It hardly qualifies as news anymore: Student mental health needs are up, and school resources are down. Counselors and psychologists are in especially short supply. A recent EdWeek survey found that in the 2020-21 academic year, only 8% of districts met the recommended ratio of one school psychologist to 500 students and just 14% met the 1:250 ratio for school counselors.
While the effects of pandemic life have brought new attention to the issue, those of us who have been in the profession know that the problem has been with us for a while.
In fact, the chronic lack of resources was one of the pressures that contributed to our developing Yoga Calm more than 20 years ago.
Group Classroom Yoga Benefits Both Counselors & Students (Not to Mention Their Teachers & the School Community as a Whole)
Back then, Lynea was the sole counselor in a high-poverty rural elementary school, where generational trauma was extremely common. While she initially brought yoga to her school’s behavioral classroom from recalling how much it had helped her with her own trauma, she quickly observed other benefits, as well.
Group yoga did more than help students learn to self-regulate and develop better focus and social/emotional skills. She also saw its potential to handle the overload of counselor demand, reducing costs of parents (for individual therapy) while providing services in a way that’s less stigmatizing than “going to a counselor.” Many kids have a hard time talking in a meaningful way with counselors, as well.
Counselors benefit, too. In a group setting, they can more readily see the kids’ various issues as they interact with each other. Students can be given feedback immediately and practice skills “in the moment.”
In this approach, SEL and physical movement happen together. Lessons delivered through cognitive approaches are all too easy to forget. But the body remembers – both trauma and stress, AND the skills taught to release and transform them.
Yoga Calm: Not Just for Counselors
Of course, you don’t have to be a counselor in order to use Yoga Calm with your students or even your own children. You can use it as soon as you start to learn it. Our online basic intro course – which includes a copy of our book Yoga Calm for Children – will get you going.
But to really get the most out of it, becoming certified is the way to go. Not only does it give you the deepest knowledge and largest skill set for using Yoga Calm to support kids’ mental and physical health; you’ll have access to Lynea and Jim – Yoga Calm’s founders – for consults on your students’ specific needs and how to implement Yoga Calm in your setting.
You also get access to hundreds of teacher-tested lesson plans, free webinars, and discounts on Yoga Calm products and courses, as well as products from national brands such as Prana, Lululemon, Patagonia, and many more.
Like our intro course, the 5-course certification track is on-demand. You can start whenever you wish, and there’s no deadline for completion, although most complete it within 3 to 6 months.
You can learn all about our certification track and hear what past students have said about the experience here.
Yoga Calm Certification Gives You Opportunities Both in & Beyond the Classroom
Being certified in Yoga Calm only adds to your value – and versatility – as a teacher. Many have told us how it’s also enhanced their own resilience in the face of the increasing stressors in the educational sphere.
But it also creates new opportunities for you outside the classroom, as well. More than a few teachers we know have developed their own businesses, providing Yoga Calm classes to kids and families. For some, it’s a nice side-gig; for others, it’s the start of a whole new career path!
So certification also provides you with a license to promote yourself as a Certified Yoga Calm Youth Instructor and to use our trademarked logo, copyrighted curriculum, course, and marketing materials. You’ll also get a business starter kit with logos, graphics, a photo library, and video clips; professional flyer and business card templates; promotional literature, presentations, and advertising copy (production/printing costs not included). We offer marketing and business development assistance, as well.
There could be a whole new future ahead of you!
