232 • PART III: YogA foR EduCATIng foR SElf-REgulATIon And EngAgEmEnT
our connection to the students. The students, faced with stress and challenge, emulate
what they see. The result is a disconnected, hard-to-manage classroom that feels very
stressful to be in for everyone—teachers and students alike. The answer for the class-
room lies in the answer for all of us: connection, breath, self-soothing, and engagement.
As this is not easy to do, we must practice over and over and over again. As we do, we
model and teach the students how to reconnect, over and over and over again. Note, a
solid informal practice (i.e., the integration of mindfulness and yoga techniques into our
daily lives) is rooted in a steady formal practice. This chapter reviews yoga poses (asana),
breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and meditation. These are the on-your-mat,
formal practices of school-based yoga.
YogA PoSES: ASAnAS
Yoga postures (asanas) have many benefits such as increased flexibility, strengthened mus-
cles, enhanced balance, improved immune system, better posture, enhanced lung function,
slower and deeper breathing, enhanced oxygenation of tissues, and relaxation of the ner-
vous system (Anderson & Sovik, 2000; Cook-Cottone, 2015; McCall, 2007; Stephens, 2010).
In his book, Yoga as Medicine, McCall (2007) lists and details over 40 benefits. The yoga pos-
tures, or asanas, stretch and tone muscles, help keep the tissues and joints flexible, and may,
in some poses, massage internal organs and glands (Cook-Cottone, 2015; Field, 2011). Poses
are typically done in concert with deep, diaphragmatic breath (Field, 2011). Connection in
yoga is found in the alignment of breath, attention, and intention as you move through and
stay in the yoga poses (Cook-Cottone, 2015).
Yoga poses let us, and students, be empowered in the present moment (Willard,
2016). Willard (2016) cites an emerging line of research that suggests that how you hold
your body can shape who you are. If you have not seen it yet, watch Amy Cuddy’s (2012)
TED Talk, “Your body language shapes who you are.” In brief, there is evidence that
holding a power pose has neuroendocrine, behavioral, and social benefits. Power poses
have the following qualities: expansiveness (i.e., taking up more space) and openness
(i.e., keeping limbs open or closed; Carney, Cuddy, & Yap, 2010). The results of Carney
et al. (2010) study found that posing in high-power displays (i.e., open and expansive)
when compared to low-power displays (i.e., closed and restricted) caused psychological
and behavioral changes consistent with literature on those that hold social power. That
is, high-power displays yielded elevation of testosterone, reduction in the stress hor-
mone cortisol, and increased behaviorally demonstrated risk tolerance and feelings of
power (Carney et al., 2010). More research is needed, especially research specific to yoga.
However, the implications are compelling as we look more into the empowering role of
embodying Warrior Pose, Mountain Pose, and powerful Lunge Pose.
In Chapter 10, the overall structure of the yoga class was presented. Here I cover the
various poses within the section that they might fit: setting up the room (Prepare), turning
inward (Connect), warm-up (Engage), challenging and vigorous poses (Challenge), learn-
ing and trying time (Grow), centering time and grounding (Center), relaxation (Calm), and
closing (Close). As reviewed in Chapter 10, preparing, or setting up the room involves the
transition from classwork time to yoga time. It may include moving furniture, removing