TEMPE, Ariz. — Yoga is a growing trend and the Tempe Union High School District is ahead of the curve.
Amanda Goe, a yoga instructor at Desert Vista High School, is credited with introducing yoga to TUHSD. Previously, Goe taught a health class and was unexpectedly asked to teach a driver’s education course. In 2012, not feeling qualified to teach new drivers, Goe suggested offering yoga instead. Once the district approved Goe’s proposal, that decision opened the door to teaching yoga at all schools within the district, Goe said. Goe said she felt it was important to earn a yoga teacher certification before teaching the course herself. However, TUHSD only requires P.E. certification to teach yoga in the district. Requiring only a P.E. certification is common throughout the country. A 2015 Harvard Medical School survey showed, “42% of the organizations stated that a basic 200-hour, registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification by Yoga Alliance, the governing yoga-teacher training authority in the United States, is required prior to attending their specialized, school-based yoga training.” Yoga is about more than physical poses and breathing exercises, Goe said. “Yes, all of that is a part of the class, but the main goal of yoga is mindfulness,” Goe said. Having the teaching certification makes it easier to display traditional yoga values, connect with students and better serve their individual needs, Goe said. As the program spread throughout the district, Goe marveled at the talent she had in her classroom. “I have kids that are incredible teachers,” Goe said. “So why not give them the ability to teach?” With the support of Yoga Alliance, Goe was able to implement the Yoga Teacher Training, also known as the YTT program. The YTT program requires 200 hours of class time and consists of three years of yoga courses paired with a hybrid anatomy and physiology course, Goe said. The hybrid class is designed to produce well rounded teachers, Goe said. “I really want the teachers I produce to be the best,” Goe said. “There are many yoga teachers who don’t understand or know the body and how it functions, and how to modify poses for certain situations as well as they could.” The class of 2019 has five students graduating with a YTT, Goe said. “It required extra work since it is new,” Goe said. “But next year it will grow.” Currently Desert Vista has 22 students on track to complete the YTT program in the next four years, Goe said. Goe recognizes that the true goal of yoga is mindfulness. By removing competition and negative energy from her classroom, Goe said she creates a space where students feel free to explore and become one with themselves. Goe has created a space of true relaxation. With light blue walls, dimmed lights and the aroma of essential oils, it is easy to center oneself. In each session, Goe voices encouragement, direction and positivity. “No competition, no comparison,” Goe said. “Let’s disconnect from our friends and find ourselves within.” Students in her class vary in age, gender, personality and skill. Goe always makes an effort to use specific language while teaching. For instance, when referring to modifications Goe would say, “here is an option.” Rather than, “If you are not flexible enough.” Word choice plays a strong role in the environment Goe creates for her students, Goe said. “You always want to be encouraging,” Goe said. This level of attention creates a space where students feel comfortable to trying a challenging balance pose, or to sink into the savasana, which typically takes place at the end of a yoga sequence. Madeline Shugrue, a freshman at Desert Vista quickly realized positive results. Shugrue started her school year in a brace due to scoliosis. “At first I questioned if I was capable of participating without harming myself,” Shugrue said. “But Mrs. Goe constantly adjusted and checked in with me.” With just a few weeks left in the school year Shugrue no longer has to wear her brace. “This class helped me to lengthen and strengthen my spine, and soon enough I wasn’t needing to wear my brace anymore,” Shugrue said. Desert Vista is not the only campus in TUHSD experiencing great success the yoga program. Andrea Fazz, the yoga and P.E. instructor at Mountain Pointe High School has also seen yoga have a positive impact her students and the campus overall. With the help of yoga on campus, the “home of the pride” — Mountain Pointe — is producing students who have “learned to take more pride in themselves,” Fazz said. “[Student] anxiety is down, their self-esteem has improved, and they are a better person because of it,” Fazz said. Not only are students growing internally, but the change is evident in their behavior as well. Fazz said she receives feedback from other faculty on campus, regarding the pleasant behavior of her “yogi” students. “[Faculty] could tell the students who came from me were a lot more chill, focused, respectful, kind and ready to learn,” Fazz said. Not only are faculty and staff noticing changes in their students, but they are also taking advantage of Fazz’s presence on campus, Fazz said. Grace Lawless, a senior at Mountain Pointe said she sees Fazz’s classroom as an escape on campus. “It brings peace to my mind and spirit and I think it helps insecure teenagers find more peace in their own self,” Lawless said. The Harvard Medical School survey concluded that, “it is likely that the need for the positive outcomes that yoga may provide for students is increasing, including improved social-emotional skills, classroom behavior, and performance.” “Not only are these students learning a new trade, but they are finding ways to balance their mind, body and spirit,” Goe said.
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