While teaching second and third grade in Brooklyn, New York, founder Sonya Patel, noticed that her students were very over stimulated and stressed whether it be from the pressures at home or other environments. There were also limited opportunities for them to refocus their energy and find some solace in their day. Occasionally, Sonya showed her students basic yoga poses and breathing techniques during PE and quick transitions throughout the day as a break. They enjoyed it very much and it provided them a chance to reenergize and refocus. Upon returning to her hometown of Cleveland in 2010, Sonya founded ZENworks Yoga with the core mission of providing access to yoga and mindfulness for children and families in under-served schools and community organizations of Northeast Ohio.
Together with a passionate group of educators and yogis, the team built a program committed to creating change and growth in a child’s life by teaching skills based on the practice of yoga and mindfulness. ZENworks Yoga officially became a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2013. Since this transition, ZENworks Yoga has expanded to fulfill the needs of Cleveland’s most impoverished areas and most recently served more than 1,500 students in 20 schools.
Develop strength, flexibility, balance and stamina
Develop ability to interact positively with peers and teachers
Develop ability to apply yoga practice to other life situations and share with others
Develop ability to communicate needs and emotions effectively
We do this through implementing a vetted curriculum aimed to EMPOWER and CONNECT
students by introducing the following weekly objectives aligned with
social-emotional learning standards including Focus, Settling Your Mind, Self-Management, Kindness and more.
