Drop Everything And Yoga
by Rose Sanders, 17
Imagine this: In a dimly lit room, twenty people are staggered evenly, their phones and daily
worries stowed away in cubbies just out of their reach. The gentle cadence of their breathing
bathes the space in a soft but constant energy as they flow through different postures. In these
forty-five minutes of movement, body, mind, and spirit are reconnected, and any semblance of
stress gradually washes away.
What am I describing? Public schools of the future. While it is increasingly popular for offices to
offer yoga breaks, we have yet to incorporate yoga into the tense environment of a public school.
This introduction could be vital in relieving adolescent stress, as the National Survey of
Children’s Health discovered that there was a twenty percent increase in diagnoses of anxiety
between 2007 and 2012 in six- to seventeen-year-olds.
There is a certifiable link between teenage anxiety and poor performance in school, as
adolescents are forced to balance their home lives, academic success, recreational activities, and
navigate social media. A recent study found “a statistically significant association” between
anxiety and substandard grades. This pressure only intensifies as students get older and enter
the teenage years.
Adolescents spend the majority of their day learning academic subjects to prepare them for their
futures, so what better place to teach them to regulate anxiety than with a practice that has the
power to change lives?
But why yoga? Yoga leaves the body with more than just a good workout. One study discovered
that yoga allowed participants to “focus their mental resources, process information quickly
[and] accurately, and also learn, hold, and update pieces of information” better than aerobic
exercises. Yoga practitioners also have larger superior parietal cortexes, which are brain areas
that increase the ability to focus, as well as enlarged hippocampuses, key brain regions that
regulate stress.
Three students at Briarcliff High School reaped these benefits after a parent at the school hired a
yoga teacher to “create an opportunity for kids to learn how stress affects our health and
emotions and find a way to release tension.” They reported that yoga helped them to prepare for
classes by enabling them to concentrate, but also allowed them to relax after their fast-paced
days.
With or without a hired instructor, yoga is accessible to everyone through the millions of free
online videos that guide viewers in calming yoga sequences. If administrators blocked off a time
period weekly to bring yoga into the classroom, they would be investing not only in the academic
futures of their students, but giving them a long-term tool to manage their stress as well.
Answer each of the following questions in red font immediately below the question. Be detailed
and thorough in your responses.
1. Write a 20 word summary of what you read.
Rose Sanders, a 17 year old girl, proposes the idea of using yoga to relieve students
from stress at school.
2. How would you describe the author’s style of writing in this text?
The author's writing style in this text is characterized by a persuasive, informative and
personal approach. The author employs a range of rhetorical strategies, including the
use of statistics and research from reputable sources, to build a compelling argument for
the incorporation of yoga into public schools as a means to mitigate adolescent stress
levels. The author's tone is persuasive, as they use language that aims to convince the
reader to concur with their proposal. Additionally, the author utilizes personal anecdotes
to provide real-world examples of the efficacy of yoga in a school setting, making the
argument more relatable and helping the reader to grasp the potential benefits of
incorporating yoga into public schools. Furthermore, the author's writing style is
informative, as they furnish a wealth of information on the correlation between
adolescent stress and poor academic performance and the potential benefits of yoga for
stress management. The style is easy to read and understand and the author presents
the information in an organized and logical manner. Overall, the author's writing style is
successful in convincing the reader to support the proposal of incorporating yoga into
public schools as a means to reduce adolescent stress levels.
3. Think about the author’s use of imagery to begin the article. How does the use of this
stylistic choice allow the author to more effectively reach their intended audience?
The use of imagery at the beginning of the article is a powerful stylistic choice that allows
the author to create a vivid and peaceful setting in the reader's mind. Through the use of
descriptive language, the author paints a picture of a dimly lit room filled with individuals
engaged in the practice of yoga. This imagery allows the reader to imagine themselves
in the setting, experiencing the peace and relaxation that yoga can provide. By providing
this relatable and tangible example, the author is better able to reach their intended
audience and convey the potential benefits of incorporating yoga into public schools. It is
an effective way to create a connection with the reader and make the argument for the
proposal more persuasive. The imagery also helps to set the tone of the article, it makes
it more peaceful, and prepares the reader to be receptive to the argument that the author
is going to present.
4. Pick a small section of the text (no more than 5 lines) that you think encapsulates the
author’s style. Copy and paste the text here.
Adolescents spend the majority of their day learning academic subjects to prepare them
for their futures, so what better place to teach them to regulate anxiety than with a
practice that has the power to change lives?
5. Utilizing your most recent research topic, craft text (no more than 5 lines) that mimics the
author’s style above.
Gandhi taught the power of nonviolence and peaceful resistance, his methods have the
ability to change lives. Why not instill these principles in young minds to equip them with
tools to regulate anxiety in their daily lives?