Research on the efficacy of yoga for improving mental, emotional, physical, and behavioral health characteristics in school settings is a recent but growing field of inquiry.
There is overwhelming evidence from numerous studies that demonstrates that the practice of yoga can provide enormous benefit to children – positively impacting academic performance, discipline, attendance and improved attitudes about themselves.
Yoga provides two things children desperately need: physical fitness and emotional nourishment . It provides children with the skills to be calm, compassionate, strong and resilient. And studies have shown that it provides a profound impact on education, violence prevention and improved public behavior.
Studies Prove the Benefits of Yoga for Children
Multiple studies demonstrate the efficacy and benefits of yoga among children:
ACADEMIC
- Better performance in academics (Kauts and Sharma, 2009)
- Improved test scores, increased participation in class, improvements on emotional response (Siar, 2004)
BEHAVIORAL
- Dramatic decreases in violence and aggression. One study saw a 93% decrease in hitting. (Marie, MA, SYT, 2008)
- A 4.5 hour exposure to yoga has been shown to result in a 93% decrease in aggressive behavior among 4th and 5th grade children (Marie, MA, SYT, 2008)
- Reduction in maladaptive behaviors, including irritability, lethargy, social withdrawal, hyperactivity and noncompliance (Koenig, 2012)
EMOTIONAL
- Creates significant gains in emotional regulation (Daly, Haden, Hagins, Papouchis, Ramirez, 2015)
- Improves mood and decreases anxiety (Streeter, MD, 2010)
- Decreases stress and increases self-control (Matthew, MPH, 2008)
- Reduces stress (Brooks, 2007)
- Contributes to healthier body image.