Research on the Effects of Yoga on Children in School Settings

Through years of yoga teaching, I have seen many examples of the powerful benefits of a regular yoga practice: from improvements in physical health like weight loss and improved range of motion to shifts in perspective that bring about greater levels of well-being and, at times, lifestyle changes. In order to see these benefits more clearly and to communicate them effectively to others, I got involved in researching the effects of yoga, most recently focusing on the effects of yoga on children in school settings.

These studies are being conducted under the supervision of two principal investigators, Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Naomi Steiner, MD at Tufts- NE Medical. I have worked both as a yoga teacher and as a research coordinator. Through this work I became part of the research team at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA. This association has brought together a team of committed yoga teachers and researchers planning a longitudinal study on the long-term effects of yoga on children in schools.