Keeping Our Kids Healthy Through Yoga in Schools

The Wellness Initiative’s 4^th Annual Yogathon

Cheribundi is pleased to sponsor The Wellness Initiative’s 4^th annual Yogathon Saturday, April 27 at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. It is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year and goes toward bringing yoga programs to kids in schools throughout Colorado. Mara Rose, Executive Director of The Wellness Initiative (TWI), provided us with some insight on the event and the organization that it supports.

The Wellness Initiative

TWI was founded in 2006 in order to provide low-income area youth with the opportunity to improve physical, social and emotional health, and increase overall academic performance. “TWI was founded to provide yoga to students in Colorado and address the growing concern that students of all ages suffer from increasingly stressful and unhealthy lives,” says Mara. “Because many of the students in our programs lack the opportunities and tools to relax, reflect, strengthen and focus, their self confidence,

physical health and academic performance suffer.”

During the 2012-2013 school year, TWI is providing almost 2,500 students in 37 schools throughout 6 counties with yoga-based wellness programs. The students are introduced to ways to relax, control their anger and gain awareness about their health. These programs helps to keep kids from developing mental health disorders, and off of psychotropic drugs for conditions such as anxiety, ADHD and depression. The program also keeps kids exercising and healthy, which is important considering that more than 9 million children in the US are overweight and will be at a higher risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The Yogathon

This is the fourth year that the Yogathon has taken place. The event has been held at Naropa University in Boulder for three years. Mara describes the location as “warm and welcoming with values that align with our values, although the work we do is totally secular.”

Over the year, the event has grown to provide almost double in funding. TWI’s goal this year is $40,000, which will fund almost 600 yoga classes. The Yogathon expects 200 participants this year, and each pledged to raise at least $108. The event’s success is mostly because “awareness among yoga practitioners has grown, corporate sponsorship has increased, and the whole process is much easier now that it was a couple of years ago,” according to Mara. All of the proceeds raised will go towards paying for The Wellness Initiative’s programs.

The event features 108 sun salutations by 10 yoga instructors from around the area, live music, all-levels yoga classes, a silent auction

and food, drinks and other goodies (including Cheribundi!). Cheribundi is proud to be part of this event, and the movement of promoting yoga and wellness in schools. Good work, TWI!

Guest Blog—Yogathon to Benefit Kids

By Lori Flynn

Full Circle Yoga

This Saturday marks the return of the Wellness Initiative’s Yogathon in Boulder, Colo.  


Participants in the event pledge to complete 108 Sun Salutations—either as individuals or as part of a team—to raise money and awareness for the organization's commitment to providing yoga, meditation and mindfulness programs to youth in low income school systems.

Why the need for yoga in schools?  Yoga has been recognized for providing many benefits beyond the obvious stretching and flexibility so commonly associated with it. 


Yoga is often credited with providing improved memory function and learning efficiency, increased well-being and self acceptance and increased social skills, concentration and attention.  

A recent study conducted by Purdue and Indiana Universities in conjunction with Yoga For Kids in Central New York concluded that, “YogaKids Tools for Schools has a significant positive effect on the academic achievement, general health, personal attributes and relationships of students in Kindergarten through 5th grade.”  


The kids liked it too, as evidenced in their comments following the study:

I think behavior in the class has changed. It has improved after yoga because we are calm, relaxed and ready to learn.

When I get stressed out, I right away find a quiet spot and listen to music and then do Yoga. It has also made me more calmer [sic] and more patient. In school. I find that I am paying attention more and also raising my hand. Yoga has really not changed my life but is has helped my personality. I feel my confident about myself.

I don't just, out of the blue, scream at someone, I stay calm. I am getting better grades and I participate more. It helps me when my teacher made a Yoga zone in our room because I can go there during free time and silent reading time too.

If you are in the Boulder/Denver area, consider participating in the Third Annual Yogathon this Saturday. If you are not in the area, you can still participate by donating to the Wellness Initiative. 


Cheribundi will be there, with bottles of juice for all of the participants! To register, donate or simply learn more, please visit http://www.wellnessinitiative.org/. 

Namaste!

Lori is a musician, yoga teacher and gypsy currently residing in Lyons, CO. Visit her on Facebookor at FullCircleYogaOnline.com.