“The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself.”
B.K.S Iyengar
A few weeks ago, I received an exciting message in my inbox from Yoga Alliance, the primary professional organization for yoga advocacy, standards, and research. YA regularly tracks legislation or regulations that can have an impact on all aspects of yoga teaching and this message was an alert about a bill introduced in the Illinois senate, SB 2348, to amend the school code, requiring school districts to “provide instruction on relaxation activities such as yoga or meditation for at least one half-period of the school day to enhance both mental and physical health of students.”
A subsequent amendment provides more details [bolding mine]: “Each school district shall provide to students, in addition to and not substituting recess, at least 20 minutes per week of relaxation activities to enhance the mental and physical health of students as part of the school day. Relaxation activities may include, but are not limited to, mindful-based movements, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, guided relaxation techniques, quiet time, walking, in-person conversation, and other stress-relieving activities. A school district may partner with local community-based organizations to provide relaxation activities. These activities may take place in a physical education class, social-emotional learning class, or student-support or advisory class or as a part of another similar class, including a new class.”
My initial reaction was surprise mixed with gratitude that what we have learned increasingly over the last several years about mental health and wellness was being recognized as important enough to formally include in the academic environment for all students. Of course, there are a lot of questions that follow—how would this be done, who will be leading the decision-making and implementation to ensure that this is not just a box that is ticked but a meaningful addition to a student’s educational experience? But this particular bill gives a lot of options and that’s where I think choirs enter the picture.
My introductory post for this blog series nearly three years ago was titled The Conductor as Yogi: You Already Are One. It was my way of acknowledging that so much of what we do as part of the choral rehearsal is a natural fit with the larger understanding of yoga as unifying human awareness: deep breathing, gentle, mindful movement, and pivoting from a passive, “feed me information” class model to an active, exploratory, sense-awakening, your-body-is-your-instrument experience. Since then, I have continued to share practical ideas about how this can be seamlessly woven into the skill-building that we do as choral leaders and I have seen many others in our field do the same.
Initiatives like this bill signal a timely opportunity—to consciously recognize the mind-body-spirit intersection that already exists in the choral experience and can be strengthened (and supported by our institutions) to enhance singers’ overall wellness. Don’t think of this as an added obligation (“I’m already pressed to teach these pieces, don’t tell me to do even more in rehearsal”). Reframing our thinking and our teaching activities can help singers release the stress that stands in the way of good musical work and can shape the bonds and the excellence within our choral community as singers learn more about themselves as humans. You don’t have to stand on your head or go to yoga teacher training to lead this charge (though I always encourage taking some classes for your own benefit and to personally experience how the flow of a sun salutation can be a game-changer for singers).
I’ll be watching what happens in Illinois and learning about other initiatives out there that seem to fit naturally with our musical teaching and leading. But one thing I know: as a long-time choral professional I can recall many woe-is-me conversations with colleagues about how the arts are not valued and supported. Could we see this moment as the time to help our publics understand what it is we really do, or can do, when we honor the choral experience fully, holistically, and still with our never-wavering commitment to the expressive sounds we make and share with others? Can this be our natural and effective contribution to creating a healthier environment and giving singers tools to take with them into other parts of their lives?
“Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go. What does matter is who you are when you get there.”
Max Storm
Dr. Ramona Wis is the Mimi Rolland Endowed Professor in the Fine Arts, Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and the author of The Conductor as Leader: Principles of Leadership Applied to Life on the Podium. Dr. Wis is a 500-hour CYT (Certified Yoga Teacher) and a certified Brain Longevity® Specialist, a research-based certification on yoga and integrative medicine for brain health and healthy aging. Reach her at: or ramonawis.com.
Check out:
Yoga Alliance advocacy
Illinois Bill Tracker
https://trackbill.com/bill/illinois-senate-bill-2348-sch-cd-yoga-relax-instruct/2363957/
Research on Yoga and Education (all levels)
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