CHAPTER 3: THE MINDFUL AND YOGIC LEARNER: 12 EMBODIED PRACTICES FOR SCHOOLS • 49the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and graduation rates from Chicago public high
schools (MacArthur Foundation, 2016). These findings held true over and beyond standard-
ized achievement test scores (MacArthur Foundation, 2016). The findings ultimately indi-
cate that self-control predicts report-card grades and improvements in report-card grades
over time, better than measured intelligence (MacArthur Foundation, 2016).
Mindfulness and yoga provide active practice in, and the tools needed for, grit and per-
severance. Both practices give students ample opportunity to feel frustrated and to practice
persevering. You can argue that sports like soccer, swimming, and running offer opportuni-
ties for grit and perseverance. I agree, they do. However, what is unique about mindful and
yoga practices is that they provide accessible tools (e.g., breath work, positive self-talk, self-
reflection) that support the development of grit and perseverance. To illustrate, Sue is a
10th-grade runner on the track team. The coach needed someone to run the 2-mile this year. She
selected Sue. Sue was not happy about this; she felt as if she hardly made it through the 1-mile
last year. However, something was different this year. This year, she has been practicing yoga as
an elective at her school. Sue’s yoga teacher had taught the students how to stay focused on the
task at hand (e.g., plank pose) by continuously noticing the physical sensations and redirecting
their thoughts in a positive and empowering manner. Next, she taught them how to breathe
and to become aware of exactly what was happening in the present moment (e.g., her hands
are pressing into the mat; her muscles are working; for both legs she is hugging the muscles
onto the bone). In yoga, Sue was learning how to not add more negative thinking to the process
(e.g., “I can’t do this,” or “Plank pose is hard”), which creates distress rather than empowers.
Last, Sue’s yoga teacher taught her how to be a positive coach for herself in challenging poses
with empowering self-talk (e.g., “Sue, you have this;” “You are stronger than you think you
are;” “Sue, you are worth the effort;” and “Your breath is your most powerful tool, Sue”).
Sue had been practicing these techniques for many months when spring track season
arrived. She decided to take on the challenge of the 2-mile race. Sue used her yoga skills of
mindful awareness, breathing, ignoring and stopping negative self-talk, and creating a posi-
tive inner coach. Although Sue had never been known for her speed, she showed up very
differently in track this year. The coach noticed. Her parents noticed. In each race, she had
a strong steady pace. Sue’s attitude was different as she brought a quiet strength to one of
the hardest races in track. Sue explained, “You can do yoga, even when you’re running the
2-mile, because yoga isn’t a pose. Yoga is the way you approach your challenges.” Sue used
her yoga and mindfulness skills, and what showed up was grit and perseverance.
Growth Mindset
Mindfulness and yoga also give students lived opportunities to develop a growth mindset.
Yeager and Dweck (2012) ask the question, “When students struggle with their schoolwork,
what determines whether they give up or embrace the obstacle and work to overcome it?”
(p. 302). Dweck’s work on the growth mindset evolved from her effort to answer such ques-
tions. Her team suggests that the development of a growth mindset promotes student resil-
ience. A growth mindset is a mindset, or way of understanding things, that incorporates a
core understanding that people can change and grow. Yeager and Dweck (2012) explain that
students can be taught to see intelligence as malleable and that effort, help, and strategies
can improve academic outcomes. This shifts student goals from looking smart to learning.
A growth mindset shifts response from a tendency to give up, to working harder and smarter,
and ultimately results in improved academic performance. Mindful and yoga practices