Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

274 • PART iii: YogA foR EduCATing foR SElf-REgulATion And EngAgEmEnT

soothing (Cook-Cottone, 2015). Citing the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation and
breathing techniques, Bourne (2010), in his top-selling anxiety workbook, suggests that it is
quite difficult for one to have an anxious mind within a relaxed body. In both private practice
and in yoga classes, I provide guidance and support in ways to access the body as a source
of soothing, groundedness, and calm during stressful situations. Of course, going for a walk,
attending a relaxation-based yoga class (i.e., a yin class), or a traditional yoga class can all
be ways to calm the body and relax the mind (Cook-Cottone, 2015). However, it is often in
daily life, when there is no yoga mat to be found, that we need access to calming tools (Cook-
Cottone, 2015). Effective strategies include: physical self-care, diaphragmatic breathing (see
Chapter 11), sensate focus, and the stop refocus breath (SRB). See Bourne’s (2010) The Anxiety
and Phobia Workbook, Fifth Edition, for a variety of breathing, relaxation, and meditation tech-
niques for calming the mind. Two effective techniques are explicated here.

Taking good Care of the Body: The Physical Pillars of Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is inextricably connected to physical stability and homeostasis (Cook-
Cottone, 2015; Cook-Cottone, Tribole, & Tylka, 2013). The more regulated the body, the
more regulated and steady the mind (Cook-Cottone, 2015). Daily maintenance of the body
provides a physiological steadiness, reducing cravings and sensitivity to triggers and sup-
porting health-positive behavioral choices (Anderson & Sovik, 2000). In Linehan’s (1993)
manual for dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT), sleep, nutrition, and exercise are key compo-
nents of the emotional regulation facet of treatment.
Each of the pillars plays a role in creating a solid physiological baseline for students.
First, nutrition and hydration matter. For example, nutrition is known to play a role in
mood, sleep, cognitive efficiency, and emotional stability (e.g., Anderson & Sovik, 2000;
Cook-Cottone et al., 2013; Kennedy, Jones, Haskell, & Benton, 2011). Further, even mild
dehydration has been linked to alterations in mood (e.g., Armstrong et al., 2012). When
not understood and minded, nutrition- and hydration-based drops in energy can quickly
become triggers for difficulties with self-regulation (Cook-Cottone, 2015).
Next, exercise helps with self-regulation. In 2013, Lees and Hopkins (2013) conducted a
systematic review of randomized controlled trials of the effect of exercise on cognition and
psychosocial function in children and found a positive association. Although more research
is needed, there is some evidence that suggests that daily exercise plays a role in preventing,
delaying the onset, and enhancing treatment outcomes in mental disorder (e.g., Zschucke,

Physical Pillars of

Self-Regulation

Nutrition Hydration Exercise Rest

figuRE 12. 2 The physical pillars of self-regulation.

Source: Adapted from Cook-Cottone (2015); Cook-Cottone et al. (2013).