Chapter 9: An Integrated Approach to Mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences Through Trauma-informed Yoga

The aim of this study was to improve the behavioral and academic outcomes for adolescents in rural Virginia and Montana through the applied intervention of trauma-informed yoga. In Montana, this intervention was facilitated through a community partnership with a local yoga studio, a public high school, and a public university. In Virginia, the intervention was led by a college professor volunteering in a local middle school, thereby creating a community/higher-ed/K–12 collaboration. Given the prevalence of adolescent suicide, substance abuse, and mental health issues in both regions, this project was intended to help mitigate factors that may contribute to poor behavioral health and academic achievement in students (Souers, 2016). This study examined the relationship between a trauma-informed approach incorporating yoga/mindfulness and academic, social, and emotional behaviors among middle and high school students in rural academic settings in Virginia and Montana. While the intervention approaches varied somewhat in each setting, student and teacher preand post-intervention survey data indicated that there were academic, social, and emotional benefits following each intervention in each location.