Empowering Educators, Supporting Teens: The Transformative Power of Yoga in Schools

As educators, we see firsthand how much our students carry: academic pressure, social challenges, anxiety, and an increasing sense of disconnection. Many of us feel that weight as well. Over the years, I’ve watched how small, steady practices of yoga and mindfulness can make a meaningful difference in the classroom—helping students reconnect to themselves and creating moments of calm in the midst of today’s complexity.

Yoga in Schools is about more than movement. It is a framework for supporting adolescent well-being through accessible, trauma-sensitive practices that meet students where they are. Developed at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and shaped through collaboration with educators, psychologists, and researchers, the curriculum integrates mindful breathing, gentle postures, and self-awareness practices that fit naturally into a school day. 

A Practice Rooted in Real Classrooms

When I first began teaching middle and high school, I never imagined yoga would become part of my curriculum. But in 2011, my students in Brasília, Brazil, asked if I would lead a yoga club. I told them I wasn’t trained. Their response: “Then go get trained and come back and teach us so we can practice.”

That summer, I completed my first 200-hour certification—a decision that would ultimately lead me into deeper studies in yoga, Ayurveda, and psychology, all rooted in a desire to remove the health and wellness barriers keeping students from fully accessing their education and potential.

What drew me to Kripalu’s Yoga in the Schools (KYIS) methodology was its commitment to making yoga relevant, inclusive, and developmentally accessible. I’ve now used it to support yoga and mindfulness programs in multiple schools. And I’ve seen how even short, intentional practices—a few breaths before a test, a posture after a conflict, or a pause after hours of screen time—can help students return to themselves. 

Real Students, Real Change

The impact is real—and measurable. Students who have practiced KYIS techniques report feeling calmer, more focused, and better equipped to handle the pressures of school and life.

Current students benefiting from the curriculum share: 

“I was stressing out because I didn’t study as much as I normally do, but I used the breath, and I stayed calm throughout the test. I did better than I thought I would.”  
 

“In the morning at home, I’ve been using cat-cow, and it’s helped relieve the tension in my body. Mondays are more bearable now—I do child’s pose and pigeon.” 
 

“Sometimes I stretch my neck to help with tech neck and my gaming posture.” 

These simple yet profound practices have the capacity to foster a sense of empowerment, where students feel more in charge of their own ability to find and support inner balance and wellness. From managing test anxiety to addressing the physical toll of digital life, yoga is becoming a trusted ally for students. 

What the Research Says 

The impact of yoga in schools is well-documented and growing. 

• Kripalu’s own research, in partnership with Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that adolescents participating in school-based yoga programs developed greater stress resilience, self-acceptance, and emotional regulation.
   
• A 2021 systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions for adolescents found that these practices—including yoga—can significantly reduce emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and aggression. The review concluded that mindfulness supports emotion regulation, optimism, and self-awareness in young people. 
  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34941116/)
   
• A review published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics showed that school-based yoga programs are associated with reductions in negative mood, anxiety, and depression, while supporting increases in self-esteem, emotional balance, and classroom engagement. 
  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39677263/)
   
• A 2025 qualitative study of 12–13-year-olds participating in yoga and mindfulness programs in disadvantaged school settings found that students developed greater focus, self-confidence, and emotional balance. Physical benefits were also reported, and students noted that teacher attitude (calm, non-reactive, respectful) significantly impacted engagement. 
  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40102693/) 

These findings mirror what can often be seen in real time as students increasingly access the tools of yoga and mindfulness—greater capacity to relax and calm, enhanced emotional self-awareness and self-regulation, and increased sense of agency and resilience in the face of stress. 

Support for Educators, Too 

Educators are often the first to notice when a student is struggling—and they are often struggling themselves. The KYIS program isn’t just for teens; it is also designed to support the well-being of those who serve them.

Participants in the training gain:

• Practical tools for managing classroom stress
• Strategies to create a more mindful, compassionate learning environment
• Techniques to deepen connection with students while staying grounded themselves

Kate, a teacher at Frontier Regional School, shares: 

“Kripalu Yoga in Schools delivers a transformative experience that goes way beyond physical fitness, building crucial social and emotional skills that students use every day both in and out of school. My students tell me that they’ve learned how to manage stress, stay present, and cope with emotions more effectively. As a teacher, it is incredibly gratifying to witness these transformations.”  

Alison, a middle school teacher in Red Hook, NY, reflects: 

"Teaching yoga in schools has been an incredibly transformative experience, both for my students and myself. I’ve watched students become more focused, self-aware, and resilient. And for me, it’s been a source of deep personal growth and connection. Yoga has strengthened our school community and given all of us tools to approach life with more calm, clarity, and grace."

A Sustainable Path Forward 

Bringing yoga into schools does not require perfection or performance. It simply requires intention, consistency, and an understanding that this work is about offering students and educators alike the tools to pause, breathe, and reconnect.

Yoga in Schools can be integrated into the school rhythm through short breathwork practices, mindfulness breaks, morning rituals, yoga clubs, or restorative movement woven into physical education. 

One student put it best:

“I didn’t know I could feel this calm during school.”

That calm is not magic; it is practice. And it’s possible, for students and teachers alike. 

On Campus

Scholarships

Kripalu Yoga in Schools

A Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum for Adolescents

August 9–14, 2026