296 • PART iii: YogA foR EduCATing foR SElf-REgulATion And EngAgEMEnT
compelling evidence of the benefits of yoga for children, youth, and adults, we must use
contemporary methodologies showing the outcomes based on a scientific method that is
respected and valued by academics, administrators, and decision-makers in schools. The
body of research is growing. The questions and ways of answering them are becoming
increasingly refined and targeted. Each year the methodologies and research designs are
more sophisticated and of higher quality.
To school personnel, research sometimes can feel like a daunting and overly compli-
cated process. It is true; it is not easy. There are a lot of moving parts and multiple systems
to negotiate (e.g., school systems, university systems, institutional review boards [IRBs]).
However, it can be done and done well. Researchers need your help. In order to show the
effects of yoga in schools, the research on yoga must be done in schools. Researchers need
school personnel willing to see what is possible for students and staff. That means setting
aside time and resources for assessment, allowing for control groups and active control
groups, committing to the yoga intervention with enthusiasm, and being willing to be active
and engaged problem solvers as researchers partner with school personnel to create a high-
quality study. The process is illustrated in Figure 13.1. As difficult as it may seem, research
can be a fun and rewarding process.
With the research conducted to date on yoga in schools and the growing number of
research teams across the country, we are getting closer to being able to explain how yoga
works and what the outcomes are. Notably, there is still far more to know than is known.
This chapter reviews the current state of yoga research, presenting an overall conceptual
model and reviewing outcomes. Next, yoga programs are reviewed and a survey of yoga
programs presented. This is followed by what we currently know about contraindications
for yoga. Finally, a note on next steps is offered.
THE BodY of RESEARCH on YogA in SCHoolS
As detailed in Chapters 9 through 12 of this text, the term yoga reflects a set of practices
intended to integrate the mind and body, improve self-regulation, and increase capacity for
reflective, intentional engagement (Butzer, Bary, Telles, & Khalsa, 2016; Cook-Cottone, 2015;
GET READY- Yoga
- School
- Students
- Teachers
- Researchers
- Measures
(pretest/
ongoing/
posttest) - Institutional
Review
Board (IRB)
DO THE YOGA!- Yoga Intervention
- Controls (?)
- Active
Controls (?)
OUTCOMES- Measure
- Analyze
- Report
- Describe
- Disseminate
figuRE 13.1 The process of yoga research in schools.