Resilience, Awareness, and Yoga in Schools (RAYS)

With  Dr. Tammy Bosler

The RAYS (Resilience, Awareness, & Yoga in Schools) Program aims to foster self-awareness, emotional regulation, and stress reduction among students, enabling them to navigate the challenges of adolescence more effectively and cultivate a positive mindset for lifelong success. 

My program has two main components.  Part I is to teach students techniques from Yoga and Zen to build awareness and emotional regulation using movement and breathing.  I show them several techniques, and we practice together.  Each student receives handouts to help learn and practice the techniques.  In Part II, we have discussions about what is means to be human and how qualities like compassion, gratitude, and courage can help us be the best version of ourselves.

I adapt the materials to appropriate ages, and I use a combination of hands on experiences (from Part I) with followup conversations (Part II) around what the kids experience or are curious about.  I am trained in Inquiry-based educations techniques and improvisation.  Most importantly, the language I use is grounded in compassion and inclusivity, so the most important thing a child takes from their time with me is that they are important.

Part I – Mindfulness & Yoga Techniques 

Breathing and Body Awareness

The Mind and Body are not connected – they are the same thing!  We can use mindful movement, integrated with slow breathing, to help bring balance to the entire system (MindBody).  Students will get support for the demands of sitting in a classroom for extended periods of time – stretching, mobilizing, and building awareness of posture. 

Students will be guided through various breathing exercises and body scans to cultivate awareness of their physical sensations. These practices will help them develop a deeper connection between the mind and body, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.  

Finding trust and safety in one’s own body is a powerful tool to help students stay grounded and move through stressful situations with more ease.  This awareness also helps students see when situations need to change and gives them the energy and courage to take actions to improve the situation.

Mindful “Snacks”

One of the primary tools I will be using is what I call ‘Snacks’, which are short, simple techniques that students can easily learn and bring in to their lives.  These ‘snacks’ are rooted in traditional Yoga and Zen techniques that have been shown promise in helping to regulate the nervous system through peer reviewed studies.

Part I is the foundations of the movement part of the program.  These movements are sometimes simple and sometimes more complex depending on the ages and abilities of the children present.  I will use these physical experiences to guide followup discussions about using the sensations in the body, caring for our body, and how we can use these movements to help us through life.

Part II – Redefining Resilience

I integrate aspects of philosophy and self-care through an approach I call “Redefining Resilience.”  These discussions will focus on topics relating to self-regulation, community building, but I will follow the students’ curiosity using Inquiry-based learning pedagogy. During any particular workshop I will refer to aspects of the following concepts, depending on how appropriate it is for the children I am with:

– Defining “Normal”

I take the students through discussions on what is means to be ‘normal’, and how we can begin to deconstruct the ideas that society tells us about ourselves.  The framework of our discussions will really focus on what is means to be a person because the idea of ‘normal’ is an abstract one that no one conforms to.

We do some thought experiments to least students to reflect on who they are, beyond what the world tells them.  Students will be encouraged to express their process of self-awareness through writing, art work, etc.   We reflect on the idea of having unconditional love for themselves even if their identity is different than what the world tells them it should be. 

– Cultivating Gratitude and Compassion

The program will emphasize cultivating gratitude and compassion as essential components of mindfulness. Students will engage in gratitude journaling, acts of kindness, and reflection exercises to foster a positive mindset and nurture their relationships with themselves and others.   

We do not live alone, and practicing mindfulness in a school setting gives us a chance to remind students that they have a whole community for support.  Not only that, but each student is an important part of that community.  We will do reflections and ‘action items’ to help empower students to rise up and serve their community.

– Living with Uncertainty

Our students are often looking for a source stability at a time when so many things are uncertainty.  Even their own bodies are changing everyday, not to mention the world around them.  The foundation of Yoga philosophy is to make peace with the nature of an uncertain world.  Through the many techniques mentioned above, I guide teenagers to feel safe in their own bodies and minds (and encourage them to ask for help when they do not feel safe).  Yoga is an ancient system that helps us feel anchored in something deep within us.  This anchor helps us face uncertainty with clarity and ease.