Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 13: SCHool-BASEd YogA PRogRAMS • 297

Forfylow, 2011; Khanna & Greeson, 2013). Nearly universally across programs, school-based
practice of yoga entails emphasis on physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation,
and meditation (see Chapter 11; Butzer et al., 2016; Cook-Cottone, 2015; Forfylow, 2011;
Khanna  & Greeson, 2013). The number of publications in the field of yoga in schools has
increased dramatically over the past 20 years (see Figure 13.2).
Although there has been a dramatic increase in the number and quality of yoga-related
research publications since 2000 (Butzer et al., 2016), research in the area of yoga lags behind
mindfulness research (Cook-Cottone, 2015). Mindfulness research was ignited and then bol-
stered by the manualization of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Dialectic
Behavioral Therapy (DBT). In the field of yoga practice, there has been some resistance to
standardizing and manualizing yoga to conform to empirical methodologies for fear of
compromising yoga’s authenticity and flexibility, and responsive delivery (Cook-Cottone,
2015). For example, when I teach a yoga class at a studio, I go in with a planned sequence
and a theme. However, if the class seems to need something else or I see a need to workshop
a pose, I change direction. The ability to see what a class needs and to respond accordingly
is part of the art of teaching yoga. In a manualized program, this might be seen as a loss of
integrity to the intended protocol.
As explained in Chapter 8 in the mindfulness section of this text, there are core scientific
requirements for the study of interventions (e.g., feasibility, acceptability, treatment integ-
rity, manualization, use of quality and sensitive outcome measures, active control groups,
randomization). Basics such as dosage of yoga (e.g., frequency and duration) have not been
adequately addressed in research (Cook-Cottone, 2013; Cook-Cottone, 2015). Currently,
researchers believe that yoga is helpful for several reasons including simultaneous relax-
ation and activation; improved neurological self-regulation; improved sense of well-being
and quality of life; as well as an increased awareness and tolerance of bodily sensations, feel-
ings, and physical experience (Butzer et al., 2016; Cook-Cottone, 2015; Simpkins & Simpkins,
2011; van der Kolk et al., 2014; Woodyard, 2011). To help move the field of research forward,
Butzer et al. (2016) created a conceptual model for understanding the effects of yoga that
was recently updated by Khalsa (personal communication, 2016; see Figure 13.3).

1979198119831985198719891991199319951997199920012003200520072009201120132015

Number of Publications

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

figuRE 13.2 Quantitative research on yoga in the schools.