Testimonials

"I think yoga is good for us because after lunch we are a wild bunch. And after yoga we are a quite bunch" - Samantha, 5th Grade Student

"Thank you so much for all the programs like hip-hopYoga, A+ Math and Accelerated Reader." - Abigail, 4th Grade Student

"It was one of those opportunities that students may be unsure of but in the end rave about." - Administrator, Chicago Public Schools

"I LOVE Hip-HopYoga because it relaxes my mind. It also helps me focus on school, family and friends. It is also very fun." - High School Student from Phoenix Military Academy

“The program is easily adaptable to meet the social, cultural and economic needs of our students. We are so excited to be implementing a program with Mindful Practices! Even when classroom space is tight, students learn that they can find peace in tree pose during their in-class yogi-breaks.” - Sue, Student Advocate

"My students enjoy doing yoga right after lunch - it's a way to transition from the craziness of an unstructured period into work. Also, we use yoga circle as a way to talk about any issues from lunch/recess. Occasionally I've had a student say 'This is stupid, i don't want to do it.' But inevitably the next day he sees what he missed out on and wants to join again. The biggest benefit I've seen from Yoga is the transitioning factor and self-esteem boosts. The kids are much more calm and thank goodness for that!" - Special Education Teacher, Oak Park

"Hip-HopYoga relaxes your body when you have a bad day, and it clears your mind." - Kevin, High School Junior

"The kids love it and the change in their self confidence level from beginning to end is inspiring." - Tracy, First Grade Teacher

"Many schools don’t offer sufficient gym time that truly exposes children to the benefits of lifestyles. Additionally, athletic programs are not developed to meet the needs of both girls and boys in countless communities through Chicago. The incorporation of yoga programs like Carla’s help address students’ physical needs.” - Liz, After School Program Community Coordinator

"I wish I would get yoga 24 hours a day." - First Grade Student at Blaine Elementary

“Mindful Practices' wellness programs help our students redirect their minds in order to focus on academic achievements and not outside distractions.” - Mr. Kearns, 3rd Grade Teacher

"This is a program that our school has implemented throughout all grade levels and have found to be very useful and productive for our students. I have noticed that through yoga, my students scores in math and reading have increased and they are feeling more successful. When speaking with the teachers from other schools who have implemented the program , they have noticed the same changes. The most interesting thing about this observation, was that students, even with their different backgrounds, learned to incorporate yoga into their everyday lives to help them be successful." - Ms. Gianatasio, 5th Grade Teacher

"I like yoga because it gives me energy. Yoga makes strong." - Jocelyn, 3rd Grade Student

“We were looking for alternative strategies for assisting our bi-lingual, low to no income students in coping with anger management and inappropriate behaviors. Yoga helps redirect the mind in order to focus on academic achievements and not outside distractions.” - Jim, 3rd Grade Teacher

"There is no competition in yoga. Everyone achieves according to their own ability and that's OK." - Principal, Berwyn

"They (the students) are very quick to be negative at times with our specific demographic. The kids are used to having a lot of negativity around them. Once we brought in the Hip-HopYoga element they were able to infuse a little of their own identity into the yoga and it has been 100% buy-in. My most withdrawn or most behaviorally challenged or academically challenged students can go in there and completely rock the house." - 4th Grade Teacher, Chicago Public Schools

"The program was about combining two things that people didn't think we would be able to combine, Hip-Hop and Yoga. The yoga like helps us stimulate our bodies and our minds but with the Hip-Hop we got into the beat and yoga came out even better." - Jorge, high school sophomore