Should yoga be implemented in school based occupational therapy sessions to help

increase attention and limit negative behaviors in the classroom?

Rachel Schempp, OTAS
Northland Community and Technical College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
Clinical Scenario

Bottom Line

Steiner et al. explains that

approximately 12-13% of school aged
children suffer from at least moderate
emotional behavioral disorders
(EBD).

The main problem with establishing a yoga program

in the school system is trying to find cooperation
inside of the school. These difficulties include
getting teachers and principals to collaborate with
yoga instructors, finding yoga instructors, and
finding time for children to be taken out of class
(Steiner et al., 2013).
Becoming a certified yoga instructor would be
optimal for an Occupational Therapy (OT)
Practitioner in the school system, however, there are
basic yoga techniques that OT practitioners can
integrate into sessions in order to assist with
increasing attention and decreasing negative
behaviors. The sessions could include easy, relaxing
poses in the beginning, then transition to more
challenging poses. The students would also need to
focus on their deep breathing techniques.
OT practitioners could pull multiple students to do a
group yoga session, or they could complete a one on
one session integrating yoga into the session. The
OT practitioners can also teach the teachers the
different yoga poses, so the teachers can provide
sessions to the entire class.
OT practitioners can also educate the teachers,
principals, and superintendents about what the
positive effects of yoga are and help teachers find
ways to have yoga sessions in the classroom or a
yoga program throughout the entire school system.

EBD can contribute to poor grades,

poor personal relationships, failure to
compete in high school,
unemployment, incarceration,
substance abuse, and suicide (Steiner
et al., 2012).
Yoga is a relaxation technique that
includes different postures and deep
breathing exercises (Kauts & Sharma,
2009).

Limitations

Many of the articles reviewed had

small sample sizes.
Peck et al., 2005 had a potential bias
as the investigator was both
implementer of the intervention and
observer of the participants.
In Khalsa et al., 2012 there was no
blinding in the participants between
the groups.

Summary of Key Findings

In a study by Khalsa, et al., (2012), they found a
positive effect on the students anxiety and life
satisfaction rating, they felt that yoga helped
them relax and gave them energy for the rest of
the day.
After completing yoga sessions, parents were
able to reduce the medication for their childs
ADHD, (Harrison, Manocha, & Rubia, 2004).
Completing yoga in the school setting is feasible,
(Stiener et al., 2013).
Yoga decreases anxiety and depression, increases
muscular and cardiopulmonary fitness, by
relaxing the body and mind, (Kaley-Isley,
Peterson, Fischer, & Peterson, 2010).
Students that participated in yoga showed
improvements in self-confidence, social
confidence, communication, and contributed
more in class (Serwacki & Cook- Cottone,
2012).
Yoga can help relax and calm children's bodies
and help them concentrate in class (Steiner et al,
2013).
Yoga works with movement and breath to

provide balance and awareness to the childs

body.
-Nan Cicha NP, & Kids yoga instructor at Center
for Healing and Wholness.