What teachers observe
In a study of 2nd and 3rd graders using a ten-session classroom yoga curriculum, teachers reported significant improvements in social interaction, attention span, concentration, staying on task, academic performance, stress handling, confidence, self-esteem, and mood (Butzer et al., 2015). That breadth is the point — yoga touches behavior, emotion, and learning at once.
From behavior to grades
One controlled study went further: high-school students assigned to yoga instead of regular PE ended the year with higher GPAs (Hagins & Rundle, 2016). Attention and stress regulation are upstream of academic performance, so the finding is less surprising than it sounds. In another year-long study, self-esteem rose only in the yoga group (Eggleston, 2015).
Yoga is SEL, delivered through the body
Reviewers analyzing 14 school yoga studies concluded the practice maps directly onto the CASEL social-emotional learning framework — especially self-awareness and self-management (Martin, Peck & Terry, 2024). For schools with SEL goals and limited curriculum hours, yoga delivers those competencies in a format children experience as play, not as another lesson.
Making it work in a real school
The programs behind these results were modest: 10 to 40 sessions of 30–45 minutes, run in classrooms and gyms. No special rooms, no staff hires — the model Brightroots runs in Bay Area schools, aligned to school-day, PE, or after-school slots.
Classroom yoga consistently improves what teachers care about — on-task behavior, concentration, confidence, and mood — while delivering CASEL-aligned SEL, with some evidence it lifts grades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does classroom yoga take time away from academics?
The studied programs used 30–45 minute sessions once or twice a week, and one controlled study found yoga students finished with higher GPAs than PE peers — suggesting the time invests back into learning.
How does yoga support SEL requirements?
Published reviews map school yoga directly onto CASEL competencies, particularly self-awareness and self-management, making it a concrete way to deliver SEL goals.
Do students need to be flexible or athletic?
No. Classroom yoga is non-competitive and every pose is adaptable — which is exactly why it reaches students who avoid traditional sports.
Sources
Curious what this looks like in practice?
Brightroots brings research-grounded yoga to schools and daycares across the Bay Area.
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