My guest this week is Katherine Priore Ghannam. Katherine is the founder of Headstand, a nonprofit organization that teaches yoga and mindfulness to kids attending low income schools. Headstand is a program that is integrated into the school's curriculum and a large part of its focus is to help children combat "toxic stress." Here's a summary of what we talk about on the episode:* The definition of toxic stress and how it can inhibit a child's ability to learn. * Learning to see a child's behavior as their way of communicating their needs, difficulties, and emotions. * The importance of adult self-regulation when teaching children. * The changes she sees in students from the beginning of the year to the end. * How yoga and mindfulness have helped create cultures of compassion in the schools that Headstand serves. * How the job has fueled Katherine's optimism * Katherine's desire to see social/emotional learning and mindfulness integrated into schools everywhere.