Implementing yoga within the school curriculum: a scientific rationale for improving social-emotional learning and positive student outcomes
| Published date | 21 March 2016 |
| Pages | 3-24 |
| Date | 21 March 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-10-2014-0044 |
| Author | Bethany Butzer,Denise Bury,Shirley Telles,Sat Bir S. Khalsa |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services |
Implementing yoga within the school
curriculum: a scientific rationale for
improving social-emotional learning
and positive student outcomes
Bethany Butzer, Denise Bury, Shirley Telles and Sat Bir S. Khalsa
Bethany Butzer is based at the
Department of Medicine,
Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, Harvard Medical
School, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA.
Denise Bury is Program
Manager and Independent
Health Outcomes Researcher/
Medical Writer, Agoura Hills,
California, USA.
Shirley Telles is based at the
Patanjali Research Foundation,
Haridwar, India and is affiliated
with the Patanjali Yogpeeth
(USA) Trust, Sugar Land,
Texas, USA.
Sat Bir S. Khalsa is based at the
Department of Medicine,
Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, Harvard Medical
School, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesise research evidence and propose a
theoretical model suggesting that school-based yoga programs may be an effective way to promote social-
emotional learning (SEL) and positive student outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper is a literature review focusing on: the current state of
research on school-based yoga interventions; a preliminary theoretical model outlining the potential
mechanisms and effects of school-based yoga; similarities, differences and possibilities for integrating
school-based SEL, yoga and meditation; practical implications for researching and implementing yoga
in schools.
Findings –Research suggests that providing yoga within the school curriculum may be an effective way to
help students develop self-regulation, mind-body awareness and physical fitness, which may, in turn, foster
additional SEL competencies and positive student outcomes such as improved behaviours, mental state,
health and performance.
Research limitations/implications –Given that research on school-based yoga is in its infancy, most
existing studies are preliminary and are of low to moderate methodological quality. It will be important for
future research to employ more rigorous study designs.
Practical implications –It is possible, pending additional high-quality research, that yoga could become a
well-accepted component of school curricula. It will be particularly important for future research to examine
possibilities around integrating school-based yoga and meditation with SEL programs at the individual, group
and school-wide levels.
Originality/value –This paper is the first to describe a theoretical model specifically focused on school-
based yoga interventions, as well as a discussion of the similarities and differences between school-based
yoga, SEL and meditation.
Keywords Education, Mindfulness, School, Meditation, Yoga, Social-emotional learning
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
Children and adolescents living in the USA in the twenty-first century struggle with numerous
stressors, such as interpersonal conflicts with family and peers as well as pressure to perform
academically (Ryan-Wenger et al., 2005). Several studies suggest that these stressors can lead
to mood and other psychological disturbances (Carter et al., 2006; Grant et al., 2009; Roberts
et al., 2009). Indeed, research suggests that the cumulative prevalence of psychiatric problems
Received 10 October 2014
Revised 12 March 2015
Accepted 14 May 2015
DOI 10.1108/JCS-10-2014-0044 VOL. 11 NO. 1 2016, pp. 3-24, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660
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by the age of 21 exceeds 80 per cent in the USA (Copeland et al., 2011) with the majority of
psychiatric conditions having child-adolescent onsets (Kessler and Wang, 2008).
These findings suggest that young people are in need of techniques to facilitate the development
of social-emotional competencies, such as stress management and self-regulation. The purpose
of the present paper is to review and synthesise research evidence suggesting that school-based
yoga programmes may be an effective way to promote social-emotional learning (SEL) and
counteract many of the stressors faced by modern youth. In particular, we propose a theoretical
model suggesting that yoga practices enhance mind-body awareness (e.g. mindfulness and
attention), self-regulation (e.g. stress and emotion regulation) and physical fitness (e.g. flexibility
and strength), thereby improving behaviours, mental state, health and performance.
We begin by describing the historical development of school-based SEL initiatives and
contemplative interventions such as yoga and meditation. We go on to review the research on
school-based yoga and present a theoretical model elucidating how yoga may enhance student
outcomes. We conclude with a comparison of the similarities and differences between school-
based yoga, meditation and SEL initiatives, as well as a discussion of the practical implications
around implementing and researching yoga in schools. This paper contributes to the literature by
being the first to describe a theoretical model specifically focusing on the unique mechanisms and
effects of school-based yoga, as well as the ways in which school-based yoga may be applicable
within the context of SEL initiatives in school settings.
Yoga and SEL: definitions and conceptualisations
Yoga is a holistic system of mind-body practices for mental and physical health that typically
incorporates four primary components: physical postures/exercises to promote strength and
flexibility, breathing exercises to enhance respiratory functioning, deep relaxation techniques to
cultivate the ability to physically and mentally release tension and stress and meditation/
mindfulness practices to enhance mind-body awareness and improve attention and emotion
regulation skills (Butzer et al., 2015b). Research on the potential benefits of yoga for adults and
children has been growing in recent years (Cramer et al., 2014a; McCall, 2014), with systematic
research reviews suggesting that it may be effective at reducing stress and enhancing mood and
well-being in adults (Chong et al., 2011; Kirkwood et al., 2005; Li and Goldsmith, 2012; Pilkington
et al., 2005; Sharma, 2014).
Yoga is also suitable for both children and adolescents and shows promise for preventing and
alleviating the psychosocial issues encountered by young people. Indeed, a NIH/CDC
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapy survey revealed that 2.1 per cent of
children under 18 practice yoga in the USA, and that 4.8 per cent of child/adolescent CAM users
were specifically targeting anxiety and stress (Barnes et al., 2008). Two systematic reviews
(n¼24 and n¼34 studies, respectively, with 16 overlapping studies) and two general review
papers on the therapeutic effects of yoga for youth also indicate improvements in physical and
mental health (Birdee et al., 2009; Galantino et al., 2008; Hagen and Nayar, 2014; Kaley-Isley
et al., 2010). Research on school-based yoga programmes is also growing, with preliminary
studies suggesting positive effects of these interventions on a variety of student outcomes
(reviewed in more detail below) (Serwacki and Cook-Cottone, 2012). School-based mindfulness
and meditation programmes, while not an explicit focus of the current paper, have also received
increasing research attention (see Zenner et al., 2014 for a meta-analysis of school-based
mindfulness research).
School-based SEL initiatives, while not commonly discussed in relation to contemplative
practices, share many goals with school-based yoga programmes. In particular, SEL is defined
as “implementing practices and policies that help children and adults acquire and apply the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can enhance personal development, establish satisfying
interpersonal relationships, and lead to effective and ethical work and productivity. These include
the competencies to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and
show caring and concern for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make
responsible decisions”(Weissberg et al., 2015, pp. 7-8). The goal of SEL programmes is to
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