Auckland, New Zealand Jan 24, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - Mark Whitwell and the Heart of Yoga Foundation have launched an initiative to bring the practice of breath-led Yoga into schools around the world.
The project is a practical and proven solution for the desperate state of youth mental health globally.
In 2021, over 37.1% of US teens reported poor mental health, and 19.9% considered suicide (1). A recent UNICEF study of teens and young people across Latin America and the Caribbean found that 27% feel anxiety and %15 depression.
Breath-centred Yoga for teens has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and depression, increase self-esteem and body confidence, and overall quality of life (2). The Yoga in Schools programme has been developed in collaboration between the Heart of Yoga Foundation, on-the-ground educators, and experts. It addresses the gap in youth education of non-religious holistic mind-body-breath practices.
The flagship programme is an 8-week in-person course for teenagers in which they are given the practical tools of moving and breathing that ensure mental and physical well-being. Also offered is a two-day weekend training for educators to become proficient in both their own daily Yoga practice and how to share Yoga with their school communities.
Over the past 18 months, the programme has been trialed at a busy inner-city Auckland school in New Zealand. The pilot project saw:
- 75 classes for stressed teachers, 100% felt less stress
- 50 classes for anxious teens, 100% felt less anxiety
- 35 classes for high-needs disabled students
With this proof of concept, the project is now being expanded to other countries, beginning in the EU. The big-picture vision of the project is “a yoga teacher in every school.”
For more information and to donate or support the project please visit: www.heartofyoga.com/foundation
References:
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7141a2.htm
(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35332504/
Media Contact
Heart of Yoga rosalind@heartofyoga.com
