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This commentary explores the legal and ethical obligations of yoga programs and teachers to uphold both the principles and the spirit of secularism when teaching yoga in schools. Arguing that secularity is essential both to comply with legal mandates and to maximize inclusivity and access, each facet of a secular approach to yoga in schools is explored through an inquiry-based model meant to help the reader gain clarity and make informed choices when developing school-based yoga programming. This article does not address the use of nonsecular yoga for children outside the school setting. It instead speaks to the complexities of topics such as spirituality, personal transformation, secular ethics, and the use of cultural and historical artifacts within school programs. While inviting continued reflection on the nuances of the topic, the article concludes that given both the legal imperatives and potential risk of exclusion, failure to offer school-based yoga using a secular approach threatens to undermine the success of the field and hinder access to practices that have positive effects on young people.
The Africa Yoga Project (AYP) provides voluntary yoga classes for schoolchildren across Kenya. To study student perceived effects, a mixed-methods concept mapping methodology was utilized combining multidimensional scaling (MDS) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Children (ages 8-14) who practice yoga with AYP completed the two-phase process of data collection. In Phase 1, 155 children participated in brainstorming sessions asking in what ways they had changed since practicing yoga. Their ideas were aggregated into a list of 85 statements reflecting perceived effects of yoga. In Phase 2, 109 children from the same locations sorted and rated brainstormed effects (Phase 2; N = 109). Analysis yielded a two-dimensional map representing how generated statements were associated in terms of how students understood their relatedness to each other (sorting) and the magnitude of importance (rating). The AYP student concept map met validity standards with an MDS stress value of .32, indicating a model fit within accepted levels. Overall, students' perceptions are reflected in the following concepts (in order of importance rating): finding steadiness and ease, increased wellness, improved physical and emotional health, gratitude for yoga community and practice, neurological and interpersonal integration, and experience of efficacy and possibility. The specific outcomes are discussed along with implications for practice and research.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to examine the evidence for delivering yoga-based interventions in schools.METHODS: An electronic literature search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed, published studies in which yoga and a meditative component (breathing practices or meditation) were taught to youths in a school setting. Pilot studies, single cohort, quasi-experimental, and randomized clinical trials were considered.
RESEARCH: quality was evaluated and summarized.
RESULTS: Twelve published studies were identified. Samples for which yoga was implemented as an intervention included youths with autism, intellectual disability, learning disability, and emotional disturbance, as well as typically developing youths.
CONCLUSION: Although effects of participating in school-based yoga programs appeared to be beneficial for the most part, methodological limitations, including lack of randomization, small samples, limited detail regarding the intervention, and statistical ambiguities curtailed the ability to provide definitive conclusions or recommendations. Findings speak to the need for greater methodological rigor and an increased understanding of the mechanisms of success for school-based yoga interventions.