As a new mom of two girls under two, my yoga is currently experienced in life’s everyday moments. Lately I’ve introduced yoga to our toddler. She rocks a pretty nice down dog and bridge pose. She even says “breathe in, breathe out” and sometimes “Hi, breathe in. Hi, breathe out,” her tone suggesting she’s in on some hilarious joke. But just last night I asked her if she wanted to do bridge pose and she screamed NOOOO at the top of her lungs, completely disgusted by the question.
Fortunately most of us outgrow a toddler-like relationship to yoga! But resistance is something we can all relate to as our practice evolves. Resistance is not uncommon in the classrooms we serve at Headstand where yoga and mindfulness class is mandatory.
At Headstand, we believe Yoga and Mindfulness are as essential to the school day curriculum as Math and Science. Children are experiencing anxiety and depression at unprecedented rates. Chronic stress among children inhibits brain development causing lasting health impacts. Children who suffer from chronic stress are three and a half times more likely to suffer from heart disease, four times more likely to be depressed and twelve times more likely to have suicidal thoughts in adulthood. Helping our students overcome resistance each and every day is critical. We’ve seen a 60% drop in suspensions, 79% of students reporting significantly less perceived stress and 100% of surveyed staff recommend Headstand!
I invite you to join the movement to integrate the essential practice of yoga and mindfulness in schools. This month we’ve established The Headstand Challenge: Mindful May. Our goal is to send 500 more yogis to Headstand class, cultivating a school culture of compassion and well-being, year-round, school-wide. Help us build more schools where yoga is the norm!
YogaGlo has generously offered a $10K match to support the Mindful May movement, benefitting our students. By participating in the Headstand Challenge, you’ll turn your personal yoga practice into service. Together we can reverse the toxic effects that stress has on children in our community.
Katherine Priore,
Founder, Headstand.org
