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| Courtesy Calming Kids |
Can’t we all just get
along?
Bullying and violence
is unfortunately escalating in schools, even with mandated bully-awareness
programs, says Dee Marie, MA, CYT and founder of Calming Kids Yoga, an
organization which brings classical yoga in to elementary schools during the
school-day curriculum to teach ahisma –non-violence to self and others.
“Yoga is a lifestyle,
not just an exercise routine. We look at all aspects of yoga, how we feel in
our body, how we breathe and process thoughts, how we communicate and treat
ourselves and others,” says Marie, whose six-week long programs have had
impactful results.
Based on questionaires circulated to students prior to the
Calming Kids sessions, kids admit to not being able to handle stress, having
headaches, losing sleep and being fidgety, says Marie.
However, “After six weeks of yoga, they felt they could
handle stress, communicate more effectively, bullies were bullying less and
those being bullied could stand up for themselves better,” says Marie.
To spread her successful teaching method, Marie launched a
five day teacher training program and has trained educators nationwide and
globally.
Marie later launched an online teacher training and
estimates 2500 teachers, physical therapists, and child psychologists.
“We’ve found in our research model that students are better
able to handle themselves better and manage stress after our yoga program,”
says Marie. “There is a decrease in feeling angry or anxious for no reason and
up to 94% less hitting. My vision is that by 2020, every child in school will
learn reading, writing, math, breathing and relaxation. My mission it that
yogic-principles go mainstream.”
