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No more detention, yoga instead at one Denver school

Posted at 5:33 PM, Feb 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-28 20:10:25-05

DENVER  — One school in southwest Denver has decided to do away with detention and replace it with yoga. 

Doull Elementary has instituted “after school reflection” to take the place of old-style discipline. 

“In detention, two angry kids were just sitting by each other,” Principal Jodie Carrigan told Denver7. 

The school hired an experienced yoga instructor and former teacher, Trini Heffron, to lead the students.

“So we give them a space where they can relax and try something different that they can take home,” she said. “It’s good to learn reading and math but the emotional part sometimes we don’t pay a lot of attention.”

But how does breathing and posing help kids who have been misbehaving?

“To take that moment to think and breath and be reflectful can really help prevent all sorts of problems,” Doull’s school psychologist said. 

The program has gotten so popular the school implemented a third day of after-school yoga for the rest of its students. And it has paid dividends in the classroom.

 “Oh I can be still here like I do in yoga class every Wednesday,” Heffron said, imitating her hope for a student. “I’m going to learn and pay attention and follow directions from the teacher now.”

The yoga program is made possible by a new grant the school recently received.