June 25, 2002
"Yoga is more than relaxation or postures. It's a shift of consciousness," said Michele Hebert, co-owner of Harmony Ranch.
To help his students relax and focus better, Kenwood Elementary School Principal Bob Bales hired Hebert to teach a weekly yoga class to fourth-graders. A practitioner of yoga, Bales said he was prompted to start the weekly class after witnessing the positive effects the practice has in his own life.
So far the positive feedback from parents and teachers has been overwhelming, he said. "One parent told me that while encountering a stressful situation the student said, "Remember to breathe. In yoga we are taught to breathe deep," Bales said.
In addition to the student class, Kenwood School added weekly yoga sessions for teachers as a way to reduce stress. Bales said this year's pilot program was so successful he is considering extending it to other grade levels next year.
At the start of the year, Hebert was shocked by some of the students' inflexibility and attitudes about nutrition and fitness. "They've grown so much that it's almost like they are different people than in the beginning," said Hebert.