga might help. For example, third- to fifth-grade students who participated in a 10-week yoga program for one hour per week reported bullying others less after the program.

Similarly, another study of 159 sixth- and ninth-grade students assigned some of them to a semester-long, yoga-based social-emotional wellness program several days per week for a half hour. The results revealed that students in the yoga group had fewer unexcused absences and detentions, and became more engaged in school, compared to students who went to school as usual.

These positive effects might be due to yoga-based improvements in students’ awareness of their emotions and behaviors. That might help students “control impulsive behaviors and negative reactions in order to meet situational demands and achieve personal goals,” the researchers explain. 

6. Physical well-being

National surveys estimate that nearly one-third of youth in the United States are overweight or obese, and that a lack of daily physical activity is a key factor at play. As a form of mindful movement, yoga is particularly well-suited to provide non-competitive, gentle ways for youth to engage in physical activity.

This 12-week study of 16 first-grade students who participated in 45 minutes of yoga twice per week found that yoga can improve motor abilities, including balance, strength, and flexibility. In addition, based on surveys from hundreds of parents, students, and PE teachers, another study found that a year-long program of yoga-based activities for 5-15 minutes per day improved students’ physical well-being, including their body posture, sleep quality, fatigue, and diet.

“Yoga appears to be simply a stretching activity, but the variety and sequencing of postures coupled with the practice of deep breathing creates an extremely diverse and effective method of enhancing a range of health-related fitness skills,” the authors write. 

7. Teacher well-being and classroom climate

Advocates for school-based mindfulness programs suggest that the benefits of these programs might reach beyond students to impact classroom climate and teacher effectiveness. Preliminary research on yoga programs for educators suggests that yoga might be good for teachers’ well-being, too.

Honoring the Teacher's Heart: Well-Being Practices for School Change

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Yoga 4 Classrooms

If you’re interested in reviewing more evidence, check out the Research Repository: Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness for Children, Adolescents and in Schools , a free ebook compiled by Yoga 4 Classrooms .

For example, one study randomly assigned 64 educators to either participate in a 20-minute yoga and mindfulness program four days per week, or go about their work as usual. The results revealed that the 16-week program helped educators improve their mindfulness, positive mood, classroom management, and physical symptoms, compared to regular work. These educators also showed improvements in blood pressure and cortisol.

The promise of school yoga

Research on school-based mindful yoga is still in its infancy. Several research reviews support implementing these programs, but it’s important to keep in mind that some studies have found limited or no effects from them. And many studies use “self-report” questionnaires where students rate themselves, rather than collecting objective data or reports from parents and teachers. Larger, more rigorous research needs to be done to clarify the benefits of these programs and what causes them, including the optimal amount of practice time and best practices for implementation .

In just the past two years, more than 350 new studies have come out exploring the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for youth—a clear sign that interest in this subject is growing rapidly. We’re confident that the evidence for yoga in schools will continue to expand, and that it will help students cultivate social, emotional, and physical health; academic success; and a positive school climate.

About the Authors

Bethany Butzer

Bethany Butzer, Ph.D. , is a research consultant for Yoga 4 Classrooms® . She is also a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of New York in Prague, where she studies yoga and mindfulness for youth.

Lisa Flynn is founder and CEO of ChildLight Yoga® and Yoga 4 Classrooms® , nationally-acclaimed programs specializing in professional development training for educators, counselors, yoga teachers, and allied professionals who support the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.

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Yoga in PE: Tips for Activity Progressions & Lesson Planning

Incorporating yoga in my physical education curriculum has enhanced my ability to teach students about flexibility, stress management, and mindfulness. It is an excellent addition to any program, and students really enjoy it. Yoga is a great lifetime activity that can help students learn to deal with stress, improve their mood, and increase fitness levels which helps them lead healthier, happier lives. When I first started teaching yoga, I was unsure of how to plan the unit activity progressions and format lessons. Here are some of my favorite resources to get you started!

Yoga Unit Activity Progression:

• Teacher-led yoga activities
• Circuit yoga activities
• Student-led yoga activities
• Partner yoga activities
• Technology-led yoga activities

Teacher-led Yoga Activities:

I feel students participate better when a teacher is modeling and leading yoga activities to start the unit. Take classes at a local gym to get more comfortable and try yoga app workouts to learn more about cues, breathing techniques, safety considerations, and a flow of poses.

• Use a variety of yoga resources such as yoga cards, circuit cards , exercises from yoga posters , and Yoga Spots to help you lead several mini sessions.
• Break up the sessions into themes and styles of poses: Floor, Balance, Twist, Bends, Strength, Lying Down, Back Bends, and Standing.
• Teach a Sun Salutation series and other flow workouts. I used an example from the article Harvesting Harmony: Mindfulness in Physical Education , by Shannon C. Mulhearn, Pamela Hodges Kulinna, and Kent A. Lorenz inthe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (July, 2017). It’s straightforward and something students can memorize to use every day.

Circuit or Station Yoga Activities:

• Single pose stations : Determine the number of stations needed (2 to 4 students per station) and print a single yoga pose on a sign, use a poster, or a Yoga Dotz floor spot . 1 pose per station for at least 60 seconds. This allows time to read the cues and try it out, especially for poses that use both sides of the body.
• Multi-pose station circuit : I place multiple yoga poses at a station by rainbow color theme. Blue cone and blue cards = balance poses. Red = twisting. Orange = floor poses, etc. I disperse students among the cones (whether a circle or straight-line formatted circuit) and they work together to try out these poses for approximately 5-7 minutes before rotating to a new cone station.
• Rainbow UltraFit CircuitPro Yoga Pack : I love how I can use this versatile pack for any of the suggested yoga activities, and it comes with an excellent teacher’s guide. Rotate student groups through the different circuit cards. Each card has a good 3-step breakdown of how to properly perform the pose. The Rainbow color coding is a huge bonus because it helps with creating teams, management, and grouping and allows for integrating nutrition themes.

Student-led Yoga Activities

• Team Presentations: In small groups of 2 to 4 (depending on how many presentations you have time to allow for), each student selects (or draws from a selection) at least 2 poses to learn and teach. The team decides what order to teach them in. Teams practice their workout, including how to cue the pose – emphasizing proper breathing and technique. Create a rubric for the presentation so students understand your expectations. Teams then take turns presenting to the class. You can have students peer review presentations as well.
• Small Group Workouts: Using the same idea as the team presentations above, instead of presenting to the entire class, the small groups can lead their mini-yoga sessions concurrently all throughout the classroom. As the teacher, you can roam around and visit the sessions and supervise.
• Student Leaders: When students are in a group at a station with multiple poses, they each take turns teaching exercises. This format provides more student ownership. For example, during the Rainbow Yoga Circuit mentioned above, I have students take turns leading the poses. One person leads, the rest follow. Rotate to next leader and so on until it is time to move to a new station.

Partner-based Yoga Activities

I enjoy using the partner poses from the Yoga Pretzels cards. These are simple, low-risk partner balance poses. These are fun for students to try, provide a different nuance to flexibility training, and provide a positive way for students to interact and connect with each other. Students can work with the same partner each pose or rotate to a new partner each pose. I demonstrate each pose with a student and then have the students try them.

Technology-based Yoga Activities:

Two favorite app resources are Yoga Studio and Balance It. Use Yoga Studio to expose students to a yoga class format and flow of poses. It also demonstrates what a good app is like for yoga training.

The Balance It app by the PE Geek, Jarrod Robinson, has balances of two, three, four, and large group poses for group challenges. These emphasize teamwork, trust, strength, flexibility and fun. I have used this app with my family on vacations with the little kids for a challenge activity. We all laugh and have a good time trying to create the poses. It is fun for the whole family or for your classroom!

Yoga Lesson Outline Example (*30-minutes):

• ‘Walk & Talk’ with partner/neighbors around space. Groups of 2 to 3.
• Topics ideas: stress management, relaxation, flexibility, FITT principle.
• Debrief and sharing about walk & talk to set the scene.
• Go over today’s Learning Targets and link to walk and talk.
• Overview of today’s yoga session and mindfulness emphasis.
• Challenge, connect and engage students
• Mini-activity, Game or Personal Challenge
• Yoga workout with theme (flexibility, balance, flow, sun salutation, strength, combination)
• Flexibility, Balance & Core Training
• Project-based: Design-your-own workout, student presentations, etc.
• Debrief learning targets (think-pair-share, partner talk)
• Personal goal setting and home application
• Infuse mindfulness practices and provide students some relaxation time. Gopher’s Mindfulness Banners are a great start to teach mindful sitting, breathing, listening, and how to do a calming body scan.

For more on tips and resources on how to incorporate yoga into your physical education program, check out some other Gopher blogs:

• Yoga in PE: Teaching Tips to Get Started
• Mindfulness and Yoga in Physical Education
• Teaching Yoga in Middle School

Continue the conversation… What are your favorite yoga tips and resources? Share with the PhysEd family in the comment box below or on Twitter! @JessicaShawley @GopherSport #physed #yoga #mindfulness

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15 Benefits Of Yoga For Students

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We're in a constant state of fight or flight throughout our day. Even though school and college-going students have youth as their power card, that card doesn't apply to daily stressors, whether mental or physical. Sitting at a desk and working for hours really does leave our bodies in an awkward mess. Social & family challenges and bullying are some unwanted toppings thrown our way. It is hard to avoid all this, but there is always a solution to every problem. And that's Yoga. Trust us when we say it will solve most of your problems, and here is how. We present you with these top benefits of Yoga for students Read further to unlock some key solutions you've been looking for long!

15 Benefits Of Yoga For Students 

Yoga is a centuries-old Indian discipline that enables the mind and body to work together. It involves breathing techniques, stretches, and meditation to provide stress relief, relaxation, and regeneration. Yoga is mainly for college students' physical and emotional well-being. Here are some benefits of yoga for students-

1. Improves physical and mental health 

This is one of the best benefits of Yoga for students and is highly recommended by many doctors. Children and students tend to spend a lot of time sitting in a still position while binge-eating junk. Both of these reasons are the ripple effect of today's lifestyle. To get rid of this ripple effect, Yoga is a powerful tool that helps you balance your life. Students who don't particularly enjoy the PE period can maintain a healthy weight by practising asanas. This is a simple solution to avoid childhood obesity at a young age. According to research, Yoga increases the energy levels of your body and will surely release your fatigue.

2. Effective brain development 

Another major benefit of Yoga for students is that it helps in brain development. Yoga enhances FNDC5 protein synthesis and release into the bloodstream. Existing brain cells can continue to divide more easily thanks to this kind of protein. Thus, practising Yoga regularly encourages a stronger and healthier brain. This protein maintains the health of the nervous system. So, keeping this a practice surely is a benefit of Yoga for students. 

3. Improved academic performance

A study conducted by the International Journal of Yoga (IJY) found that Yoga helped students do better academically. If you start practising yoga and create a routine, you will see the difference. Just a little can do wonders for your physical and mental health and freshen your mood. So, with that fresh mood, you can do wonders.

4. Enhanced memory and attention span

The brain area that controls memory recall responds favourably to the protein that our bodies produce while practising Yoga. Yoga improves our memory in this way. Better academic achievement in students would be a direct result of Yoga's ability to boost memory function in both adults and children. Additionally, it helps in increasing focus and attention span. Yoga actually helps students with ADHD by calming their main symptoms, including hyperactivity, impulsivity and lack of focus. With regular practice, many ADHD patients are able to reduce their medication dependence. This is the reason why the importance of yoga for students has been preached for years now. 

5. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Everyone feels a little stressed and overwhelmed sometimes, and it's an uneasy feeling. To solve that, we give you the importance of Yoga for students. Yoga's natural ability to stop thinking and be present in the moment lowers stress and Anxiety, having tremendous positive effects in every area of life. Students are high-strung individuals who are eager to excel and demonstrate their value at every opportunity. Students find relief from tension and mental calm through Yoga. Regular yoga practitioners not only experience less stress and Anxiety but also higher academic achievement. Now, isn’t that a handy benefit of Yoga for students? 

6. Reduced eye strain and headaches 

The importance of Yoga in a student's life is truly crucial as it helps reduce eye strain and headaches. Many times, student sit in the same position for hours while finishing their assignments and trying to reach deadlines. This can result in a headache. Yoga allows the removal of the gaze from books or laptops from focus mode to relax more. Yoga, hence, helps reduce your headaches. Students, especially the GenZ crowd, have a lot to gain from this benefit of Yoga for students. 

7. Increased motivation and productivity 

Do you feel sad? Sit like a lotus. Better yet, perform a backbend or magically soar into a king-dancer pose. Some yoga poses will surely be Although it's not quite that simple, one study found that practising Yoga regularly decreased cholesterol and monoamine oxidase levels, which are in charge of the breakdown of neurotransmitters, and lowered depression. Students who do Yoga as a study break report higher levels of motivation and productivity. 

8. Better Sleep Quality 

Every night, students should sleep 7-8 hours. The students can be healthy, ready, and energised for the following day with a good night's sleep. Yoga practitioners claim that their sleep is of higher quality since the practice relaxes both the mind and body. Students who get more sleep are more likely to concentrate in class, play more actively and do better on tests. In addition to other health concerns, poor sleep quality is linked to hypertension, poor academic performance, obesity, and depression. Melatonin, a hormone that manages sleep and consciousness, is released at a higher rate as a result of Yoga. Yoga, therefore, contributes to better-quality sleep. Talk about a useful benefit of yoga for students, don't you think?

9. More energy and brighter moods

Yoga can help one feel more energised physically and mentally, more enthusiastic and attentive, and with less negative emotions. After creating a regular practice schedule, you can see an improvement in mental and physical energy, increased attentiveness and excitement, and fewer negative emotions. That is just one more benefit of yoga for students. Students can really appreciate!

10. Improves flexibility, balance and posture 

Too much screen time and continuous periods of sitting while studying can result in poor posture in many students. This bad posture from childhood may lead to significant anatomy problems as an adult. Regular asana practice promotes balance as it brings equilibrium to the entire body, corrects posture, increases flexibility, and improves flexibility. Now, isn't this a great benefit of yoga for students?

11. Teaches correct breathing techniques 

The importance of Yoga in a student's life has no limit. Another valuable benefit of Yoga is that it helps us breathe the right way. Life depends on breathing, and the quality of our breathing directly affects how we feel overall. Our movement, posture, and capacity to manage stress well are all impacted by how well we breathe. Yoga pranayama and other breathing techniques allow pupils to learn how to master proper breathing at a young age and enhance their quality of life.

12. Promotes mindfulness 

Simply said, mindfulness is the art of being in the moment. It is possible to practise mindfulness at any time of day, even for a brief period of time, by focusing on your breath or the farthest noises you can hear. People can feel calmer and less stressed by practising mindfulness. With the help of imaginative and enjoyable visualisation techniques, kids can learn to be more conscious. One of the wonderful Benefits Of Yoga For Students.

13. Helps bring peace of mind

Knowing the importance of yoga for students can benefit you in many ways. Students may be confused by the complex academic programme alone, but they also have to juggle a variety of extracurricular activities and a social life. Students can efficiently regulate their Anxiety and manage the various facets of life by practising mindfulness and pranayama. The calmness of the mind encourages the release of beneficial hormones, which have a snowball effect and improve the child's general temperament. Now that you know this benefit of yoga for students, capture your inner peace just like Po.

14. Boosts immunity and improves physical appearance 

Among all these Benefits Of Yoga For Students, this benefit stands out as physical appearance means a lot in this generation. Along with its many health advantages, Yoga also strengthens immunity and guards against viral and bacterial infections by raising antibody levels. Yoga increases blood flow, which benefits the skin, hair, and nails. A positive body feels and seems to be healthy.

15. Increases self-confidence and self-esteem 

Yoga is a real thing. Children develop strength, stamina, self-assurance, and the mind-body connection through asanas. After engaging in this for some time, you can evaluate the improvements and optimism you have experienced. Strength, compassion, and acceptance are also brought into the real world, along with the confidence gained on the yoga mat. Aren’t these benefits of yoga are students just fantastic?

Nothing short of life-changing sums up Yoga Benefits For Students. Yoga offers a holistic strategy to support students in thriving in both their academic and personal lives, from stress relief to enhanced focus, physical fitness, and mental well-being. Yoga may completely transform your daily routine by giving you the skills you need to face the difficulties of student life with grace and resiliency. Roll out your mat, take a deep breath, and start along the path to a happier, healthier, and more balanced experience as a student. Namaste!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key benefits of yoga for students, how can yoga help students manage stress and anxiety, is yoga suitable for all students, regardless of their fitness level, can yoga improve academic performance, what are some easy yoga poses for beginners .

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Yoga Lesson Plans For High School

• Doug Curtin
• December 10, 2021

This article explores yoga lesson plans for high school and provides a free resource pack for PE teachers! Check out the power of yoga in physical education below. 

Struggling to find yoga lesson plans for high school students?

Students want to learn yoga! They are excited by the idea of taking a yoga class on their own, and physical education can be the first stepping stone for students to learn yoga. 

But finding yoga lesson plans for high school students is hard! Most yoga for kids and beginners is geared towards elementary students. And yoga for a more advanced group can be very complicated with all sorts of challenging yoga poses like handstands and crazy twists. 

Often teachers are left trying to make up lesson plans on their own!

>>> Free Download: Phys Ed Teachers Guide to Yoga

Producing multiple physical education yoga lesson plans is time-consuming!

Not only is creating yoga lesson plans time-consuming, but chances are also, you are not a yoga teacher by trade! You might have taken a class or two yourself, but your yoga expertise doesn’t reach far past knowing the difference between a warrior pose, mountain pose, and tree pose. 

But you don’t want to avoid yoga altogether because you know how much your students want to do it! Not to mention, there are countless benefits of yoga for students.

So, where do you go to add yoga to your physical education program? 

A 3-Unit Approach to yoga lesson plans for teachers

There is more than enough yoga content that you could stretch out over a few weeks, a few months, or even an entire year. But, no matter how you choose to space out the lessons, there is a 3 part approach that will leave any student ready to walk into a yoga studio. 

• Part 1 : Introduce basic yoga poses & postures 
• Part 2: Practice slow and basic yoga sequences with a new addition of breathing techniques 
• Part 3: Develop more advanced yoga flows that introduce new movements throughout the workout 

Here’s what yoga for high school students looks like for the year 

Unit 1: intro to yoga poses .

Before feeling like you have to dive right into complicated yoga flows, consider covering the basics. By finding each pose individually, students can know what good technique and form should feel like. There are six major buckets of movements you want to be sure to cover in an intro to yoga: 

Example Lesson: 

Each yoga session begins with a guided warm-up, step-by-step movement and pose education, scaling modifications, and detailed technique work. Then, students finish each lesson with guided flows that reinforce the major education points of the day.

In this example lesson, students are introduced to 4 of the most basic standing poses before working them into a basic yoga sequence.

Welcome back to your second session of PLT4M yoga. In our first session, we spent the entire lesson focusing on the Sun A warm up. We practiced it a few times last session, and now today, we will kick things off with that full flow! 

From there, we are going to be introducing FOUR new standing poses: Chair, Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle, and Reverse Warrior. You will notice that three of these poses (Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle, and Reverse Warrior) all have the same stance! We have deliberately programmed these poses together so you can get comfortable and familiar with this stance throughout today’s lesson. 

After we introduce the movements, we will go through an awesome flow that combines our new movements and some of the things we learned from lesson one. Pay close attention to the modifications Lulu suggests throughout the lesson because the flow will be challenging! We encourage you to modify and start small. As you get more comfortable with your yoga journey, you can always push yourself to make things a bit more challenging as we progress.

The Chair Pose is very common in yoga! Chair Pose activates some of the largest muscles in your body and gets your heart pumping! To find Chair Pose, start with a slight bend in your knees and be sure they are ‘stacked’ directly over your ankles. Press your tailbone down toward your mat and use your core to lift your chest. From here, you can either keep your hands at your chest or, for a more challenging variation, lift them over your head. A common fault in the Chair Pose, especially when students raise their arms overhead, is excessively rounded backs. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to lift your chest and find a strong back position. 3 Points of Performance: -Bend your knees, shift weight into your heels -Press your tailbone down and use your core to lift your chest -Draw your shoulder blades down your back, keeping your hands at your chest or above your head

In this video, we will 1) Introduce Warrior 2 stance 2) Practice Warrior 2 on Right and Left Side The next three poses we will introduce have the same leg stance and offer different arm variations. To find this stance: 1. Separate your feet and point your front foot forward and back foot out to the side. 2. From here, check to see that your front heel is bisecting your back foot arch. 3. Place a 90 degree bend in your front knee and make sure to keep your knee stacked over your ankle. 4. Press your tailbone down to keep your shoulders stacked over your hips. This is your stance! Start with your feet closer together, and as you feel more comfortable in this stance, you can widen your feet out on your mat to increase the difficulty. Our primary goal is to keep the 90-degree angle in our front leg, so only widen your stance as far as you can continue this performance point. To complete the Warrior 2 pose, T out your arms and squeeze your shoulder blades together to create length through your fingertips. Option to keep your gaze straight ahead, or maybe bring it over your front fingertips. 3 Points of performance: -(Front) heel to (Back) arch alignment -90 degree bend in your knee and stack it over your ankle -Reach your arms in opposite directions, and squeeze your shoulder blades together

In this video, we will 1) Introduce Extended Side Angle On Right and Left Side We will continue to build on our new stance, but now change up the arm positioning slightly! This is a slightly more challenging position, so don’t hesitate to bring your feet a little closer together to start! Make sure you keep that 90-degree angle in your front leg! From the same stance, T your arms into Warrior 2. Stretch and lean your upper body towards your front foot, and begin to hinge at your hips. Once hinged over, sweep your arms to ‘6 and 12’ of your ‘body clock.’ Place your bottom arm on your thigh to keep yourself stable. Our goal is to have our shoulders stacked. As we get more experience, we could extend our bottom arm out as well, but for now, most of us should stick with our bottom arm on the thigh. A common fault of the Extended Side Angle pose is excessively leaning too far forward or backward. If we feel a little shaky and not stacked, bring your feet closer together to allow for a bit more of a stable base position. 3 points of performance: -90 degree bend in front knee -Hinge forward at your hip and reach your hands to 6 & 12 -Press your bicep into your thigh to help open your chest (stacking your shoulders)

In this video, we will 1) Introduce Reverse Warrior On Right and Left Side For our final new pose of today’s lesson, we are sticking with the exact same stance. To get to our reverse warrior, we will go back to the standard warrior (arms T’d out to the side). From here take your front arm and reach it up and overhead. Let your back arm softly rest on your thigh (or option to fold it behind your back). Lengthen your arm overhead and reach your fingertips back to open up. Feel your obliques and side stretching out! Our goal is to stay stacked here, and not excessively lean forward or backward. Think about keeping everything in your upper body in a straight line. 3 points of performance: -90 degree bend in front knee -Reach your top fingertips up to lengthen your side body, and then back to open -Little to no weight in your back hand

Unit 2: Breath To Movement Flows 

Students have not had to focus on their breathing up to this point. In unit 2, however, students will incorporate different breathing exercises that will add to their overall yoga practice. The goal of unit 2 is to connect the different poses more fluidly and work to deepen the vinyasa style of yoga they are practicing. In doing so, they will: 

• Build confidence in their yoga practice
• Develop stamina and capacity to complete longer yoga workouts 
• Strengthen muscle groups by adding in new and more complicated poses 

Each yoga session begins with a guided warm-up and an opportunity for students to check in mentally and physically to the day’s lesson. Each lesson will follow a traditional yoga flow and move throughout an entire 30-minute workout. Lessons will also introduce 2-3 movement/pose variations embedded directly within the longer flows.

Welcome back to another lesson of yoga flow! By now, you know what this is all about! We are going to flow for basically a full 30-minute workout, so get ready to go! 

Our new poses we will slip into our lesson are Cat/Cow, Open Simple Twist, and Crescent Moon. 

Often found at the beginning of classes, this pose is meant to help warm up our spine. From tabletop, we rotate between flexion and extension of the spine. Press into your palms as you lift and lower your spine, working to keep your arms relatively straight (avoiding any excessive elbow bend!) 

Many of us know the ‘spiderman and reach’ from our other programs. Simple Twist is a closer variation! From the low lunge position, release your arm closest to your front leg and twist up and open to a fully extended arm. Bring your shoulders to stack. 

We have done this one before! From a lunge position, reach your arms up and overhead. Most of you will remember this as the most basic version of our Crescent Lunge we learned and practiced many times! 

Unit 3: Advanced Yoga Flows 

Unit 1 and 2 were primarily focused on the basics of yoga poses and basic flows. In unit 3, students should understand yoga and be ready to take on more challenging sequences. Additionally, unit 3 can add in more complicated things like muscle action drills (MADs). MADs are small drills that engage and activate big and small muscles.

We are now at the point students can comfortably follow along! Grab some space and get ready to go! 

If you want to take a look at the flow format and different parts you can check out Coach Lulu’s lesson notes below! Integration: **Childs, table top, down dog, rag doll, standing Sun A: 1x Slow, 1x Fast **Mountain, side stretch R, mountain, side stretch L, mountain, forward fold, ½ lift. High plank, chaturanga, up dog, down dog Sun B: 1x Slow, 1x Fast **Mountain, chair plane, 1 leg mountain, standing figure 4 variation, [place lifted ankle across standing thigh. Bring hands to chest.], 1 leg mountain, crescent plane **Crescent lunge, low lunge, standing L [New: lift back foot off the mat, engage your glute and hamstring to bring your heal to the ceiling. Straighten through your front leg, as much as feels comfortable. Ground down through both palms], low lunge, high plank, chaturanga, up dog down dog Sun B+: 1x **Chair, Chair plane, 1 leg mountain, standing figure 4 [begin to add slight bend in front knee. Press tailbone down towards your mat], 1 leg mountain, airplane pose, crescent lunge, low lunge, standing L, 3x leg lifts [tap lifted toes on your mat, inhale lift, exhale lower] low lunge, high plank, chaturanga, up dog, down dog Balancing Flow: 1x **Chair -> Eagle [R/L] **Mountain -> Dancer [R/L] **Mountain -> Tree [R/L] Surrender Flow: 1x **Seated forward fold **Supta baddah konasana **Supine cow face pose

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Key Takeaways on Yoga Lesson Plans For High School 

Yoga lesson plans for high school students can be a fun addition to your PE curriculum. Schools across the country are adding yoga to physical education because of the myriad of benefits this exercise option brings. 

As a PE teacher, you might know the basics of yoga but uncertain if you could lead a full workout. Grab from a full slate of PE yoga lesson plans from PLT4M and get the yoga flows rolling! 

Yoga lesson plan FAQs

How is each yoga unit delivered.

PLT4M is a digital tool that allows you to deliver workouts through any device. Students can access lessons right from their phone or computer, or you can project the classes up on a TV or screen. 

Aside from yoga PE activities, what else do you cover?

PLT4M has a whole slate of instructional content for you to choose from! Grab from our library of pe lesson plans that includes fitness, weightlifting, mindfulness, nutrition, pilates, dance fitness, and more. 

Do you only provide a yoga lesson plan template for high school students?

We also provide lessons for middle school students! We have even started creating content that many elementary school students could use.

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• How To Demonstrate Poses Effectively for Your Yoga Students
• Yoga Teaching
• Posted on July 19, 2018
• In Yoga Teaching

Stopping a class to demonstrate a complex pose is an excellent tool to teach key alignment points, inspire your students, and convey important information. While providing a visual guide to your students can be very useful, there is an art to creating an effective demo. Check out these five tips to rock your demonstrations and inspire your students.

Move Your Students

The first step – and the one most often neglected by teachers – is to move your students to where they can see you. Oftentimes teachers get shy about stopping the class. Be bold! Moving students can be like herding cats; they often don’t want to move (or don’t realize that they need to). Be clear about moving your students to where they can see you. Take charge of the room.

Do It For Them

This is a no brainer, but don’t demonstrate for yourself. Make sure the demonstration is for the benefit of your students. Check in with them through making eye contact, nodding, and looking for affirmative signs of understanding. Make sure they get it.

Offer Stages

Break down the pose that you’re demonstrating into at least two stages so that there is something for everyone. Affirm the goodness of each stage (“this is already a lot of work!”) so that students don’t feel badly if they can’t do the final variation. Be clear about how students should know if they should move onto the next stage. For example, say, “if you can keep your leg straight, then you can move onto…” rather than a vague invitation such as, “if you feel comfortable…” The more specific you are, the more you will empower your students to effectively evaluate their own practice.

Inspire without being a jerk

Doing a demonstration can be an opportunity to inspire your students to a new level of practice. But make sure to inspire them without demoralizing them or showing off. Remember: the demonstration is for their benefit. You want them to think, “I want to do that!” rather than, “I could never do that.” You can inspire your students by being clear and specific about the steps they need to take to ultimately do the pose. Even if they can’t do the final pose, they will feel empowered that they can see the route to get there.

Give Three Takeaways

After a demonstration, summarize the key points of the pose by giving your students no more than three simple take aways that will help them do the pose well. They won’t be able to keep more in their head than three! The art of great teaching is knowing how to be simple.

Happy teaching!

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Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.

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How to Assess Yoga Students (From Starting Point to Progress)

In my years of teaching yoga, both online and in real life, one of the immediate problems I encounter when faced with new students is how to assess their goals and progress. But then, should yoga even be about goals?

The truth is that yoga is not really about the destination, but about the journey—I know, so cliché—however, there are some specific goals that people might have. Depending on their age and lifestyle, they might turn to yoga as a therapeutic practice to improve their mobility, to heal an injury, or even to improve their performance in a specific sport .

Others might come to yoga for its mental benefits , such as increased self-compassion, improved self-esteem, and better concentration. Or, it can be to learn how to relax and breathe deeper, especially nowadays where so many of us are filled with stress and anxiety. 

So, how can we, as yoga teachers, help our students in the best way possible? We have to determine their arriving skills , their goals, and their progress throughout their practice. We’re all unique, so progress will undoubtedly look different for each student. 

Still, as the teachers, we should be aware of this if we are to help them arrive at their goal in the most efficient way possible or if there need be any adjustments.

An assessment will help you and the student have a better experience. To do a wholesome evaluation, I encourage you to do three types of assessments: (1) paper, (2) verbal, and (3) mobility/movement assessment.

Paper Assessment 

Before the start of any yoga class, yoga teachers need to hand in a waiver to students for legal protection and to let the students know that they are the masters of their body and, as such, are responsible for it. Additionally, it lets them know that yoga teachers are not medical professionals. 

When handing in the waiver, we can seize this opportunity to give out our paper assessment. In this assessment, we want to gather some basic information about our potential students. 

It’s essential to get the basics on our students in order for us to target our teaching better. We need to gather information such as their age, occupation, marital status, work schedule, and recreational activities. Also, we can take it up a notch by identifying whether they have any sleep issues.

Do they have any injuries we must be aware of or any other medical condition? How do they deal with stress? How do they ensure that they have proper nutrition? 

And last but not least, in this first evaluation, it is reasonable to ask them about their previous experience with yoga. Have they attended classes before? And just how much do they know about yoga?

We need to gather such information to determine if we have to explain the principles and foundations of yoga or if we could get started right away.

Verbal Assessment

The next type of assessment I encourage you to do is a verbal evaluation. In this one, you will both get to know your students better, and more specifically, you will understand what exactly they are planning to achieve by starting a yoga practice with you. 

The verbal assessment is also a great chance to see the compatibility between you two. Not all yoga teachers are for all yoga students and the other way around. This is not a bad thing; it just speaks to the individuality and personal touch we each bring to our classes. 

Through this assessment, you will try to understand more thoroughly the student’s struggles concerning yoga (i.e., medical conditions, injuries, pregnancy, mental health, etc.).

More importantly, you will discuss what their aims are. Do they want to work toward a specific pose (i.e. a specific pattern of movement)? Maybe they want to become stronger or more flexible. If so, ask them what for. Perhaps they want to focus more on the mental benefits. You can tell them about yin-yoga, meditation , and pranayama , and see how they would feel about incorporating those practices. 

One thing that I have to constantly address upfront with some of my students is when they tell me their goal is to lose weight. I don’t think yoga alone can help with weight loss, but it can help with stress and anxiety, which in turn helps us eat more mindfully and avoid excesses. 

I think yoga doesn’t focus on the body in a negative, physical way. That is, I don’t encourage my students to come to yoga with a mindset of I’m broken, and yoga will fix me . Or  I’m lacking, and yoga will make me whole again , or  I’m weak, and yoga will make me stronger . Although some of those things might be true, framing them is crucial. 

So, I make sure my students understand that change comes from within, and yoga is not a magical practice that will solve all their problems. 

Having said that, though, once they express their goals and aims with me, I tell them to have patience and to be realistic. Sadly, as with most things in life, results can’t be guaranteed, as they depend on many different factors.

A s such, it’s essential to let them know that most students won’t be performing a perfect handstand or a split in a month. Things take time. That is why it is essential to find out the reasons behind their goals. 

Understanding their “ why”  will help you keep your students encouraged and inspired throughout the practice. It will also help you know just how much support to extend to them so they do not give up when the usual downs from the non-linear line of progress arrive. 

Mobility/Movement Assessment

Now, let’s get to the physical evaluation part. Although yoga helps develop many mental skills like mindfulness, self-control, focus, and even self-compassion, it’s mainly a physical practice.

As teachers, we will be guiding our students through different movements and poses, so we need to get acquainted with the physical capabilities of our new students—not just to see where their starting point is but also to understand any limitations that might require us to propose different alignments and modifications for them. Or, it can be to identify which props to use and poses to avoid. 

As we all know, no two bodies are the same, and a Down Dog Pose will look quite different depending on the body that is doing it. This is thanks to the differences in bone structure and the flexibility of the muscles and connective tissues, as well as many other variables. 

So, as a simple assessment, you can ask your student to do some foundational movements to realize if they have tight muscles, limiting joints, or even hyper-flexibility.

Please remember to do a slight warm-up for your students and to let them know that although some of the poses you will ask them to do might feel challenging, they are to gauge their physical capabilities. However, the poses are not meant to be something they should already be doing perfectly. 

Some Poses That You Can Use for Your Mobility and Physical Assessment

Child’s pose.

It will allow you to assess their back and hamstrings’ flexibility and see how mobile their knees are. 

Any Plank Exercise

It can be on elbows and forearms or hands. With this exercise, you can see how strong their shoulders and core are, and depending on the tilting of their hips, you can also gauge how tight their hip flexors might be. 

As lunges work the lower body, you can see how flexible they are and how strong they are. They are a great way to assess glute strength, coordination, proprioception, and the strength and flexibility of their hamstrings in their squats. 

Supine Twist

Twists are a crucial movement in yoga and are essential in keeping the spine’s health and encouraging the flexibility of all the breathing muscles. Ask your student to first perform the most basic twist and to tell you if they feel any unwanted tension in their lower back. 

Downward-Facing Dog

As a staple pose in yoga, it is good to see how your student does in this pose. Ask them to keep their spine as straight as possible, no need to keep their legs extended if their hamstrings don’t feel all right doing it. 

It is also a great way to see some shoulder openings and how they are doing with this important joint. Don’t forget to ask them to engage their hands—to grip the mat and to protect their wrists. 

Shoulder Mobility

Ask your student to move their arms straight to the front, then up, and down to the sides. Then, ask them to move their arms in circles, paying close attention to their mobility and shoulder-opening capability. 

These are just some of the poses that will help you get a clearer image of the overall capability of your student and will allow you to prepare a better class for them—a class that has been customized to their level and their needs. 

Additionally, you might want to do a couple more depending on what they have expressed as their specific goals. The assessment shouldn’t take too long, but it will give you the information you need about how your body is at the starting point. 

Now that you have gathered all the information you need about your students and you already know what they need and want to get out of their yoga practice, you are ready to start your classes.

After some classes have already been done, weeks have passed, and namastes have been said, you need to be able to assess the progress that your student is making toward their goals. 

And how do you determine their progress?

Progress Assessment

Depending on the goals that your students have, you will evaluate their progress differently. What’s important is to emphasize that yoga is not a thing to get better at by itself. You don’t practice yoga to get better at yoga. You practice yoga to improve life. 

So, you should tell your students that in the event that they notice no physical progress, they should consider their progress outside the mat, too. And give more weight to the latter one. 

Having said that, though, collect your notes and keep a small journal to write down your student’s journey. Which poses used to feel awkward for them and have now become almost like second nature? 

How are their flexibility and their strength? Are they doing all right, or do they need a more challenging class, or maybe to focus a bit more on their flexibility? What’s their headspace now after X weeks of yoga?

Keep going back to these questions and also to how they are feeling and what’s working for them. Remember that they definitely need to get out of their comfort zones to see progress, but pain—physical or mental—should always be avoided. 

As I mentioned before, many people will approach yoga with a specific therapeutic, physical, or mental goal, and it is very important to keep working toward them, but I promise, most student’s will—after a while—forget about those initial goals and focus on the feeling and overall life improvements that yoga brings. 

Nonetheless, it is important to get to know your students before starting the practice and to keep reassessing every now, and then to make sure your teaching and their practice are working for both of you.

• Yoga for Students: Practice These 10 Yoga Postures to Boost Brain Power »

Yoga for Students: Practice These 10 Yoga Postures to Boost Brain Power

3…2…1…take a deep breath and enter zen mode. What better way to introduce zen than to practice yoga! Did you know that continuous yoga practice can lead to improved brain function and enhanced memory power? In fact, research suggests that students who practiced yoga performed better in academics. Proposed by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the United Nations (UN) assembly, International Yoga Day has been celebrated worldwide on 21st June since 2015. 

To make this International Yoga Day special, we have put together a comprehensive guide to ignite the benefits of yoga for students and tread the path to personal and academic growth.  

Quick Links

Advantages of Yoga for Students

As thrilling as student life can be, it is not always a bed of roses. Keeping up with the pace of the curriculum, countless assignments, exams, and the pressure to outperform themselves can often be mentally taxing. Here’s where yoga can play a transformative role. Let’s understand how by looking at the top five benefits of yoga for students. 

1. Reduces Stress & Anxiety

Yoga has the innate ability to stabilize the nervous system and promote relaxation. It does this by regulating the stress hormone, better known as cortisol. By practicing Yoga on a regular basis, students can cease the mental chatter, relieve any stress or anxiety issues and subsequently maintain a balanced state of being. 

2. Boosts Academic Performance 

A strong mind-body connection is a key element for effectively coping with challenges and developing clarity. Yoga helps students develop a clear mind which, in turn, enables them to grasp new information better. This enables them to focus and retain study material with ease, thereby improving academic results. 

3. Enhances Memory and Attention Span

What if there was a way to learn more in less time? Wouldn’t that be the perfect solution to ace academics? This is exactly how Yoga helps students. It aids in reducing hyperactivity, managing distractions and boosting concentration levels. Practicing Yoga regularly strengthens a part of the brain that plays a key role in enhancing memory, attention and awareness.   

4. Promotes Brain Health 

Research suggests that practicing Yoga has the ability to enhance brain function. It has been linked to improved mental function, which boosts cognitive skills like learning and memory. It drives the generation of new brain cells, which promotes optimum brain health. So, students who practice Yoga regularly can experience its brain-boosting benefits. 

5. Improves Posture & Flexibility 

Developing a poor posture in the formative years of life because of long lectures or online classes could result in complications eventually. Practicing Yoga at an early age encourages in maintaining the right body posture and enhances flexibility. This makes the body resilient enough to withstand long study hours as well as high energy levels. 

What Are the Best Yoga Asanas for Students?

Student life is pretty much synonymous with hustle. There’s so much to do, learn and practice at all times that a balanced mind is not just a mere need but an absolute necessity. Besides the obvious physical benefits, when students integrate yoga as part of their routine, it enhances their mental and emotional well-being. Moreover, it also creates a solid mind-body connection, which improves concentration levels, promotes self-regulation and boosts brain health. These are five beginner-friendly yoga asanas for students that pose immense benefits especially for students: 

1. Padmasana – The Lotus Pose 

Promotes relaxation, balance and creativity 

One of the most popular yoga asanas, Padmasana is a great pose for students to practice for improving concentration and relaxing the mind. It helps channelize thoughts and energy in the right direction, which gets rid of mental clutter and confusion. Students can practice this posture to relieve tension, build flexibility and deepen creativity.  

2. Sarvangasana – The Shoulder Stand

Improves circulation and concentration levels 

Sarvangasana is a highly powerful yoga posture that targets blood flow and optimizes cognitive functions. It strengthens the back and shoulder muscles while nourishing the pineal and hypothalamus glands. This yoga asana is great for students as it aids in maintaining good posture and heightens concentration levels. 

3. Matsyasana – The Fish Pose 

Enhances memory power 

Matsyasana is a great pose that works wonders on the muscular and respiratory system. For students who may be experiencing stress or anxiety, practicing this posture can alleviate symptoms as it promotes oxygen and blood flow to the lungs. It is also an effective posture to relieve fatigue, establish focus and improve memory power.

4. Setu Bandhasana – The Bridge Pose

Promotes balance and flexibility 

Setu Bandhasana is among the best yoga postures for students as it helps in calming the central nervous system and improving blood circulation. It strengthens shoulder, back and chest muscles and also keeps the spine protected. This promotes better posture, reduces anxiety and relieves stress. 

5. Paschimottanasana – Seated Forward Bend Pose  

Strengthens focus and brain power 

This yoga asana helps students learn and retain better by boosting cognitive skills and bringing a sense of clarity and calmness to the mind. It stretches out the back and hamstring muscles, which ensures good flexibility and posture. Moreover, it stretches the spine which alleviates stress and promotes relaxation, enabling students to learn more effectively. 

Which Yoga Posture Helps Improve Concentration? 

If there were a switch on and off button to heighten the ability to focus, students would never have to combat distraction mode ever again. While a magical button to fine-tune attention spans may not exist, yoga has the power to 10x both focus and concentration levels. It is reported that practicing 20 minutes of Yoga a day can improve brain function and boost concentration levels. 

Here are three yoga asanas for students that helps in enhancing concentration levels: 

1. Vrikshasana – The Tree Pose 

This is the easiest yet most beneficial asana that helps attain physical and mental balance. It streamlines the left and right channels, which enables students to maintain clarity and boost focus levels while studying. When practiced over time, Vrikshasana improves body posture and stimulates a strong mind-body connection. 

2. Garudasana – The Eagle Pose

Garudasana is known to boost energy in the body by strengthening the immune system. It enhances focus and balance while strengthening the ankles, thighs, back and core. What’s more, it improves circulation and enhances joint health. Students can witness a rise in concentration levels as they get comfortable with this asana and practice it regularly. 

3. Tadasana – The Mountain Pose

Also known as ‘the mother of all asanas’, Tadasana is the base from which all other yoga asanas emerge. Practicing this will allow students to bring awareness to their breath and strengthen the nervous system. It relaxes the muscles and promotes heightened levels of focus. 

Which Meditation Yoga Helps Students in Improving Studies? 

The path to boosting brain power involves developing a healthy connection between the body and mind. While yoga is a great way to develop and build this connection, it is another component of yoga, also known as pranayama, that truly helps strengthen the mind-body connection. Here are three simple beginner-friendly pranayamas that students can practice for improving their academic performance: 

1. Bhramari Pranayama 

This calming breathing technique is also called Humming Bee Breath. That is because it involves making a humming sound while inhaling and exhaling through the nose. The practice creates a healing vibration that relieves tension and promotes relaxation.

2. Anulom-Vilom Pranayama

Also known as alternate nostril breathing, this is a simple yet effective practice that helps in beating stress and balancing the right and left channels of the body. Students can witness benefits like improved brain function, high energy levels and increased memory power by practicing this pranayama.  

3. Kapalbhati Pranayama

This powerful meditation yoga focuses on the practice of forceful exhalation. Besides improving concentration levels, this practice can help students declutter their mind and introduce a sense of calmness and balance in their lives.  

We hope that this informative guide on yoga for students inspires you to make the smart move of integrating the art of yoga as part of your daily routine. For smart moves that will target all your educational needs, check out the Extramarks Learning App and get ready to experience academic success! 

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

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5 Benefits of Yoga for College Students

Most people assume that college students are young and should not be bothered about physical and  mental health issues that others face. However, that is not the case. As a college student, you are not  spared from the pressures and stresses that others face in life. Therefore, you need ways to let out your  frustrations and get the much-needed relief. Yoga is one of those solutions!

Students are involved in many activities, and some of them can result in a buildup of stress. They  include:

ï‚· Spending many hours in class; ï‚· Working on numerous assignments; ï‚· Complicated academic tests; ï‚· Part-time work.

Moreover, other social issues can make your mind tense and make it hard for you to perform optimally.  Fortunately, you can use yoga to make yourself feel better. Below are the specific benefits of attending  yoga sessions.

Reduces Stress and Depression

Students have a lot of academic and social demands. For instance, they are expected to attain top  grades while at the same time, maintain the best social behaviour. Some feel that these demands are  overwhelming and make them stressed. Therefore, they need an activity that can help them relax.  Students who are less stressed are more likely to absorb the content that is taught in class. That way,  they can easily tackle the tests and assignments that are issued by the instructors. They ultimately record improved academic performances.

With yoga, you can ease the clatter within your brains. It would make you feel relaxed and reduce the  chances of suffering from anxiety attacks. Thus, your mental health would improve, and your academic  performance would be impacted positively.

Helps in Improving Memory and Concentration

If college students are to understand the concepts taught in class, they should learn how to focus. A  short lapse in concentration means that you miss important explanations and tips that are important in  handling assignments. Moreover, you should recall vital information during exams if you want to attain  high grades.

Fortunately, . It does this by clearing the mind so that you can focus  on more important things. College students can also concentrate better when they are involved in yoga.  The result is that you can perform better in your academic endeavours without the assistance of an  essay writing service.

Helps in Better Weight Management

Most students have sedentary lifestyles. They sit for long in class, avoid physical exercises, and prefer to  play video games indoors. The problem with this is that they end up being overweight or obese. The  dangers associated with this include being susceptible to cardiovascular complications, back pains,  reduced mobility, and diabetes.  As part of a regular exercise program, yoga can assist you to lose weight because it burns calories. If you  are already physically active, including yoga in your workout routine will help you achieve your weight  loss goals. Different yoga techniques can help in maintaining a healthy weight. One of them is called  asanas. When you practice it, you can avoid problems such as obesity, which are common these days.

Boosts the Immune System

There are many diseases in the world today. The best way to deal with such ailments is to ensure that  you have a strong immune system. Many methods are used in the improvement of the immune system,  including yoga.

Through yoga, you can improve how the blood circulates in your body, the health of your skin, and even  nails. It boosts your immune system, and your body finds it easy to deal with attacks from viruses that  cause different diseases. With a healthy body, you feel happy, contented, and you would be ready to  handle your daily duties.

Enforces Healthy Breathing Techniques

Breathing is an important aspect of life. With perfect air circulation, you can be healthier and achieve  more in life. On the other hand, improper breathing may lead to serious respiratory ailments. That  means you may not perform well academically as you spend more time dealing with the diseases.  With proper breathing, students can improve their quality of life and be in a position to perform better.  When you get involved in yoga, that you are taught in techniques such as pranayama.

Wrapping Up

Although people take yoga as an ancient art, it is still important today. It has several benefits for  students, including helping in weight management, boosting the immune system, improving memory  and concentration, and reducing stress and depression. So, in addition to other things that you do to  keep you healthy and focused in college, create some time for yoga sessions.

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Tips for Crafting Your Yoga Bio 

As part of a social media contest in 2014, we asked Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT ® s) to fill out the bio section of their online profile. As the first assignment in the five-week contest, we asked you to simply, “tell your story.” 

With this simple instruction, over 100 of you responded in astoundingly creative, colorful and personal ways. This was the first time our staff had the chance to get to know you, as the bio is one of many new features of  our online profiles. While reading your bios, we felt inspired that we have the opportunity to work with such an amazing community of yoga teachers. As teachers and practitioners ourselves, we connected with so many of your stories about what brought you to yoga and what you offer as a yoga teacher. 

We promised to share a handful of RYT profiles, and while it was hard to choose, we selected a few profiles that illustrate how to craft a well-rounded yoga bio (on our Directory, on your personal website, or anywhere else).

Here are a few ideas we gleaned from perusing the bios of your fellow RYTs that may help you to create a bio that appeals to potential participants or trainees:

Define Yoga in Your Terms

Dawn Marie, E-RYT 200, RYT 500 from California, includes in her bio a description of what yoga means to her. With so many perspectives and types of yoga out there, honing in on what your concept of yoga is can help you reach students that connect with your perspective.

“Yoga is the relationship that is built between the body, the mind and the breath. Yoga is creating space free from obstacles in your own body to live. Yoga is freedom and release. I am here to help others find this release so that they can comfortable and competently move their bodies through life.”

Dispel Misconceptions

What are the barriers to someone trying yoga for the first time? If relevant to you, you can share some misconceptions you may have had about yoga, like Karyn, RYT 200 from Texas, did.

“With an extensive background in dance and fitness, I always thought yoga would be fun and easy. After my first class I found it was NOT as easy as I imagined, but the true surprise was the sense of peace and joy I found.”

Set Expectations

What can a student expect if they join you for a yoga class? Stacy, RYT 500  from Florida, shared a little bit about what her classes are like in her profile to help set expectations for a new student.

“Stacy is know for her authentic, non-judgmental teaching style and compassion-centered philosophy. Availing herself to continuous philosophical education from various spiritual disciplines, Stacy weaves thought-provoking meditations throughout her classes, applying ancient wisdom to our contemporary western world in a useful and understandable way. She encourages growth of the physical and spiritual self, citing the interconnectedness to each other, to the world and to the universe at large.”

Know Your Audience

If you have a specialty or enjoy teaching to a particular population, here’s the place to say so! It’s clear that Lindsey enjoys teaching kids yoga. Did you know that any word entered in your bio will enable your profile to appear in a keyword search on our new Directory? For instance, if someone is searching for “kids,” the profile below from Lindsey, RYT 200 from California, will appear in his/her search.

“She holds educational but fun kids yoga classes, certified by miniyogis. If you’ve ever wanted to teach your kids California History, Math, Science or any other subject, she will tailor classes based on each student’s needs.”

Let Your Personality Shine

Give students a sense of your personality, even before they’ve had the chance to meet you. Marketing doesn’t have to be formal, so use your own voice like Kira, RYT 200 from Virginia.

“Kira Mickle is a cheeky diva whose classes are powerful, playful and heartfelt! She likes reading, watching angsty teen vampire soaps and singing along to Tom Petty. She loves yoga because it makes her feel good and allows her to eat more pie. Her favorite place is anywhere people are gathered to sweat, breathe and break boundaries together.”

The average reader on the web is not as willing to read a lengthy article, so be brief, like Monica, RYT 500 from Florida. In a few crisp sentences, she describes how yoga has benefited her, her training and what her classes are like. It’s a quick and enjoyable read.

“Yoga has been a part of my life for over 10 years, and my practice has helped me grow stronger, more flexible and fearless, both on and off the mat. Yoga inspires me to live each moment more mindfully.

I completed my 200 hour Vinyasa Flow training with Frog Lotus Yoga International and my 500 hour advanced training with Asheville Yoga Center. I will always be a student of the practice and am deeply grateful for the loving wisdom my teachers have shared with me.

In my classes, I love to combine creative sequencing, a spirit of playfulness and a dose of inspiration to help you deepen your practice. I seek to help others thrive in live by nurturing body, mind and soul with yoga, and my hope is that you step off the mat feeling refreshed, nourished and balanced.”

Thank you all for sharing your personal stories with us, using the bio feature in your online profile. And if you haven’t updated your profile, use these tips and tricks to make your RYT profile shine. 

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My 200-Hour and 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings Each Changed My Life Dramatically—But in Completely Different Ways

A teacher's life-changing learning experience that traversed two continents and 500 hours of education..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

The first time I walked into a yoga studio, I was looking for a different fitness routine. Nothing more.

It was 2018 and I was living in San Francisco. I quickly fell in love with a class at CorePower Yoga called Yoga Sculpt, which was a combination of yoga, weights, and cardio. Appreciating the effect it had on my mind as well as my body, I fell hard enough for it to train as a Yoga Sculpt instructor. By that summer, I was teaching two classes a week.

I’d also fallen for the studio, where I felt a deep sense of community. I began spending all of my free time there, and when I was asked to take a management role , I went all in. I’d just lost my job as a content manager, so the timing couldn’t have been more aligned.

I hadn’t planned on enrolling in another training while I was adjusting to my role at the studio and teaching twice a week, but somehow I found myself enrolling in an eight-week 200-hour yoga teacher training (YTT) through CorePower.

From the moment I made that decision, it seemed like everything in my life started to change at an unprecedented pace. Suddenly my days were consumed by yoga.

My 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The training required us to meet three evenings a week for three hours. It was fast-paced, but our two lead trainers and their assistant coaches reassured us that we were exactly where we were supposed to be and encouraged us to trust the process.

My Introduction to 200 YTT

The primary focus of the 200 YTT was to learn how to teach CorePower’s set sequence, which is a “Level 1” power vinyasa yoga class consisting of a series of the same poses taught in the exact same order each time. Our curriculum was designed to help us memorize the set sequence as well as learn cueing and breathing formulas, hands-on adjustments, yoga philosophy, chakras, basic Sanskrit, anatomy, prenatal yoga, and the business of yoga.

With no time to lose, we dove straight into practicing how to teach. The sequence was broken down into 11 sections, each containing several poses. Having learned formulas for cueing and breathwork in my Yoga Sculpt training, I felt confident in my ability to lead students through several of the basic poses, including Sun Salutation A and B. But I needed to practice having a beginner’s mind as we explored teaching less familiar poses and transitions and learned the underlying why behind the order of the sections.

We finished memorizing the sequence in the first three weeks of the training.

By week four, we went deeper into anatomy and adjustments. I was also required to observe classes, which means I sat at the back of the room and took careful notes on the cues, pacing, and overall experience as another teacher led students through their practice. I started to notice subtle things I hadn’t been aware of before I began training, like were the lights too dim or too bright? Was the music too distracting or just right? I found myself being overly critical of certain things.

Later in the training, we practiced teaching in small groups. We received feedback from our trainers on “glows and grows,” or things we did well and things we could improve upon. That feedback was essential for helping us improve, although when it was my turn to teach, I always felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. It’s a feeling that I sometimes still experience when I stand in front of a class, although it dissipates when I remember to focus less on myself and more on my students.

Spiritual Sparks Fly

Given the limitation of 200 hours, we focused primarily on asana, or the physical postures. But we also covered some spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga in the training, and that is what most captured my attention.

During week five, we learned about the chakras, which are the seven energy points in our body that run along a central channel. And each week, we were expected to turn in homework and reading assignments on yoga philosophy, including the yamas and niyamas . Our exposure to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra came from reading the translations included at the back of our manuals, although we were assigned to read The Inner Tradition of Yoga by Michael Stone, a psychotherapist and teacher of yoga and Buddhism, and that offered some additional insight into yoga philosophy.

There was one lecture that I vividly recall. In it, our trainers referred to “little s and big S.” The “little s” is what we perceive as our self—our self-image or ego. The “big S” is our true nature or pure consciousness, which some of the teachers translated as our spirit or soul. To this day, this is one of the concepts I rely on most for self-reflection.

We applied what we were learning by taking part in a Karma Yoga Project. My fellow trainees and I volunteered at a homeless shelter and helped prepare meals and handed them out, an experience that provided us the opportunity to connect with each other and the larger community while demonstrating that part of living your yoga is being of service to others.

Our training also required us to attend classes at different studios. I hadn’t expected this to be such an integral part of my understanding of yoga philosophy, but l will never forget attending a class at Love Story Yoga in the Mission District of San Francisco where we chanted mantras in Sanskrit before we began moving our bodies. At the time, because it was so different from CorePower’s teachings, the chanting felt very out there for me. Little did I know a seed was being planted in my soul.

Learning to Teach Poses

The eight weeks went quickly. In addition to the lectures and homework, I took around 60 studio classes during that time.

In the last week of our 200-hour training, my classmates and I prepared for final written exams and took part in a “Bring a Beginner” night. As teachers in training, we were expected to facilitate an inclusive and well-rounded class environment for someone who had little to no experience with yoga. We guided the students into poses without any of us messing up our cues or forgetting any sections. Afterward, the newcomers gushed about the class, which we took as a reflection of how well-prepared we were to teach.

The teaching tools were specific to CorePower’s sequence, which I found to be an intelligent way of learning how to safely deliver cues and adapt the practice to the needs of students in a supportive manner.

On the day I received my 200-hour certificate, my classmates and I commemorated the occasion by taking photos in fun poses. I celebrated with headstand, a pose I was proud to practice because I had recently learned how.

But I knew my yoga journey was still at the beginning. My 200 YTT had given me the tools to teach a safe and comprehensive asana class, but I was still largely in the dark and curious about yoga scriptures, philosophy, pranayama (breathwork), and meditation.

A few years later, I moved to South Lake Tahoe, California. As before, I found a community at a yoga studio where I taught some classes. It was a boutique studio, and without the rules and standards of CorePower, I found myself becoming more creative and exploring a different teaching voice.

As my ability to lead others through asana progressed, I knew that I still had so much more to learn. I felt a void. I was also teaching but barely practicing so the voice of imposter syndrome crept in. I constantly asked myself, do my students feel connected with the practice of yoga beyond the physical? Should I be doing more to share that with them? Can I call myself a yoga teacher when I can’t even maintain a consistent personal practice?

At the same time, I knew that I was being pulled elsewhere.

My 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The next chapter in my story began with a Google search. One night I typed “birthplace of yoga” on my keyboard and the small town of Rishikesh popped up. I spent hours watching YouTube videos about the place known as the “yoga capital of the world.”

I felt immediately drawn to this destination and began looking for yoga schools that were based there. The Himalayan Yoga Association (HYA) seemed to align with everything I was seeking. Over 27 days, I’d train for 300 hours in hatha, Ashtanga, pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda, anatomy, alignment, and yoga philosophy.

“This is it,” I thought. “I’m finally making it happen.”

My Introduction to 300 YTT

Most of the nervousness I felt about the training was soothed by the fact that another yoga teacher I knew had agreed to join me on the journey to India. On March 1, 2023, the two of us and the remaining students in our 300-hour yoga teacher training were welcomed by our four teachers with a fire ceremony. It ended with kirtan, an act of devotion which involves chanting mantras in Sanskrit. It took a few songs for us newcomers to feel comfortable singing, clapping, dancing, and chanting with each other, since we’d only met a few hours prior. It was a beautiful way to immerse ourselves in the training.

The following day, we were immediately thrown into the deep end with a jam-packed schedule and what felt like information overload. We started just after dawn with nasal cleansing practices, such as jala neti and sutra neti , followed by pranayama, meditation, and hatha yoga. These practices reinforced that yoga isn’t just a physical practice but an entire system of practices that includes physical postures as well as breathing techniques, cleansing practices, and lifestyle adjustments.

By late morning, I was famished. In between philosophy and anatomy classes, we took a break for a strictly vegetarian lunch with lots of lentils, potatoes, veggies, and rice. There was chai, but I missed coffee. I often struggled to focus during the post-lunch class, wishing I could take a nap or sip an espresso.

There were two yoga asana classes a day, and they weren’t exactly a walk in the park, which meant I went through a lot of Tiger Balm. The training ended at 7 p.m. with alignment and Ashtanga, and at night I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was learning what felt like a lifetime’s worth of information and my body was still trying to adjust to the physical practice.

I found myself completely overwhelmed.

My favorite class was the late-morning philosophy lecture. Our teacher had an aura about him that lit up the entire room. He taught concepts about yoga that I had never heard of before and that also applied to several Eastern religions, including Hinduism and Jainism. I was fascinated by samsara, the wheel of life, where we are all continuously experiencing birth, death, and rebirth. I learned about moksha , which is breaking free from the cycle of samsara and attaining the highest form of human life in which our Self or Soul becomes one with the divine. It was another big S moment.

These concepts of divinity and reincarnation opened my eyes to new ways of contemplating life. I couldn’t help but wonder if these concepts would be taken seriously in my classes back home. How would my students respond?

A Completely Different Understanding of Yoga

The training in India exposed me to aspects of yoga I had known nothing about. Perhaps this should have been no surprise, since I came to India with the intention to explore more of the spiritual side of yoga.

First, there was the physical practice of yoga. Most Hatha classes in the West are slower-paced and beginner-friendly. The hatha classes at HYA felt like boot camp. I didn’t know you could do a push-up in Wheel Pose until, well, I did a push-up in Wheel Pose.

I had only practiced Ashtanga a handful of times prior to my training in India. It includes several series of set sequence of poses, beginning the primary series followed by the intermediate series. My 300-hour YTT covered the intermediate series of Ashtanga yoga, which focuses on backbends. But having very little background in the primary series, I confessed to my teacher that I felt completely lost.

Surprised, he asked, “Didn’t you do the primary series in your 200-hour teacher training?” I was embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t. A few others in the 300-hour had the same experience, and luckily our teacher was kind enough to break down the poses in the primary series for the first few weeks before moving on to the intermediate series.

Aside from being pushed to the physical limit with the asana practices, I was blown away by how vital pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda, and yoga philosophy were to the tradition of yoga and those who practiced yoga in India. We learned an entire pranayama sequence, and I witnessed the progression of my breathing as the days went by.

We were also exposed to different meditation techniques and were asked to read a good portion of the Yoga Sutra . Our teacher had us chant each sutra in Sanskrit before diving into its meaning.

Everything seemed so disciplined, from the schedule to the rules. There was how and what and why you should eat, according to Ayurveda, which is the sister science to yoga. There was also what was considered the best times to practice pranayama and meditation.

The yoga lifestyle in India was a complete 180 from the yoga lifestyle I was used to in the U.S.

Learning to Teach Yoga

While we learned countless new skills and a huge amount of information, we didn’t learn how to teach any of it. In fact, we didn’t teach at all. I asked my teacher if we were going to receive feedback or practice teaching. “That’s what your final exam is for,” he said.

Final exams at HYA took an entire week. There were written tests for anatomy and philosophy, and verbal tests for pranayama, meditation, hatha, and Ashtanga. The hatha exam also required us to teach a short class that included joint movements, Sun Salutations , forward bends, twists, and inversions.

For the Ashtanga exam, we were split into groups to teach the entire intermediate series. Luckily, we were allowed to have our notes in front of us. It was our first time teaching since we’d learned the series. I can’t imagine how this would have gone without my notes. With gratitude, I passed.

The Teacher—and Student—I Am Today

My two YTT experiences were equally transformational but in completely different ways. Each has made me not only a better teacher but a much better student.

Yoga in the West has brought me nothing but positive experiences and opened my eyes to mindful living. But during the four weeks I spent expanding my practice in India, I came to understand that yoga is a continuous physical and spiritual practice that is constantly unfolding well beyond the walls of any studio. With that understanding, my practice and I both underwent a true metamorphosis. One in which life itself became the school.

RELATED: I Learned Yoga in India. Then I Did My Yoga Teacher Training at CorePower.

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How does yoga work?

Yoga is a mind and body practice that can build strength and flexibility. It may also help manage pain and reduce stress. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.

Yoga is an ancient practice that may have originated in India. It involves movement, meditation , and breathing techniques to promote mental and physical well-being.

There are several types of yoga and many disciplines within the practice.

This article explores the history, philosophy, health and wellness benefits, and various branches of yoga.

What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing.

A regular yoga practice can promote endurance, strength, calmness, flexibility , and well-being.

Yoga is now a popular form of exercise around the world. According to a 2017 national survey , one in seven adults in the United States practiced yoga in the past 12 months.

The first mention of the word “yoga” appears in Rig Veda , a collection of ancient texts . Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “yuj,” which means “union” or “to join.”

Yoga can be traced back to northern India over 5,000 years ago.

Indian monks spread their knowledge of yoga in the West during the late 1890s. Modern yoga teachings became widely popular in Western countries by the 1970s.

The overall philosophy of yoga is about connecting the mind, body, and spirit.

There are six branches of yoga. Each branch represents a different focus and set of characteristics.

The six branches are :

• Hatha yoga: This is the physical and mental branch that aims to prime the body and mind.
• Raja yoga: This branch involves meditation and strict adherence to a series of disciplinary steps known as the eight limbs of yoga.
• Karma yoga: This is a path of service that aims to create a future free from negativity and selfishness.
• Bhakti yoga: This aims to establish the path of devotion, a positive way to channel emotions and cultivate acceptance and tolerance.
• Jnana yoga: This branch of yoga is about wisdom, the path of the scholar, and developing the intellect through study.
• Tantra yoga: This is the pathway of ritual, ceremony, or consummation of a relationship.

The word “chakra” means “spinning wheel.”

Yoga maintains that chakras are center points of energy, thoughts, feelings, and the physical body. According to yogic teachers, chakras determine how people experience reality through emotional reactions, desires or aversions, levels of confidence or fear, and even physical symptoms and effects.

When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety , lethargy , or poor digestion .

Asanas are the many physical poses in Hatha yoga. People who practice yoga use asanas to free energy and stimulate an imbalanced chakra.

There are seven major chakras, each with its own focus :

• Sahasrara: The crown chakra, which is at the crown of the head, symbolizes spiritual connection.
• Ajna: Located between the eyebrows, the third eye chakra has to do with intuition.
• Vishuddha: The throat chakra corresponds to immunity and verbal communication.
• Anahata: The heart chakra, which is in the center of the chest, influences professional and personal relationships. Any imbalances in this chakra will affect oxygen, hormones , tissue, and organ control.
• Manipura: The solar plexus chakra is in the stomach area. It corresponds to self-confidence, wisdom, and self-discipline.
• Svadhishthana: The sacral chakra, which is beneath the belly button, connects pleasure, well-being, and vitality.
• Muladhara: The root chakra, which is at the base of the spine, connects the mind and body to the earth to keep a person grounded. It controls the sciatic nerves and the parasympathetic nervous system.

Modern yoga focuses on exercise, strength, agility, and breathing. It can help boost physical and mental well-being.

There are many styles of yoga. A person should choose a style based on their goals and fitness level.

Types and styles of yoga include :

Ashtanga yoga

This type of yoga practice uses ancient yoga teachings. However, it became popular during the 1970s.

Ashtanga applies the same poses and sequences that rapidly link every movement to breath.

Bikram yoga

People practice Bikram yoga, also known as hot yoga, in artificially heated rooms at a temperature of nearly 105 o F and 40% humidity. It consists of 26 poses and a sequence of two breathing exercises.

This is a generic term for any type of yoga that teaches physical poses. Hatha classes usually serve as a gentle introduction to the basic poses of yoga.

Iyengar yoga

This type of yoga practice focuses on finding the correct alignment in each pose with the help of a range of props, such as blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, and bolsters.

Kripalu yoga

This type teaches practitioners to know, accept, and learn from the body. A student of Kripalu yoga learns to find their own level of practice by looking inward.

The classes usually begin with breathing exercises and gentle stretches, followed by a series of individual poses and final relaxation.

Kundalini yoga

Kundalini yoga is a system of meditation that aims to release pent-up energy.

A Kundalini yoga class typically begins with chanting and ends with singing. In between, it features asana, pranayama, and meditation that aim to create a specific outcome.

In the late 1980s, practitioners developed this active and athletic type of yoga based on the traditional Ashtanga system.

This system uses a five point philosophy as its foundation.

This philosophy maintains that proper breathing, relaxation, diet, exercise, and positive thinking work together to create a healthy yogic lifestyle.

People practicing Sivananda use 12 basic asanas, which they precede with Sun Salutations and follow with Savasana.

Viniyoga focuses on form over function, breath and adaptation, repetition and holding, and the art and science of sequencing.

Yin yoga places its focus on holding passive poses for long periods of time. This style of yoga targets deep tissues, ligaments, joints, bones, and fascia.

Prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga uses poses that practitioners have created with pregnant people in mind. This yoga style can help people get back into shape after giving birth, and support health during pregnancy.

Restorative yoga

This is a relaxing method of yoga. A person spends a restorative yoga class in four or five simple poses, using props such as blankets and bolsters to sink into deep relaxation without exerting any effort when holding the pose.

Benefits of yoga

According to a 2012 survey , 94% of adults who practice yoga do so for wellness reasons.

Yoga has many physical and mental benefits, including :

• building muscle strength
• enhancing flexibility
• promoting better breathing
• supporting heart health
• helping with treatment for addiction
• reducing stress , anxiety, depression , and chronic pain
• improving sleep
• enhancing overall well-being and quality of life

It is advisable to consult a medical professional, if possible, before starting a yoga practice.

Risks and side effects

Many types of yoga are relatively mild and therefore safe for people when a well-trained instructor is guiding the practice.

It is rare to incur a serious injury when doing yoga. The most common injuries among people practicing yoga are sprains and strains.

However, people may wish to consider a few risk factors before starting a yoga practice.

A person who is pregnant or has an ongoing medical condition, such as bone loss, glaucoma , or sciatica , should consult a healthcare professional, if possible, before taking up yoga.

Some people may need to modify or avoid some yoga poses that could be risky given their specific condition.

Beginners should avoid advanced poses and difficult techniques, such as Headstand, Lotus Pose, and forceful breathing.

When managing a condition, people should not replace conventional medical care with yoga or postpone seeing a healthcare professional about pain or any other medical problem.

Yoga is an ancient practice that has changed over time.

Modern yoga focuses on poses designed to stimulate inner peace and physical energy. Ancient yoga did not place as much emphasis on fitness. Instead, it revolved around cultivating mental focus and expanding spiritual energy.

There are many different types of yoga available. The style a person chooses will depend on their expectations and level of physical agility.

People with certain health conditions, such as sciatica, should approach yoga slowly and with caution.

Yoga can help support a balanced, active lifestyle.

Last medically reviewed on April 15, 2021

• Sports Medicine / Fitness

How we reviewed this article:

• A beginner's guide to 8 major styles of yoga [Blog]. (n.d.). https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/a-beginners-guide-to-8-major-styles-of-yoga
• Cramer, H., et al . (2013). Adverse events associated with yoga: A systematic review of published case reports and case series. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797727/
• Explore the ancient roots of yoga. (n.d.). https://artsandculture.google.com/story/explore-the-ancient-roots-of-yoga/rAKCRDl92CPuJg
• Newlyn, E. (n.d.). The six branches of yoga. https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/the-6-branches-of-yoga
• Philosophy of yoga. (n.d.). https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/philosophy-of-yoga/
• Ray, A. (2020). The 7 chakras in human body a spiritual guide. https://amitray.com/the-7-chakras-in-the-body-a-beginners-guide/
• Schneider, A., et al . (2019). A brief history of the chakras in human body. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342562977_A_Brief_History_of_the_Chakras_in_Human_Body
• What is Viniyoga? (n.d.). https://viniyoga.com/about/what-is-viniyoga/
• Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
• Yin yoga. (n.d.). https://www.ekhartyoga.com/resources/styles/yin-yoga
• Yoga for health: What the science says. (2020). https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/yoga-for-health-science
• Yoga: What you need to know. (2021). https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know

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Essay on Yoga for Students and Children

Yoga is an ancient art that connects the mind and body. It is an exercise that we perform by balancing the elements of our bodies. In addition, it helps us meditate and relax.

Moreover, yoga helps us keep control of our bodies as well as mind. It is a great channel for releasing our stress and anxiety . Yoga gained popularity gradually and is now spread in all regions of the world. It unites people in harmony and peace.

Origin of Yoga

Yoga essentially originated in the subcontinent of India. It has been around since ancient times and was performed by yogis. The term yoga has been derived from a Sanskrit word which translates to basically union and discipline.

In the earlier days, the followers of Hinduism , Buddhism, and Jainism practiced it. Slowly, it found its way in Western countries. Ever since people from all over the world perform yoga to relax their minds and keep their bodies fit.

Furthermore, after this popularity of yoga, India became known for yoga worldwide. People all over the world have started to realize the benefits of yoga. Several workshops are held and now there are even professional yogis who teach this ancient practice to people so they can learn about it.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has numerous benefits if we look at it closely. You will get relief when you practice it regularly. As it keeps away the ailments from our mind and body. In addition, when we practice several asanas and postures, it strengthens our body and gives us a feeling of well-being and healthiness.

Furthermore, yoga helps in sharpening our mind and improving our intelligence . We can achieve a higher level of concentration through yoga and also learn how to steady our emotions. It connects us to nature like never before and enhances our social well-being.

In addition, you can develop self-discipline and self-awareness from yoga if practiced regularly. You will gain a sense of power once you do it consistently and help you lead a healthy life free from any problems. Anyone can practice yoga no matter what your age is or whichever religion you follow.

21st of June is celebrated as International Day of Yoga where people are made aware of the benefits of yoga. Yoga is a great gift to mankind which helps us keep better and maintain our health. You also develop a higher patience level when you practice yoga which also helps in keeping the negative thoughts away. You get great mental clarity and better understanding.

In short, yoga has several benefits. Everyone must practice it to keep their health maintained and also benefit from it. It is the secret to living a healthy and long life without the use of any artificial means like medicines or any other shortcuts of any kind.

FAQs on Yoga

Q.1 Write about the origin of Yoga.

A.1 If we look at the history, we see that Yoga originated in India. This ancient practice began when various yogis started performing yoga. Yoga translates to union and discipline and is derived from the Sanskrit language. The religious followers of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism used to practice it in the earlier days.

Q.2 What are the benefits of Yoga?

A.2 Yoga has not one but many benefits. It helps in keeping our mental and physical health intact. It helps us to connect to nature. Furthermore, your body becomes more flexible after consistent yoga practice and you also develop a great sense of self-discipline and self-awareness. In short, it improves our well-being and gives us better mental clarity.

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Ashtanga Yoga: Definition, Principles, Practices & History

Since the late 1990s, Ashtanga has been considered one of the most popular forms of yoga in the Western world. Ashtanga centers on a vigorous physical practice that includes a series of poses linked together with breath to form a continuous sequence. The practice demands an intense level of physical strength, flexibility, and endurance, which explains why many people see it as a rigorous and challenging workout. Whether you’re just starting out in yoga, or looking for something new as your goals change, adding an Ashtanga yoga class to your daily workout is a good way to keep your mind and body healthy and strong.

What Is Ashtanga Yoga?

The word Ashtanga is comprised of two Sanskrit words, “Ashta” and “Anga.” “Ashta” refers to the number eight, while “Anga” means limb or body part. Therefore, Ashtanga is the union of the eight limbs of yoga, into one complete, holistic system. These eight-limbs of yoga represent the various branches of the philosophy of the yoga sutras that form the foundation in the Ashtanga Yoga School. The Ashtanga philosophy is to integrate all of the eight limbs of yoga, which include: Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self-discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana ( meditation ), and Samadhi (oneness with the self).

Ashtanga is a very dynamic and athletic form of hatha yoga , made up of six series or levels, with a fixed order of postures. It is rooted in vinyasa , the flowing movements between postures, with a focus on energy and breath. While it is a very physical practice, it also promotes mental clarity and inner peace.

Ashtanga posture sequences

Usually, students begin an Ashtanga practice with five repetitions of Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B . This is followed by a set of standing poses, in 5 repetitions, then a set of seated poses . After you have mastered these three pose sequences, your instructor will guide you through the advanced series, Advanced A, and Advanced B, Advanced C, and D.

Where did Ashtanga Yoga begin?

Originally, Ashtanga Yoga was created by T. Krishnamacharya as an individualized practice for his young energetic student K. Pattabhi Jois in the early 20th century. The fast paced sun salutation movements are thought to have been influenced by the exercises of Indian wrestlers and gymnasts. Jois was a dedicated student, and he further refined and promoted this new style and soon began teaching others. These exhilarating and challenging posture flows were designed to purify the body to offer peace of mind, and eventually gave rise to many different styles of hot yoga , flow or Vinyasa Yoga, and power yoga.

The Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, which promotes the teachings and trainings of Ashtanga, is located in Mysore, India. Pattabhi Jois’s grandson, R. Sharath Jois, is the current director of the institute and is the senior authority on the practice. There are many other famous Ashtanga yoga instructors teaching all over the world including David Swenson, Kino MacGregor , Richard Freeman, Maty Ezraty, Tim Miller, David Williams, Chuck Miller, and Tim Feldmann.

Key Principles and yoga practices

There are several key principles that underlie the practice of Ashtanga. This multiple-pronged approach promotes  physical health and mental wellbeing. These five principles are necessary for a successful ashtanga practice.

• Drishti:  A specific drishti , or focal point, is used in each asana. This helps create a more focused and meditative practice.
• Vinyasa:  The core of the practice is synchronizing the breath to the sequence of postures and transitions in the series.
• Bandha : The engagement of the bandhas, or body locks, is encouraged throughout the class to seal in the prana energy and create core stability.
• Daily practice:  A six-days-per-week routine is encouraged, with Saturday as the rest day. “Moon days,” the days on the full and new moon are also rest days, and women often refrain from practicing during menstruation.

What is the difference between Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga?

Ashtanga is a set sequence of asanas while vinyasa is more free-style and improvised. Ashtanga classes begin and end with the class chanting Sanskrit mantras. Vinyasa classes are more popular in gyms and yoga studios and are often heated and play music during the practice.

What is the purpose of Ashtanga?

The intensive physical processes in Ashtanga are all about pushing through mental blocks, and emotional baggage to cultivate mental clarity, mindful breathing, physical strength, flexibility, and endurance. The structure and frequency of the practice is designed to help you quickly improve your body and overall wellness. The set sequence of posture creates a strong framework that allows one to focus on the inner limbs of the yoga sutras.

Benefits Of Ashtanga Yoga

The benefits of Ashtanga yoga are numerous. It is known to be strenuous, so it is great for athletes and people that are looking for a good workout. Like most styles of hatha yoga , Ashtanga focuses on breath, poses, and meditation. A regular yoga practice can improve your flexibility, breathing, and balance. It can increase your stamina, bone density and muscle strength, control your bodyweight, lowers your blood pressure and relieve stress. The benefits of the Ashtanga yoga are not only limited to physical factors. It also helps mentally and spiritually by boosting mental clarity, creating mental calmness and developing better concentration in daily life.

Ashtanga classes

You will find two different types of classes: Ashtanga Led and Ashtanga Mysore. During Ashtanga Led classes, the participants are led by a teacher through the primary, intermediate and advanced series together.

Mysore-style Ashtanga is an open practice time where students move through the same sets of asanas in each sequence but at each students own pace. You will still have the guided help of a trained yoga teacher, but you will need to learn and memorize the asanas and sequences more in this studio class. You can expect to receive more personal attention and hands-on adjustments in a Mysore-style yoga class.

Can beginners do ashtanga yoga?

As it is complicated, precise and physically challenging, Ashtanga is not the best style of yoga for beginners to practice, but beginners are still welcome to start. Because it provides specific and structured movements, you’ll be able to clearly see your improvements and progress. It’s also helpful because the primary sequences start with the kinds of movements and poses that are better suited for beginners. The primary series, also known as Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy, is it focuses on centering, and building up a strong and healthy body for the more challenging series that follows. With the emphasis on individual instruction in Mysore-style classes, it’s also great for knowing when you’re doing your asanas correctly.

Is Ashtanga for me?

If you’re a person who needs one-on-one individual instruction, you might benefit from Ashtanga classes. If you’re a seasoned yogi , or you want something that makes it easier to measure your progression in the movements, and is easy to modify the asanas to suit your needs, Ashtanga may be the style of yoga you need. It’s also great if you want to focus your yoga practice on building strength and physical health. Ashtanga can help everyone from beginner to more advanced yoga practitioners.

Ashtanga offers people a highly structured approach to asana practice. You’ll always know when you’re progressing, and be able to tailor your approach to best meet your needs. With regular practice it can bring flexibility, strength, and focus and can also improve your mental state, giving you increased focus and clarity.

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24 responses to “ashtanga yoga: definition, principles, practices & history”.

I’m not that much of an internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back and read more about Ashtanga and the other styles and practices of yoga.

Thank you so much harika! We really loved reading this article. My interest in learning this method took me to various different committed teachers until I found Ulu yoga who are totally devoted to Ashtanga. They were like a breath of fresh air and are an expert skilled teaching team with emense wisdom that has clearly developed along with the method to now be able to offer well balanced up to date teachings

Great work!

Ashtanga Yoga originated in India from the teachings of a sage named Patanjali and continues to be practiced today. It evolved out of the Hatha Yoga tradition, which emphasizes proper breathing and body alignment. Ashtanga yoga is named after its founder, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who is widely revered for his knowledge of the human body and his ability to teach yoga to a wide range of abilities. Though Pattabhi Jois was exceptionally gifted as an instructor, he emphasized the necessity of teachers having the proper body alignment and breath control to properly teach this discipline.

Thanks. I was supposed to buy a book to know about Ashtanga yoga theoretically which costs around $25 & somehow i found it here 😇😇😇.

Thank you so much for sharing this information. This is a fantastic resource on what Ashtanga means, and why it’s so popular. I have recently started practicing Ashtanga Yoga and am loving it. I would like to know more about its history and principles.

Ashthanga Yoga is blessed by our tamil sithar Ayya Thirumoolar in his book Thirumandhiram, and not by somebody like T. Krishnamacharya as is told, The detailed verses for this Yoga is there in Thirumanthiram written by Thirumoolar some 3000 years back.

This is an amazing resource for anyone interested in learning more about Ashtanga Yoga. It has some good information regarding its history and principles. However, there are some inaccuracies. For example, it says that ‘Vinyasa’ is another form of Ashtanga. Actually, Vinyasa means flow. So, they are two different things.

I have always wanted to learn more about Ashtanga Yoga but didn’t know where to begin. Now I feel like I have a good understanding of what it entails.

I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since last 5 years. I am very much impressed by the information provided here. Thank You so much for sharing this wonderful knowledge.

Loved reading this blog. Simply written and it hit the nail on the head for me as l am in YTT.

I am definitely hooked fo years after this one.

You have done a wonderful job explaining what Ashtanga is. You have given us a clear picture of what Ashtanga Yoga means and the principles behind it.

This article is very well written and explains the history of Ashtanga Yoga in detail. I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 2009 and find it extremely beneficial.

The information provided here was detailed and well-structured, providing me with even more clarity on t Ashtanga Yoga! Thanks for sharing!

This is a great article about Ashtanga Yoga. It was very informative and gave me some insight into the history of this practice. I found the information about the principles to be especially helpful for me as a beginner. Thanks for taking the time to write such a comprehensive guide – it’s exactly what I needed!

I love the way Ashtanga Yoga challenges my body and mind. It’s a great way to really take my practice to the next level

If you know anything about India and it’s culture, you’d know that no indian woman would let her teacher touch her like Jois was touching when he was doing adjusting. it seems that Jois managed to “sell” Athtanga only to naïve westerners that were willing to listing with very little critical thinking.

I’ve been practicing yoga for years, but I’ve never tried Ashtanga Yoga. This article convinced me to give it a go. I’m intrigued by the synchronized breath and movement and the challenge of the primary series.

It’s helpful to know the differences between Ashtanga Yoga and other types of yoga. Thank you for providing such a clear and concise guide.

This article has been a great resource for me to understand the history and philosophy behind Ashtanga Yoga

I found it fascinating to learn about the history and philosophy behind Ashtanga yoga. I was surprised to learn that Ashtanga yoga is actually a relatively modern form of yoga, having only been developed in the last century.

The idea of “vinyasa” – linking breath with movement – is emphasized in Ashtanga yoga. I am curious about how this specific breathing technique enhances the practice.

I can see why Ashtanga would be great for athletes looking for a good workout. It sounds like a perfect combination of physical intensity and mindfulness.

A six-days-per-week routine? That’s some serious commitment!

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102 Yoga Topics to Write about

🏆 best yoga project ideas and examples, 📌 most interesting yoga topics for presentation, 👍 good yoga research topics, ❓ yoga research paper topics.

• Yoga for Stress Management For instance, Karma yoga, which is one of Yoga types, aids in controlling stress through the development of appropriate attitudes in relation to work environment coupled with enhancing the ability to respond positively to professional […]
• The History of Yoga This is one of the issues that can be identified. This is one of the main aspects that can be identified. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Yoga and Meditation in Schools Educators and mental health professionals contributed considerably to the development of a wide range of programs aimed at improving the overall well-being of students in all areas of their life.
• The Art of Yoga and Meditation Breathing, i.e, circulation of air through the body, and consequently circulation of inadequate blood measure through different parts of the body, happens to be the mainstay of the healing process of Yoga.
• Yoga Center’s Extended Service Marketing Mix From the case study, the yoga center faces fluctuation in demand across the seasons, and in the day, it lacks customer retention capacity, problems in booking programs, and, finally, the yoga faces challenges of training […]
• Yogic Meditation Practice in Personal Experience I was looking forward to the third session of meditation as it had to be a relaxation after the difficult day.
• Yoga Philosophy in Bhagavad Gītā Epic It is in the form of a dialogue. Arjuna is the prince of Pandava.
• Zaccari et al. (2020). “Yoga for Veterans With PTSD”: Content, Strength, and Weaknesses This discussion reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the method, sampling, and validity of Zaccari et al.research. The assertions reported in the article are supported by cited and referenced scientific studies, which enhances the validity […]
• School-Based Yoga Program for Adolescents’ Mental Health The central aim of the research was to find the effectiveness of the therapeutic intervention. The central focus of the research was to validate the effectiveness of a yoga-based program.
• Prenatal Yoga for Women Health Sleeping abdominal stretch pose, and flapping fish pose are effective in preventing constipation during pregnancy while half butterfly pose is helpful in alleviating edema in during pregnancy.
• Yoga Classes at Torrens University If not enough students pay attention to the initiative, a more effective and targeted marketing campaign in social media can be conducted, involving additional motivation.
• Stress Management Techniques for Students: Yoga Yoga’s most major benefits are its capacity to relieve stress and exhaustion, to stimulate and revive, and to be used for anti-aging and calming treatment.
• Analysis of Yoga’s Effect on Health Yoga is a concept that signifies a set of spiritual, mental, and physical practices aimed at managing the cognitive and physiological functions of the body.
• Catholic-Hindu Dialogue: Yoga and Lent Jesus welcomes us to slacken our hold on the common concerns and to arrange ourselves to what in particular is generally fundamental: to cherish each other, to focus on the entirety of creation, and to […]
• The Case of Body-Positive Yoga The described problems seem to be the basis of why body shaming has such a negative impact today. Body positivity is the only way to face the body-shaming challenge today.
• Workplace Yoga Reducing Stress in Employees Since the key idea of a project is to sell the yoga and meditation practice program to the other departments of a firm, it is important to understand the expected benefits.
• The Different Disciplines of Yoga Additionally, it gives the general characteristics of people who practice yoga as well as their view on the importance of the practice to their health.
• Prenatal Yoga: Description, Aspects, and Benefits Practicing yoga leads to the overall conditioning of the mind and body of the yoga student. In addition to this, the classes present a good opportunity for connections to be made as to the various […]
• Health Benefits of Yoga and Pilates In this state, it is capable of regulating the body’s processes, can conceive of the events that are occurring around it and yet remain unaffected and unconcerned with these issues as it works to heal […]
• Unique Characteristics of Hinduism and Its Methods: Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga It is a part of Vedanta tradition, which is a school of Hindu philosophy. That is why there is a platform with sacred religious books, such as The Texts of Taoism and The Bible.
• Yoga and Stress Reduction The aim of practicing yoga is to “unite” one’s body, mind and spirit. Raja yoga is yoga of the mind.
• Benefits of Yoga Analysis The aim of Yoga is to unite the body, mind and the spirit. The mind and the body are one and if taken to the right environment and given the right tools, it can find […]
• Preventing the Injuries of Athletes: Yoga and Soft Exercises The injuries sustained by athletes can pose a serious threat to the career of these people. This paper will focus on the use of yoga and soft exercises as the techniques that can be useful […]
• Hinduism in the West and Transformation of Yoga The religious encounter issue examined in this case study is appropriation and transition of the Hindu religious and cultural practice of yoga for mass adoption in the West.
• The Documentary “Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual” In the film, it is noted that people who decided to devote their lives to the practice of yoga would leave their homes, “abandon the conventional life” and the “householder stage” to “wander around in […]
• Current Evidence of the Clinical Effects of Yoga Studies were done to study the effects of yoga on the fitness levels of the elderly. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the effect of yoga outside of controlled studies.
• Yoga for Depression and Anxiety A simple definition of yoga will lead people to generalize it as a system of exercise and a kind of mindset that would result in the union of mind and body.
• Yoga Practice and Its Benefits Long before I joined yoga, I used to think “going to the yoga mat” referred to going to the hall in which yoga was practiced.
• Sri Aurobindo: integral yoga These varieties of philosophies and religions all have a clue of the truth in them, or an aspect of the truth. This transformation from a human soul to a divine soul is what Sri said […]
• The disconnect between tradition and contemporary practice in yoga Traditional yoga is the epitome of spirituality for it seeks to cease the agitation of the consciousness. The spirituality of yoga is concerned with the human condition and how to manage the flaws of humanity.
• Yoga and its separation from tradition The disconnection between traditional practices and outcomes is evident, in that disbelief and inability to concentrate and practice overtake the benefits and positives of yoga.
• Yoga Relaxation Exercises To begin with, guided relaxation is one of the best relaxations that involve relaxing all the body muscles in a comfortable position as one imagines a smile. This exercise is referred to as eyes on […]
• The Meditation and the Yoga as the Spiritual Performance
• Should Yoga be Made a Part of Physical Education in Public Schools
• An Analysis of the Age-Old Set of Exercise Known in the West as Yoga
• Evaluating the Addition of Hatha yoga in Cardiac Rehabilitation
• The Science Of Yoga And How Does It Affect Human Beings
• The Benefits of Yoga to High School Students
• How Can Yoga Help You With Loosing Your Weight
• Yoga and Music Therapy as Effective Methods of Stress Management
• Effect Of Yoga Nidra On Blood Pressure
• How Yoga Affects The Mind And Academics
• An Analysis of the Methods of Yoga in the Meditation
• Yoga: Yoga and Breathing Techniques
• Yoga and Mental Health – the Benefits of Yoga on Stress and Anxiety in Adults
• The Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• An Analysis of Yoga’s Paths to Enlightenment in Hinduism
• Examining the Impacts of Regular Bikram Yoga Practice on Health, Stress and Anxiety
• The Effects Of Yoga On The Human Body
• The Psychological Benefits Of Yoga And Meditation
• Healing the Body and Mind with Yoga
• The Treatment Of Trauma And How Yoga May Be An Integral
• Distinction Between Chinese Yoga And Japanese Yoga
• The Important Role Of Yoga In Digestive System
• The Yoga Sutras, The Science Of The Mind, Body And Spirit
• The Principles, Benefits, and Modern Day Practices of Yoga
• Yoga For Modern City Life Yoga Helps Ease Modern Stress
• The Attitude Of Modern People To Yoga
• Yoga For Beginners How To Take Those First Steps Into Yoga
• Yoga and its Positive Effects on the Mind and Body
• Yoga in Buddhism and Hinduism
• The Beneficial Impact of Spiritual Cleansing and Meditative Yoga Exercise on an Individual’s Physical and Mental Health
• The Practice of Yoga and Its Positive Effects on the Body and Soul
• Harvard’s Jack Welch Award and Yoga Master Bikram Choudhury
• How To Find Centers For Top Luxury Yoga Retreats
• How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety Through Yoga
• Analysis of the Market Offer for Women’s Yoga Clothing of Lululemon
• The Use Of Yoga And Standard Physical Therapy
• The Effect Of Yoga On Young Adolescents
• How Yoga Can Help Relieve The Stress That College Students
• How Yoga Can Be Used to Improve the Health of AIDS Patients
• Use Of Yoga In An Urban School For Children With Emotional Behavioral Disorders
• What Is the Importance of Yoga in Our Daily Life?
• What Is the Best Yoga for Beginners?
• What Is the Latest Trends in Yoga?
• What Yoga Postures Help With Back Pain?
• What Is Dark Yoga?
• What Are the Basic Steps to Do Yoga for a Beginner?
• What Are the Health Benefits of Yoga?
• When Is the Best Time of Day to Practice Yoga?
• What Should Everyone Know About Yoga?
• What’s the Difference Between Meditation and Yoga?
• Which Yoga Reduce the Stomach Fat?
• Which Is Better, Yoga or a Morning Walk?
• What Are the Negative Effects of Yoga?
• What Are the Disadvantages of Yoga?
• Can Yoga Help in Reducing Hair Fall?
• Is Yoga a Sin in Christianity?
• How Is Yoga a Stress Remover?
• What Is an Alternative to Yoga?
• How Much Time Does It Take To Lose Weight Doing Yoga?
• What Is the Best Type of Yoga for Fitness?
• Why Don’t People in India Use Yoga Specific Wears While Performing Yoga?
• How Does One Learn Yoga by Oneself?
• What Does Catholic Church Say About Yoga?
• Does Super Brain Yoga Really Work?
• How Can Yoga Affect Your Mental Health?
• Does Yoga Promote Muscle Growth?
• Are There Any Yoga Asanas to Increase Height?
• Is It Better to Do Naked Yoga or Clothed Yoga?
• Which Is the Best Yoga for Diabetes?
• What Are the Advantages of Yoga and Medititation?
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New Data Reveal How Many Students Are Using AI to Cheat

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AI-fueled cheating—and how to stop students from doing it—has become a major concern for educators.

But how prevalent is it? Newly released data from a popular plagiarism-detection company is shedding some light on the problem.

And it may not be as bad as educators think it is.

Of the more than 200 million writing assignments reviewed by Turnitin’s AI detection tool over the past year, some AI use was detected in about 1 out of 10 assignments, while only 3 out of every 100 assignments were generated mostly by AI.

These numbers have not changed much from when Turnitin released data in August of 2023 about the first three months of the use of its detection tool, said the company’s chief product officer, Annie Chechitelli.

“We hit a steady state, and it hasn’t changed dramatically since then,” she said. “There are students who are leaning on AI too much. But it’s not pervasive. It wasn’t this, ‘the sky is falling.’”

The fact that the number of students using AI to complete their schoolwork hasn’t skyrocketed in the past year dovetails with survey findings from Stanford University that were released in December. Researchers there polled students in 40 different high schools and found that the percentage of students who admitted to cheating has remained flat since the advent of ChatGPT and other readily available generative AI tools. For years before the release of ChatGPT, between 60 and 70 percent of students admitted to cheating, and that remained the same in the 2023 surveys, the researchers said.

Turnitin’s latest data release shows that in 11 percent of assignments run through its AI detection tool that at least 20 percent of each assignment had evidence of AI use in the writing. In 3 percent of the assignments, each assignment was made up of 80 percent or more of AI writing, which tracks closely with what the company was seeing just 3 months after it launched its AI detection tool .

Experts warn against fixating on cheating and plagiarism

However, a separate survey of educators has found that AI detection tools are becoming more popular with teachers, a trend that worries some experts.

The survey of middle and high school teachers by the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit focused on technology policy and consumer rights, found that 68 percent have used an AI detection tool, up substantially from the previous year. Teachers also reported in the same survey that students are increasingly getting in trouble for using AI to complete assignments. In the 2023-24 school year, 63 percent of teachers said students had gotten in trouble for being accused of using generative AI in their schoolwork, up from 48 percent last school year.

Despite scant evidence that AI is fueling a wave in cheating, half of teachers reported in the Center for Democracy and Technology survey that generative AI has made them more distrustful that their students are turning in original work.

Some experts warn that fixating on plagiarism and cheating is the wrong focus.

This creates an environment where students are afraid to talk with their teachers about AI tools because they might get in trouble, said Tara Nattrass, the managing director of innovation and strategy at ISTE+ASCD, a nonprofit that offers content and professional development on educational technology and curriculum.

“We need to reframe the conversation and engage with students around the ways in which AI can support them in their learning and the ways in which it may be detrimental to their learning,” she said in an email to Education Week. “We want students to know that activities like using AI to write essays and pass them off as their own is harmful to their learning while using AI to break down difficult topics to strengthen understanding can help them in their learning.”

Shift the focus to teaching AI literacy, crafting better policies

Students said in the Stanford survey that is generally how they think AI should be used: as an aid to understanding concepts rather than a fancy plagiarism tool.

Nattrass said schools should be teaching AI literacy while including students in drafting clear AI guidelines.

Nattrass also recommends against schools using AI detection tools. They are too unreliable to authenticate students’ work, she said, and false positives can be devastating to individual students and breed a larger environment of mistrust. Some research has found that AI detection tools are especially weak at identifying the original writing of English learners from AI-driven prose.

“Students are using AI and will continue to do so with or without educator guidance,” Nattrass said. “Teaching students about safe and ethical AI use is a part of our responsibility to help them become contributing digital citizens.”

AI detection software actually uses AI to function: these tools are trained on large amounts of machine- and human-created writing so that the software can ideally recognize differences between the two.

Turnitin claims that its AI detector is 99 percent accurate at determining whether a document was written with AI, specifically ChatGPT, as long as the document was composed with at least 20 percent of AI writing, according to the company’s website.

Chechitelli pointed out that no detector or test—whether it’s a fire alarm or medical test—is 100 percent accurate.

While she said teachers should not rely solely on AI detectors to determine if a student is using AI to cheat, she makes the case that detection tools can provide teachers with valuable data.

“It is not definitive proof,” she said. “It’s a signal that taken with other signals can be used to start a conversation with a student.”

As educators become more comfortable with generative AI, Chechitelli said she predicts the focus will shift from detection to transparency: how should students cite or communicate the ways they’ve used AI? When should educators encourage students to use AI in assignments? And do schools have clear policies around AI use and what, exactly, constitutes plagiarism or cheating?

“What the feedback we’re hearing now from students is: ‘I’m gonna use it. I would love a little bit more guidance on how and when so I don’t get in trouble,” but still use it to learn, Chechitelli said.

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Top Yoga & Pilates in Moscow, Russia

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1. Centre of Ayurveda and Yoga Kerala

2. Pride Club Fitness

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6. I N T U ' T I O N 2/05

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Free Outdoor Drop-In Yoga Workshop May 2024

Facilitator: gyana bandy gomar, assistant director of el centro and the black student resource center.

All are welcome to attend the free outdoor drop-in yoga being held from 12-12:50 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza. Join Gyana Gomar, El Centro and Black Students Resource Center Assistant Director, as she leads her last yoga session for FLC faculty and staff. All ability levels are welcome. Please consult a physician if you are pregnant or have injuries prior to attending. No prior yoga experience necessary. Comfortable clothing is recommended. Please bring your own yoga mats. We will have a limited supply of mats to use . We look forward to seeing you!

Utah high school removes class assignment on student essay titled ‘It Is So Hard to Be Trans’

The essay, published in the new york times, contained no explicit or “pornographic” content that would have required its removal under utah law..

(Google Maps) Herriman High School, as shown in a 2021 Google Maps image, in Herriman, Utah. Jordan School District officials ordered that a class assignment at the school involving a transgender student's essay be removed.

Jordan School District officials ordered that an assignment involving a Texas student’s essay published in The New York Times titled “It Is So Hard to Be Trans” be removed from a Herriman High School class’s curriculum after it was brought to the attention of administrators.

“We apologize to any student offended by a Herriman High School classroom assignment involving a New York Times student essay and the disruption to learning it may have caused,” district spokesperson Sandra Riesgraf said in a statement Monday.

The district investigated the assignment, “which asked students to break down parts of speech in the essay,” after school administrators were notified, Riesgraf said. The assignment was ultimately removed and is “no longer part of the class.”

“Appropriate administrative action will be taken,” the statement continued, though the statement did not specify what that action would entail.

The district also did not specify why the assignment was removed. The content does not seem to violate Utah’s sensitive materials law .

But it did seem to prompt outrage after photos of the printed-out, stapled essay made rounds in conservative social media circles as early as last Thursday, with some posts claiming students were required to write a response to the essay explaining why being transgender “isn’t a choice.”

Riesgraf said that claim was false. “Students were not required to take a stance or form an opinion on why being trans isn’t a choice,” Riesgraf said. “The assignment was to review the writing, not the subject.”

Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, weighed in on X , formerly Twitter, arguing that he didn’t see how the essay would “fit into any curriculum that is state approved.”

“I’ve asked the district to investigate,” he wrote.

McCay did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Salt Lake Tribune.

The assigned essay had been selected as one of the Top 11 winners in a 2023 student editorial contest through the The Learning Network, a free resource for teachers curated by The New York Times.

It was written by then 16-year-old Callisto Lim, a student at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. The essay details why Callisto felt scared for their “right to exist,” citing several states that had passed anti-transgender legislation.

“I am scared that if I stay in Texas I will be denied the health care that I need because of people like Governor Greg Abbott,” Callisto wrote.

Callisto’s essay contains no explicit “pornographic or indecent material” that would make it illegal under Utah’s current sensitive materials law.

Utah law also does not explicitly prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, though lawmakers have made attempts to pass legislation banning such topics in the past.

Earlier this year, Rep. Jeff Stenquist , R-Draper, proposed a bill that would have prevented school officials from “endorsing, promoting, or disparaging certain beliefs or viewpoints,” building upon existing restrictions meant to uphold “constitutional freedom” in Utah public schools.

The bill would have specifically added “gender identity,” “sexual orientation,” and “political and social viewpoints” as restricted topics, but it ultimately failed to pass .

A year prior, Stenquist also ran a bill that would have prohibited any discussion of sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. HB550 took language directly from a controversial Florida bill that became more widely known as the “Don’t Say Gay” measure.

But after pushback from the LGBTQ community, Stenquist revised his draft , lifting the proposed ban on sexual orientation and gender identity but keeping the prohibition on sexuality. The bill failed to pass.

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Breaking News

California college campuses become lightning rods for Pro-Palestinian protests

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Pro-Palestinian protesters, who are demanding divestment from Israel and an end to the country’s military actions in Gaza , have set up several new tent encampments at colleges and universities across California this week.

Tensions have escalated and arrests have been made as protesters continue to stake out areas on the campuses of UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Occidental College, Sacramento State, San Francisco State, Cal Poly Humboldt and others.

At least 25 people were arrested early Tuesday at Cal Poly Humboldt. Protesters at USC have also been arrested, and those at UCLA are facing disciplinary action from the college.

Here’s a look at what’s happening across the state:

Protesters at UC Irvine on Tuesday faced off with campus police, who were handing out citations.

The situation marked an escalation in tension at the Orange County campus and mirrors intensifying protests unfolding at universities across the nation.

A group crowded around campus police as they wrote a woman who was unaffiliated with the school a ticket for her role in the demonstration. The woman, who was not identified, was told she needed to leave campus immediately.

Photos: Tensions grow as pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses continue

Pro-Palestinian protests grew Thursday at California colleges and universities, including a new encampment at UCLA that drew a crowd of counterprotesters.

April 26, 2024

More than two dozen demonstrators formed a line in front of the encampment and chanted “UCPD, KKK, IOF you’re all the same,” and, “Shame, shame, shame on you, you have blood on your hands too.”

Campus police erected additional barricades around 3 a.m. Tuesday to enclose the encampment, which went up Monday, but did not order anyone to disperse.

Protesters responded by expanding the encampment’s footprint to the barricades. In the past day, the encampment, which sits between John V. Croul Hall and Rowland Hall, has grown from roughly a dozen tents to more than 20.

UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement late Monday that administrators have reached out to the students in “the existing illegal encampment” and have asked them to move to another location. The space they have occupied is in an area where classes are taught and research is conducted, Gillman said.

“We hope that our students and other affiliates do not insist on staying in a space that violates the law, violates our policies and disrupts our mission,” he said.

With furry costumes, water jugs and tambourines, this tiny California college became a Gaza flashpoint

Cal Poly Humboldt’s students have engaged in more vigorous disruption, occupying an academic and administrative building, painting buildings with graffiti and twice forcing police to retreat.

April 30, 2024

But Sarah Khalil, 21, a fourth-year student, said protesters have no plans to move or dismantle their tents.

The group posted a banner listing their demands: End “violent extremism” funding, promise amnesty for student protesters, commit to an academic boycott of Israel and remove what the group calls “Zionist programming.”

“We’re here for something bigger than ourselves. We’re here because of a genocide and we don’t want our money to go toward that genocide,” Khalil said.

At UCLA, demonstrators clashed in a large, but mostly peaceful assembly over the weekend, not far from where pro-Palestinian students have maintained a tent encampment for days.

Physical altercations between demonstrators Monday prompted the university to increase its law enforcement presence, officials said.

Administrators also are taking disciplinary action against several demonstrators after reports they blocked a student’s access to class, Mary Osako, a spokesperson for UCLA, said in a statement.

“This kind of disruption to our teaching and learning mission is abhorrent, plain and simple,” she said. “While the demonstration remains largely peaceful, our campus must remain a place where we treat one another with respect and recognize our shared humanity — not a place where we devolve into violence and bullying.”

‘We will not move.’ Pro-Palestinian encampments, protests grow at California universities

Encampments and protests took place at UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt, and plans were shaping up for more pro-Palestinian protests at California colleges and universities.

April 24, 2024

UC Riverside

While students at UC Riverside are also protesting the Israel-Hamas war, a spokesperson said “all operations on campus are proceeding as usual.”

UC Riverside Chancellor Kim Wilcox said Monday in a letter to the campus community that “the crisis has affected many on our campus in a personal and profound way.”

But, she said, “speech and activity that disrupts campus operations is not protected.” Large signs and banners will be removed, and the blocking of access to campus venues will not be tolerated, she said in a statement.

Pitzer College

At Pitzer, where students have been inhabiting an encampment of about 25 tents for five days, tensions between protesters and the administration have remained low.

Although campus safety vehicles occasionally park near the encampment, no college or local law enforcement officials have interfered.

“The atmosphere is really joyful,” said Sophie McClain, a senior and protest co-organizer. “We’ve been really lucky that we’ve had limited to no repression from the college.”

McClain said many students spend time at the encampment during the day, socializing, working on final assignments and playing music. At night, 20 to 30 students sleep in their tents. The encampment is growing, she said, with a few new tents added each night.

There are community meals, study sessions and other programming throughout the day.

“Pitzer respects the rights of students to protest and express themselves peacefully,” Vice President and Dean of Students Jan Barker Alexander wrote in a statement to the campus. “It is our expectation that safety will remain the primary concern of everyone.”

Tensions grow at California universities as Gaza protests roil campuses from Berkeley to New York

As sprawling pro-Palestinian protests and encampments escalate on university campuses across the United States, administrators respond with more discipline.

April 23, 2024

Occidental College

About 60 students set up an encampment around 4 a.m. Monday at Occidental College.

Protesters worked in the pre-dawn dark to avoid potential issues with campus security, said co-organizer Matthew Vickers, a junior studying diplomacy and world affairs.

“We wanted to be as clandestine as possible to not be interrupted,” said Vickers, a member of the Occidental chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Dozens of tents occupied the quad at the center of campus. Students lounged on the grass, chatted with friends and worked on laptops in tents. Vickers said that campus security officers stopped by Monday morning but were respectful and did not interfere.

In an email to faculty and staff Monday afternoon, Occidental President Harry J. Elam Jr. said the encampment had “so far engaged in peaceful demonstration” and the college would “remain steadfast in [its] commitment to ensure that any dialogue or demonstration remains safe and peaceful.”

At USC, where Los Angeles police arrested 93 people on suspicion of trespassing last week as they cleared an encampment at the center of campus, a reestablished campsite was mostly quiet this week.

Each day starts with a daily briefing and includes teach-ins, poetry readings hosted by professors, yoga and crafts. Volunteers have provided enough food for campers to have three meals a day.

Participants declined to provide their names, citing safety concerns.

“I think the narrative is that we’re a security issue or we’re scaring other people, when in reality it is a place of care and love,” said one participant who is involved with the USC Divest from Death Coalition. “We are all here because at the end of the day, we believe in humanity.”

Cal Poly Humboldt

After a tense standoff overnight with Gaza war protesters at Cal Poly Humboldt, police moved in early Tuesday and arrested at least 25 people, including students and professors.

As part of the operation, officers said they cleared Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, which had been occupied for a week. The campus remains closed and it was unclear when it would reopen.

“This is a difficult day. It breaks my heart to see it, and truly nobody wanted to see things come to this. We’ve all watched this with great concern, and always with the sincere hope that it would be resolved peacefully,” Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr. said in a statement. “Unfortunately, serious criminal activity that crossed the line well beyond the level of a protest had put the campus at ongoing risk.”

More to Read

Violence breaks out at UCLA after officials declare pro-Palestinian encampment ‘unlawful’

Police swarm Cal Poly Humboldt, arresting at least 25 and ending weeklong siege over Gaza war

Dueling Gaza protests at UCLA draw hundreds as USC sees peaceful demonstration

April 28, 2024

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Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.

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Jenna Peterson is a Metro reporting intern focused on political coverage at the Los Angeles Times. She is also a senior at USC double majoring in journalism and political science. She has worked at the Daily Trojan through the entirety of her time at USC, serving as a news editor, managing editor and editor in chief. Peterson previously interned at LAist and VTDigger.

Ashley Ahn is a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She has previously interned at CNN, USA Today, NPR and Foreign Policy Magazine. Ahn is from Georgia and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

More From the Los Angeles Times

DEA’s big marijuana shift could be a lifeline for California’s troubled pot industry

World & Nation

Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia’s Hamilton Hall after occupation

Delaine Eastin, pioneering California politician, dies at 76

More than 50 are injured when L.A. Metro train, bus collide outside Exposition Park

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What It’s Like To Be an International Student in Moscow?

• December 4, 2021

If you have plans to study in Moscow, knowing a bit about the city can help manage your expectations. Plus, it gives you useful knowledge as an international student in the city.

You may be wondering if being a student in Moscow is any different from other Russian cities or any study destinations for that matter. To satisfy your curiosity, we listed out a couple of key things you should know.

Top-Tier STEM Programs

If you’re pursuing a STEM degree in Russia, you’re in for premium education. Big investments go into Russian Universities to support these programs with world-class facilities and research.

Apart from these facilities, faculty members are also a delight to learn from with their extensive knowledge. It’s no wonder why the country produced 31 Nobel Prize winners.

Fast and Efficient Public Transportation System

Mass transit will play a big role in your travels around Moscow. Fortunately, the city’s mass transportation system experienced transformative changes, making it more comfortable for passengers. 

You can take the metro, buses, trams, or taxis depending on where you’re going or how fast you want to get there. Study our guide to Moscow’s transportation system to learn more.

Hub of Innovation

Moscow universities alone are proof of how well-invested the Russians are in their science education. For example, the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) has training simulation centers. Some medical students use these facilities for technical practice and communicating with patients.

RUDN also has a Mission Control Center for students of space technology. This center even gets the same live feed as Russia’s space agency!

Mouth-Watering Russian Cuisine

As the capital city of Russia, Moscow is brimming with places that offer delicious Russian food . There are mid-range restaurants, cafes and food parks you can visit for your mini food trips.

Some of the best dishes you can try are Pelmeni, Borscht, and Blini. You can also try street food like Pirozhki or take a bite of Shashlik, which is the Russians’ take on Kebabs.

Language Barrier Won’t Be a Problem

Most Russians don’t speak English, but in the university setting, your English skills will serve you well. Most faculty members can converse well in English.

Apart from this,  there’s also a wide selection of English-taught courses you can look into. Plus, you’ll most likely take a one-year Russian preparatory course first before your school starts.

There are Many Places to See

As an international student in Moscow, you’ll love the limitless opportunity to travel. The best part is most of these places are also budget-friendly. 

You can take a trip to the Red Square or visit Bunker 42. If you need more options, see our list of budget-friendly places in Moscow for international students.

Now that you have an idea of what it’s like to be an international student in Moscow, learn more about your study destination by checking out more articles  here at MSM Unify. You May Also like Things You Can Do in Moscow on a Budget

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