Lucy Parks walks into the yoga studio, her green yoga mat under her arm. Soft music plays in the background. She lays out her mat and selects a mandala coloring sheet and several colored pencils, many among the same cool hues as her teal leggings and matching patterned teal-and-white tank. Teal is her favorite color, she says. It makes her feel happy and excited.
“She shared that in week two of our March session, our chakras and feelings week,” says Amanda Stagnaro, children’s yoga instructor at Soul Society Yoga, in Chester, Md. Lucy and her sister, Sophia, take weekly children’s yoga classes with 10 to 16 other peers ages 7 to 12 at the Kent Island yoga studio.
“During that particular class, we explored the connection between colors and feelings,” Stagnaro says. “The children shared their favorite and least favorite colors, and what feelings those colors evoke.”
The classes, which offer an age-appropriate yoga, mindfulness, and creativity experience for children ages 7 – 12 aligned to National Physical Education standards and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) core competencies, are part of a growing trend to address mental health specifically among the nation’s youth.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in six U.S. youth aged 6 – 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, and 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 — statistics exacerbated the the COVID-19 pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), passed in March 2021, included $122 billion for P-12 school funding. According to whitehouse.gov, nearly 60% of ARP funds are being used to invest in staffing, combat learning loss, and support the physical and mental health of students and educators.
Many schools have used the funding to hire mental health professionals such as psychologists; provide integrated support services to students and the surrounding community such as mental health care, adult education courses, community violence intervention programs, and nutrition support; and develop mindfulness programs like yoga.
“This has quickly become one of my favorite classes to teach,” says Julia Collins, who owns Soul Society Yoga and co-leads the children’s classes with Stagnaro. “It’s such a beautiful thing to nourish positive mindset, kindness, mental and physical wellness — the whole child — and to watch these children bloom as a result. We have children who come in shy or unsure, and soon they are sharing their feelings and struggles with their peers. They are learning and coming up with ways to feel positive, to be kind, and to be resilient.”
Collins, a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500) with 20 years experience, SHAPE Maryland 2018 Educator of the Year and yoga teacher Kristin Bowser, and Stagnaro developed the program for Soul Society Yoga.
“It started in September 2020 when most students did not return to school,” Collins says. “Kristen [Bowser] and I developed a ‘Kids Yoga Pods’ program for up to eight children to safely socialize, move, learn yoga, and do crafts. We had several groups: parent-child preschool classes, kindergarteners, elementary-aged, and middle schoolers. It was a big hit.” As children returned to school, the classes evolved to an after-school program.
Each class incorporates an opening circle time discussion, craft, yoga asana (movement), breath work, and meditation quiet time all based around a theme. Past themes have included “Springtime: Planting Intentions and Nourishing Growth,” “What to do with worries,” “The Masks We Wear: Uncovering Your Authentic Self,” and most recently “Burrito Yoga: A Full Life.”
In each class, children are encouraged to elevate their intra and interpersonal skills through exploring yoga, movement, music, breath, and Arts Integrated creativity in a positive and loving atmosphere.
In addition to children’s yoga classes, Soul Society Yoga offers classes for teens and adults seven days a week.
“Soul Society is such an amazing place. After trying my first class I knew I would be bac. It’s a
space that feels calming and safe. My daughters participate in the kids yoga and have learned so much. They look forward to learning the new poses and crafts that they make each week,” says Lucy’s mom Dana Parks.
“We have many school teachers in our classes, and even a principle on our teaching staff,” Collins says. “They report finding stress relief, resiliency, mental clarity, and physical strength through yoga. And many are taking what they learn on the mat into their classrooms.”
Registration is open for May 2023 Kids Yoga 4-Week Series at Soul Society Yoga. Classes run Thursdays 5 – 6 p.m. from May 4 – May 25.
For more information about all classes and services at Soul Society Yoga, visit soulsocietystudio.com/update, call 410-708-4542 or email info@soulsocietystudio.com.