It is exciting to witness the educational system embrace and flourish under incorporating mindful activities such as yoga and mindfulness meditation. 

A couple of years ago, while I was still a teenager attending secondary school, we were offered mindfulness meditation sessions to cope with exam stress and overall school life. These after-school sessions made it easier for students to manage their feelings during the exam period and be aware of their physical and mental health. We also had the option of taking a yoga class twice a week to supplement our busy workload with an hour of exercise each day. In these classes, I began to understand the physical intensity of yoga and its calming effects. The yoga routines intrigued me as an academy rugby player because they challenged me and others in the class. 

I am grateful to the school and teachers who wanted to share the benefits of practising yoga and meditation alongside a demanding school routine. 

While the introduction of yoga into schools across the country is relatively new, the number of studies showing the positive impacts of yoga is growing. That is why I want to show you ten reasons why yoga classes should be available to students in all schools!

Increases Academic Performance 

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A primary signifier of a successful school system is the high academic performance of its students. Schools tend to strive for the consistent output of successful grades achieved by their students at the end of each school year. Sadly, this can be challenging for some pupils who struggle to attain the grades that fully reflect their academic capability. Most students want to achieve high test results and should have the full support of their school to accomplish this goal. 

According to the International Journal Of Health, Wellness & Society, which studied the benefits, effectiveness, and efficacy of yoga for school children at the Montessori elementary and middle school, saw an improvement in academic grades over time. Additional research observed that yoga might assist learning in the classroom because children are calmer, finding it easier to pay attention and complete tasks. 

Another study that researched the effects of yoga programs on the academic achievement of 112 randomised students within a single New York City public high school saw among students with higher participation and those assigned to yoga classes had a significantly higher GPA (Grade Point Average). 

'At 49 classes of participation, students assigned to yoga classes had an estimated 2.70 higher mean GPA than students assigned to PE (Physical Education).'

Increases Creativity

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Individual creativity is a necessary skill for children when problem-solving and coming up with new and innovative solutions. Possessing the ability to confidently and competently think outside of the box is in high demand as corporations seek to remain relevant in an evolving global market. 

Divergent and convergent thinking are two fundamental processes involved in creative problem-solving. Throughout life, we tend to be more well-versed in analysing a problem and less adept at coming up with ideas to solve the problem. To think convergently is to break down many ideas and produce a single focused solution, whereas divergent thinking generates multiple flexible ideas. It is expansive rather than contractive. Both processes are two sides of the same coin and are essential to thinking creatively.

Anne Manning uses yoga to demonstrate the differences between convergent and divergent thinking while teaching a problem-solving class for the Harvard Professional Development program.

A study conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of 92 MBA students investigating 20-minute Hatha Yoga sessions to improve creativity against a control group. Results showed a significant improvement in divergent thinking within the group practising Hatha Yoga, whereas a decrease in divergent thinking occurred in the control group participants.

Increases Self-Esteem

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You've been there, I've been there, we have all been young children adapting to the growing pains of life, whether we are stepping into adolescence or starting school for the first time. It is scary, and everything feels new and vital. I remember how hard it was to maintain any piece of self-esteem while I was in secondary school. You don't want to stand out but don't want to fade into obscurity as well. It's all a glorified melodrama of twists and turns, new experiences, aches, and pains! 

Luckily when practising mindful activities such as yoga, students are more aware of their changing bodies and sporadic emotions. Yoga can help children to be calmer and thus mentally and physically present within day-to-day life.

Improves Sleep Quality

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Sleep is an essential part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and children need a lot of it! 

Rachel Dawkins MD, a doctor specialising in pediatric and adolescent medicine at John Hopkins All Children's Hospital, says 'kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, and even depression.'

A 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) using a sample size of 34,525 adults over 18 found that out of the participants who did yoga, over 55% of them found it helped them sleep better, and 85% said yoga helped reduce stress. 

^{Improves Flexibility}

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Schools require students to sit down for long periods and are subject to stationary work life. Especially during exam season when it can feel like you're attached to your desk. It's great to have yoga classes available to stretch out your body and increase flexibility outside of the classroom. A quick yoga pose can also be done in-between studying to relax the mind and limber up the muscles. I remember watching some of my peers perform yoga stretches to break from studying.

They also need pupils to be healthy and physically available for sports meets and extracurricular activities. Performing yoga stretches can increase your flexibility, preventing fewer injuries during physical activity. Having a dedicated stretching routine is mandatory if you wish to stay healthy during the sporting season, so knowing a few extra yoga exercises won't hurt!

Improves Muscle Strength and Tone

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Within yoga, many poses require you to hold your body in a particular position for a certain amount of time. Here core stability is critical! There are also repetitive sequences performed in yoga called Visanya's. Visanya's seamlessly string together yoga poses and are repeated during the session. You are strengthing your core through repetition and placing stress upon your muscles, causing them to undergo muscle hypertrophy.

A research study suggests that Hatha yoga can improve muscular strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility.

Improves Physical Wellbeing

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Within the UK, children and young people aged 5 to 18 should undertake at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity seven days a week. Premier Education states via The Child Wellbeing Survey 2021 that 'During lockdowns, 82% of children fell short of the daily physical activity recommendation of one hour per day, every day.' Physical activities available for children and young, such as yoga, are more necessary than ever as obesity rates rise. 

The NHS states that 'Obesity rates in both reception-aged and year six school children increased by around 4.5 percentage points between 2019-20 and 2020-21 – the highest annual rise since the National Child Measurement Programme began.'

Yoga classes for children and young people are great for staying physically active during the school year. Sessions can also take place online in the event of self-isolation and can be done in a group or individually. 

Encourages Correct Posture and Breathing Techniques

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Correct posture and breathing techniques are some of the core fundamentals of yoga. When I was in school, my teacher, an avid yoga and mindfulness meditation practitioner, taught me a breathing technique to help me calm down and refocus my thoughts. As a kid, I'd hyperventilate when experiencing high moments of mental tension. It gave me back control of my thoughts and feelings. I was now able to be more mindful through a simple breathing technique. 

Yoga has been used in studies to correct posture, and these studies show that yoga practise can relieve shoulder and back pain, good news for students across the country sitting with bad posture and slouching in their chairs! 

Reduces Anxiety

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The pressure is on students to study harder this year. According to Ofqual, GCSE and A-Level pupils will be awarded fewer top grades in 2022. Stress-relieving activities such as yoga and mindful meditation are more necessary than ever as students will need an avenue to release anxiety. 

The International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education undertook a study measuring The Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Yoga Interventions on Fifth-Grade Students' Perceived Anxiety and Stress and published a paper in June 2020. Males in the remedial class decreased 31.58% in anxiety levels and 16.68% in stress levels. The study suggests yoga is a positive tool to reduce students' anxiety and stress in the classroom.

Reduces Behavourial Problems

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Teachers are an essential part of the school system, and making their lives as easy as possible, allowing them to focus on teaching their students is of high priority. 

Studies have suggested that a  teacher's attitude and behaviour can affect the overall quality of learning in the classroom. Positive teacher-student relationships produce higher-performing students.

A study that looked at the effectiveness of yoga-based social-emotional wellness promotion programs on 159 pupils several days a week for half an hour during a school term saw a significant increase in how students regulated their emotions and thought positively in response to stress. 

Another study suggests that an eight-week teacher-guided yoga intervention can improve young children's ability to self-regulate their emotions. There also may be potential future benefits developing these skills early in life, including achieving higher academic success and emotional wellbeing.

Yoga within schools

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Although the effects of yoga within the classroom are still being studied, with more and more schools undertaking mindful activities such as yoga and mindful meditation, it is only a matter of time before we see numerous schools benefiting from practising yoga. We hope in the future to see every school have a yoga class available for all students, no matter their physical capability.