Funded Oct 20, 2015On behalf of my students, their families, and my coworkers, i would like to thank you for your support in making this project a reality. Our students get the chance to practice yoga on a weekly basis with NEW vibrantly colored mats that enhance their overall experience. Each Wednesday, after lunch, our students enter a serene and soothing environment with the lights off and mats spread about the floor. They remove their footwear and quietly step onto their own personal yoga mat. They sit "criss-cross-apple-sauce" with their hands on their knees, palms up. They smile, exhale, and look up at our yoga instructors and our sessions begin - "Ommmmmm...".
When our package arrived, i opened it with my class so that they could see what we got for them. Our students cheered and clapped and drummed on their tables! Their faces lit-up and they chatted to one another, "we have new mats!" and "look how pretty!". We were all very excited.
Our students love yoga! They tell us about how they do it at home when they are bored or how they try to teach their families. They have learned and grown so much from this initiative that they sometimes lead the sessions themselves while the staff follows along. Yoga has given us a platform for emphasizing the importance of soothing the mind through controlled breathing and physical movements. Our next steps will be centered around consistency and carry-over. We want our students to continue to use yoga as a means of managing stress long after they leave our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Q