May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949, when it was first introduced by Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Association for Mental Health), with the purpose of educating the public about mental illnesses. Since then, numerous mental health organizations have also adopted May as the month to spread awareness and end the stigma around mental illness, which affects millions of people in the US each year.
A regular yoga practice can have huge benefits for one's mental health. Numerous studies have suggested that yoga may help strengthen social attachments, reduce stress and relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia. There is even some evidence that yoga and mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans.
Our instructors see the positive impact that our yoga and mindfulness programs have on students daily. Practicing yoga, both in-person and virtually, with ZENworks Yoga helps children manage stress and anxiety, both behaviors that can manifest in the classroom as lack of focus and misbehavior. Our yoga and mindfulness programs teach students how to calm their own anxiety and stress, leading to better behavior and increased focus.
Additionally, yoga can help reverse the effects of trauma on children. Students who have experienced trauma in their lives often exhibit signs of disengagement, off-task behavior, and poor relationships with their peers. Yoga and mindfulness exercises encourage kids to connect with themselves as well as others and can lead to a more productive classroom environment.
To read more about how ZENworks Yoga uses yoga and mindfulness in the classroom to
help students improve mental health, read our whitepaper at https://www.zenworksyoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ZENworks-Yoga-White-Paper-2018.pdf.