For 42 students attending Zachariah Connell Elementary School, in Connellsville, the practice of yoga has become an after-school activity.
Backpacks, coats and shoes were piled up at the foot of the cafeteria wall. The lights were off, but there was enough sunlight entering the windows to see clearly the large number of students sitting cross-legged on mats spread over the floor -- and being perfectly quiet.
"It's that quiet for the entire time," said Rebecca McLuckey, principal at the school. "It's wonderful."
The yoga program is part of Healthier Steps to Pennsylvania and is being coordinated with Highlands Hospital. The hospital's yoga instructor, Myra Posner, has visited the school once a week for six weeks to teach the body postures and breathing techniques to 48 students.
"It's for fifth- and sixth-grade students, and it's an one-hour class after school," said Torrie Winseck, the guidance counselor at Zachariah Connell Elementary. "This is all volunteer. This is not for a grade and does not go with any classes. It's just for wellness."
From the first week of the yoga class, Winseck said, she was surprised to see a noticeable change in the students. They were quiet, focused and getting some exercise with yoga's stretching, bending and breathing.
One student who noticed a difference was sixth-grader Colin Chambers, who said he volunteered to be a part of the program because he realized that he sometimes looked at the downside of things. "I came here to lighten my spirit."
For Colin, the most difficult thing about yoga was the stretching.
"I'm not the most flexible person on the planet," he said, but added that the exercises succeeded in making him more relaxed. "I'm looking at things a little brighter now."
Morgan Wiltrout, a fifth-grade student, said she decided to take up yoga to ease her mind and explore its relaxing benefits.
"I like the silence and like to get stuff out of my mind," she said, adding that the classes have helped with her schoolwork because she's now thinking more clearly.
"They really must be enjoying it and getting something out of it," McLuckey said.
The students are instructed in a calm manner to stay focused and breathe, and to let their anxieties go with every breath. There also are lessons for students on how to be kind and fulfill their purpose.
The fifth- and sixth-graders in the elementary school aren't the only ones benefiting from the classes. Winseck, McLuckey and six other faculty members have joined the sessions.
"This is very relaxing for me," McLuckey said. "A good stress reliever, and it's beneficial as exercise."
This is the first time the school has offered a yoga program, McLuckey said, adding it may offer aerobics for the next six-week session.
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