Everyone, from young children to adults, should take time out of their busy schedules to stretch, breathe, and relax their minds and bodies, according to P.E. teacher Cheryl Carroll. As a teacher who focuses on the physical health and wellness of her students, Cheryl is a big believer that physical activity helps children relieve stress, focus in class, and perform better overall. A natural outgrowth of this philosophy is incorporating yoga into the classroom. Cheryl has invited Heidi George, a certified yoga teacher from Yoga Ed., to train Academy teachers in using simple yoga-based mind-body integration strategies for effective stress and behavior and classroom management. Heidi teaches students, teachers and parents in the Grosse Pointe community. Yoga Ed. is geared for pre-school through middle school.

After a preliminary session with faculty members, Heidi will hold weekly after-school sessions for teachers beginning in November. A pilot afterschool program for students will follow in December.

First graders in Barbara Karle’s class enjoyed a visit from Heidi earlier this fall. Heidi led the children in stretching exercises and taught them a variety of relaxation techniques.