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Kindergarten teacher uses yoga to improve students' focus

PERU, Ind. (AP) - The students in Chas Zelinsky's kindergarten class are working on puzzles and crafts when she calls their attention and dims the light.

The students get up out of their chairs and stand by their desks. They all know what time it is.

It's time to do some yoga.

Zelinsky starts the session with each student bent over, touching toes and controlling breathing. Slowly, with deep breaths, they raise themselves up to their full height.

"Hello, sun!" the kids shout as they stand up and reach toward the ceiling.

For the next 10 minutes, Zelinsky leads her students through a simple yoga session that includes poses with names like the frog, the tree and the shark.

The kids don't know what the moves are called, though. They just think it's fun. Little do they know it's actually helping them learn, she told the Kokomo Tribune (http://bit.ly/1LxFT33 ).

Zelinsky first started conducting yoga sessions in her classroom at Pipe Creek Elementary School in October, after she began researching the effects of attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on students.

After a few months working with her new students, she realized many of the kids exhibited signs they might struggle with the disorders.

During her investigation, though, she came across studies that indicated children pegged with the disorders are often misdiagnosed.

The real problem, the studies said, was kids didn't have strong core muscles, which affected their motor skills and ability to concentrate.

Zelinsky said the studies suggested there was a simple, although slightly unorthodox, solution to helping her kids focus: practicing yoga.

"It's one of those things that could be seen as a little wacky and also a waste of time," she said. ". But sometimes you have to think outside of the box when the inside of the box isn't working so well."

There was just one problem, though. She didn't know the first thing about doing yoga.

"Really and truly, I knew nothing," Zelinsky said. "I only wanted to do it for the kids."

YouTube became her guiding source. By watching instructional videos of yoga gurus demonstrating the basic moves, Zelinsky felt comfortable enough to make a decision.

"I thought, 'You know what? I'm going to try this,'" she said. "And I did, and it's been great. Absolutely, phenomenally great."

Before she did anything, though, Zelinsky approached her boss, Principal Laura Fulton, with the idea. Her response?

"Cool," Fulton said.

Over the last decade, Pipe Creek's poverty rate has climbed to more than 70 percent, she said, and school officials have been experimenting with ways to help students learn more efficiently.

Fulton said study after study found children who stay active learn more easily, and kids who live in poverty often don't get the exercise they need to stay strong.

So when Zelinsky asked if she could start doing yoga with her students, Fulton said she was all for it.

"It sounds kind of goofy to people who don't work with little kids, but kids that have a weak core have a hard time sitting still, and that can look like they're not paying attention," she said. "Those are the kinds of mind-body connections you don't think about until you start looking into it."

Zelinsky's first yoga sessions focused more on psychical movement, like doing crunches and other exercises to strengthen the core. Over the months, she began adding breathing exercises and stretching.

She also started incorporating math and counting into the sessions. While students twirled their arms or bounced on their knees, Zelinsky had them count by fives and tens up to 100.

These days, Zelinsky's daily yoga sessions range from seven to 20 minutes. On Fridays, an actual yoga instructor who used to work at the school comes to the classroom to teach the students new exercises and stretches.

"The kids love her," she said. "She is the quintessential yoga girl. She looks it, she talks it and I love her because she's so into it. The kids absolutely adore her."

Zelinsky also heads up yoga sessions for around 100 kindergartners when the students have indoor recess.

Now after four months, what started as a far-out experiment has turned into an indispensable exercise to help her students learn, she said - especially the kids who sometimes have a hard time paying attention.

"Doing yoga has turned out to be a wonderful addition to the day that's made a difference for these kids," she said. ". I'm really trying to get that mind and body connection. I think a lot of times there's a big disconnect there, and you're never really sure how to do it."

Fulton said she's also noticed the benefits for students.

"I really think this has helped those kids focus and reign it in a little bit," she said. "Her class has come a long way on their behavior and how they function at school. Can you point to yoga as the sole reason for that? Absolutely not, but it's been a great tool."

And as long as doing yoga helps her students, Zelinsky said, she's going to keep at it.

"I believe in it. I do," she said. "I wasn't sure at first, and that's why I wanted to try it out and see. But I believe in it now, and I'll continue to do it."

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com

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