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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, February 25, 2002: At a school in the heart of a San Francisco housing project, children and teachers take time from math and reading to breathe and balance. Children inhaled through their noses and exhaled through their mouths. They balanced on one leg, concentrating on poses. When they finished, they lay on the classroom floor, still and quiet. As researchers study whether yoga leads to improved learning, the prevalence of school-site yoga has led to the coining of the term “Om Schooling.” Teachers say the exercises work wonders in calming kids and helping them to focus. In San Francisco, that inner peace is sought in more than a half-dozen elementary, middle and high schools. The hatha program used in these schools was created in 1997 by respected yoga teacher Tony Sanchez, who founded the nonprofit United States Yoga Association and runs the San Francisco Yoga Studio. Sanchez’s program, called ABC Yoga, combines mind and matter. Teachers incorporate yoga into lessons on physics, anatomy and geometry. While careful not to discuss yoga’s religious aspects, teachers do explore the history of yoga and its exercises. Within ABC Yoga is a program called Yogasthma: Seven Steps to Asthma Control. Designed to teach children how to control their asthma, it includes yoga breathing and stretching exercises and a series of workshops done in partnership with St. Luke’s Hospital. “Yoga allows kids to become more aware of themselves, of their posture, and to grow into healthier adults,” said Sanchez. “Kids also develop the ability to concentrate, to relax at will and to overcome stress.”

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