According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, practicing yoga can potentially improve the mental health of children and young people.
This school year, through their Mind, Body and Spirit class, Copperas Cove ISD said they are learning just how true that statement is.
Copperas Cove Junior High School student Samantha Parker said life can get stressful.
"School work, people," said Samantha.
However, she has learned how to manage her stress.
"I just take a breath and then I continue on. So I just kind of have to, like for people, I just have to put them out of my mind," said Samantha.
"We're talking and I may be telling her something that she doesn't really want to hear or an unpleasant conversation. She'll just kind of stop and just get very quiet and it's almost like she's just kind of meditating," said Reajuan Parker, Samantha's mother.
Samantha learned this life skill in Copperas Cove junior high's new Mind, Body and Spirit class.
"It's about getting those kids the knowledge of being healthy, physically and mentally," said Savannah Corpening, Copperas Cove Junior High School teacher.
For the first time ever, Copperas Cove ISD is offering the course as an alternative for physical education.
Samantha is not the only student feeling the positive effects.
"We've seen just an overall benefit to them in their daily interactions with other students. How they're handling themselves, their ability to handle difficult situations and kind of just bring their stress level down their anxiety down," Amanda Crawley, Copperas Cove Junior High School Principal.
"If you research yoga, this is one of the best ways for kids and adults to learn to cope with those feelings, to really acknowledge them and work through them in a really positive way," said Corpening.
Samantha said the class has a positive impact on her.
"It calms me down during the day because it can get pretty crazy," said Samantha Parker.
The Mind, Body and Spirit class is also offered at Copperas Cove's SC Lee Junior High campus.
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