CHAPTER 2: dYSREgulATion To diSoRdER • 41and overweight— this is 400 students out of a district of 1,000. If we were to add in all of the
other risk factors and risky behaviors, we would be hard pressed to find a child who did not
present with some kind of obstacle to learning. To be sure, given simple everyday stressors,
most would benefit from learning mindfulness and yoga skills to help with stress manage-
ment, self-regulation, and coping.
Helping students develop an effective sense of self—as human beings and as learners—
is critical to long-term academic engagement and achievement. For many students, intelli-
gence and learning skills are only a small part of what they need in order to learn effectively.
As Duckworth et al. (2007) and James (1907) suggest, there are two questions: (a) What
are the human abilities? and (b) By what means can one unleash these abilities? To date,
research suggests that yoga and mindfulness cannot increase IQ or innate abilities (i.e., the
first question). However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests they can help
students handle stress, cope, and self-regulate. Perhaps these practices can help students
unleash their abilities to their highest potential. For some, they may be the key to flourishing.
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