1. YOGA FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT

2. Teachers & Stress Unmet needs of students Class composition Size of workload Attitude of provincial government Inclusion of students with special needs (Kuehn, 1993)

3. TEACHERS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA  In cases of disability lasting over 20 days, 36% of those are contributed to psychological disorders with a strong link to stressful work environments. (Tataryn et al., 1998)  BC teachers report the highest levels of stress on the job compared with any other province. (King & Peart, 1992)  BC – 21%  PEI – 11%

4. STRESSED STUDENTS Young ChildrenPre-Teens, Teens, Young Adults  Disrupted homes, blended families, both parents working outside the home  Increased exposure to violence, both real and on the screen  Excessive screen time  Being over scheduled  Feeling pressured to perform or behave beyond their ability (Witkin, KidStress, 1999)  Failing an exam  Physical appearance  Judgment or evaluation by others  Unrealistic classroom demands  The future  Problems with peers  Problems with a boyfriend or girlfriend  Any situation that threatens self- esteem  Disagreements with teachers, parents or other adults (Feinstein, Secrets of the Teenage Brain, 2004)

5. "I can't never do the part with the take-away numbers. I did all the problems real fast and she put big red X's on them and said I wasn't trying. And I started crying inside but I couldn't because they would all see." (8-year-old) (Allen & Klein, Ready-Set Relax, 1996)

6. CHRONIC DI-STRESS When we are constantly in "fight or flight" mode - the body goes into overdrive. Our overall health suffers.

7. How it Works Pre-fontal cortex receives message Right and left work together to form a response Poor right-left connection results in limbic system response “Fight or flight” Loss of rational thought, poor decision making, long-term memory loss, inability to retain information, defensive behaviour

8. BRAIN NEURON CONNECTION

9. Yoga "Yoga has a sly, clever way of short-circuiting the mental patterns that cause anxiety." Baxter Bell, quoted in "Worry Thwarts," Yoga Journal, March 2006