LINDEN — Before her students take a test and to help them stay focused on the last day before winter break, North Montgomery High School teacher Cassie Bever will call for a brain break.
One of her favorite techniques is called flower breathing. The students roll their shoulders back and touch their pinky fingers and thumbs together, spreading their hands to make the shape of a flower, which they focus on to refocus their minds.
“It, like, resets their body to help them learn better,” Bever said of the techniques.
Bever recently became an instructor for Breathe for Change, a 200-hour yoga certification program specifically designed for educators. Along with leading students in breathing and chair yoga practices, she offers a free yoga class for the staff and has led a workshop on teacher wellbeing.
The program, which has been completed by more than 5,000 educators and community leaders nationwide, was created by a former public school teacher who studied the role a teacher’s health plays in a student’s academic performance.
Originally based in New York and San Francisco, the training has since gone virtual, allowing educators to participate from coast-to-coast.
The training has resulted in enhanced overall physical and emotional wellness, higher energy levels and reduced stress and burnout, according to the company’s research.
Bever, who has practiced yoga for about 15 years, wanted to become certified in the practice but didn’t see a connection to the classroom at first. Breathe for Change’s social-emotional learning piece ties into North Montgomery’s neuroscience education.
Her tuition was covered in part by grants from the nonprofit Indiana Youth Institute and the Montgomery County Retired Teachers Association.
Since introducing the concepts to her students, she has noticed an improvement in their ability to regulate their emotions and reduce stress and anxiety.
“Whatever they do afterward, they’re going to remember the content a little better if they’ve done something different beforehand.”
