After Hurricane Helene made landfall in September 2024, the Laurens County School District, just outside Greenville, S.C., partnered with Amy Starkey, a local therapeutic yoga instructor to help their students and teachers recover from the storm.
Starkey worked to train teachers to incorporate mindful movement into their classrooms to support students’ recovery and well-being.
The exercises they’ve employed—including deep breathing and yoga stretches—can be done at students’ desks without the need for a designated space, or special equipment like yoga mats.
In surveys conducted by Starkey, teachers in the district observed significant improvements in students’ emotional regulation and behavioral challenges after just five weeks of yoga and mindfulness intervention. Students also reported using these techniques at home, empowering them to self-regulate in settings outside of the classroom.
“It helps me calm down and focus”
In addition to collecting data on the impact of incorporating yoga into the classroom, students shared their experiences and the other ways they’ve used these learnings in their daily lives.
