Recent research may tout the benefits of mindfulness programs in schools -- including improved test scores and decreased stress -- but some parents aren't convinced.


Members of the Warstler Elementary School community in Plain Township, Ohio, are up in arms about the school's efforts to incorporate breathing exercises and meditation into the curriculum. Administrators discontinued the school's mindfulness program six weeks ago in response to complaints from parents and community members concerned about links to Eastern religions, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.


The Warstler Elementary mindfulness program, which debuted at the school in 2011, involves breathing exercises, meditation and stretching, with the general aim of improving the students' focus and fostering greater emotional stability, the Beacon Journal reports.


However, when the program returned this year, parents expressed concern over the roots of mindfulness in Buddhism. The ancient practice -- which is centered on cultivating a focused awareness on the present moment -- frequently involves meditation, but does not contain elements of prayer or worship.


“There was no malice from anyone in the district to bring something in that was not appropriate,” Superintendent Brent May told the Beacon Journal. “We have to be careful as a public school that we don’t cross over church and state.”


Parents also questioned whether the school should be devoting the students' time to these practices, with the vice president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization complaining that she might pull her kindergartener out of the school if the programs continued to be a focus.


A similar controversy took place last year at an elementary school in Encinitas, Calif., when parents complained that teaching children Ashtanga yoga was a form of indoctrination into the spiritual beliefs of the Hindu faith. After dozens of parents protested to the board, school officials announced that parents could choose to have their children excused from yoga class, according to the Los Angeles Times.


Despite the Warstler community's concerns, research has found mindfulness programs in schools to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression among adolescents. A 2013 study found that students who participated in a six-week mindfulness program -- which consisted of instruction in mindful breathing and body scan exercises, shared experiences and group reflection, inspiring stories, and education on stress, depression and self-care -- exhibited decreased symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.


Mindfulness has also been found to improve focus, and can increase test scores. A recent University of California study found that undergraduates who participated in a two-week mindfulness training program demonstrated heightened working memory and improved reading-comprehension scores on the GRE.


“A type of training that can help one avoid susceptibility to worries, or other sources of mind-wandering, very well could improve performance,” Nelson Cowan, a University of Missouri professor who studies memory and attention, told the New York Times.


Previous research on mindfulness meditation has also found the practice to be effective in lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, improving emotional stability and sleep quality, boosting compassion and self-knowledge and supporting weight-loss goals.


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  • Child's Pose (Balasana)


    The calming child's pose is a resting posture that can help quiet the mind, easing stress and anxiety while gently stretching the back. It's also good for the nervous system and lymphatic system, Kennedy notes. "It's one of the key poses that you can come to in the middle of a class whenever you want to to relieve stress," she says. "It's very restorative ... it's child-like and allows us to come inward to ourselves."




  • Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)


    Not to be confused with the <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/473" target="_blank">full wheel</a>, the bridge pose provides gentle stretching of the back and legs while alleviating stress and tension. The pose can reduce anxiety, fatigue, backaches, headaches and insomnia, and is even thought to be therapeutic for high blood pressure. Eva Norlyk Smith, Ph.D., yoga teacher and Managing Editor at YogaUOnline, recommends a supported bridge pose with a block underneath the sacrum as a gentler and more de-stressing way to enjoy the stretch.




  • Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)


    Often used as a transition between poses, uttanasana has many benefits when practiced as a pose in itself. The posture stretches the hamstrings, thighs, hips, and is thought to relieve stress, fatigue and mild depression. If your goal is to de-stress in the pose, it's best done with the knees slightly bent, Kennedy says. "It's great for the legs and a lot of different physical things, and it also allows us to calm the mind. You're reversing the blood flow and just hanging out," she says.




  • Eagle Pose (Garudasana)


    The active and empowering eagle pose can help ward off stress by improving concentration and balance, and also by opening up the shoulders, upper back and hips. "Eagle is an empowerment pose because it releases tension in the shoulders, legs and back, and it does require focus for you to remain balanced in it," says Kennedy. "You're literally squeezing the tension out of the body. It's a very active de-stress move"




  • Corpse Pose (Savasana)


    Most yoga practices end with several minutes spent in savasana, and it can easily be the most calming part of the whole thing. The pose puts the body completely at ease and emphasizes total relaxation. Savasana can trigger the body's "relaxation response," a state of deep rest that slows the breathing and lowers the blood pressure while quieting the nervous system. "[Savasana] is <em>the</em> relaxation pose," Kennedy says. "It's actually difficult for many people because we're so not used to being still ... But it encourages the body to come to a more restful state."




  • Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)


    One of the foundational postures, the triangle pose is an excellent stress-reliever and full-body stretch, <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/494" target="_blank">according to Yoga Journal</a>. It can also help to improve digestion, and potentially mitigate the symptoms of conditions like anxiety, osteoporosis and sciata.




  • Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)


    Norlyk Smith recommends the resting legs up the wall pose for stress reduction. The pose is traditionally thought to <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690" target="_blank">slow the aging process</a>. "It helps renew blood and lymph drainage back into the heart area," she says.




  • Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)


    A variation of child's pose with a heart-opening effect, this mild inversion pose can help to counter our tendency to crouch and slouch the shoulders when stressed, according to Norlyk Smith.




  • Cat Pose (Marjaryasana)


    The cat pose soothes and stretches the lower back, relieving stress while gently massaging the spine. Try arching and rounding the back 10 times in a row while focusing on deep inhaling and exhaling. "[In the cat pose], you're releasing stress in the spine ... If you're in a class, it allows students to begin to slow down and focus on the breath," Kennedy says. "It's one of those transition poses that takes us from the outside world in."




  • Dolphin Pose


    Similar to the downward-facing dog position, except with the forearms on the floor, his standing inversion pose can help to quiet the mind, alleviate stress and reduce anxiety, <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2462" target="_blank">according to Yoga Journal</a>. The posture stretches the shoulders, neck and spine.