The Side Hustle

Breath For Change

Breathe for Change (B4C) is a Yoga/SEL platform whose mission is to use wellness as a vehicle for healing and social change. Their Yoga/SEL training is geared towards educators and anyone who wants to bring Yoga/SEL to their schools and communities.

Alejandra Pareigis, a kindergarten teacher at Parkview, recently completed her 200-hour Yoga/SEL training through Breathe for Change. We asked Allie a few questions about her experience.

How did you learn about the Breathe for Change Yoga/SEL training?

I learned about the training when Dr. Ileana Nankin sent an email offering a free weekly wellness and digital yoga practice for educators.  I left the practice wanting to know more, so I asked for them to contact me regarding the 200-hour Digital Teacher Training. They took the time to call me and walked me through all of the possible options for the courses.

What was it about B4C that made you decide to commit to the training?

At the time, I was finally able to work on my yoga practice, and I just started looking at options for yoga trainings so that I could eventually teach it in some form. I liked that Breathe for Change would give me a better grasp at becoming a facilitator for SEL and teach me how to integrate it into my everyday teaching.  I also liked how it was self-paced work. We only met for two days a week during the summer. I just wish they had in-person sessions as well. 

Have you noticed a change in yourself as a result of the training?  

The first thing I noticed was that I’m more flexible and aware of my body, how I move it, my posture when I sit, and how I hold myself.  I have also noticed that I’m calmer in my reactions, in the sense that I’m now more trauma-informed of my students and the people around me, including myself.  Learning about the Niyamas and the mantras has become an important part of my weekly meditation and has helped center me.  After all that happened last year, the physical and mental difficulties teaching can take and the medical issues that I had to face, it has helped me focus on my self-care, especially with the help of Tapas-Burning Discipline, Svadhyaya-Self Study, and Santosha-Contentment. I take these practices with me, even while traveling, and I try to find a special place where I can meditate. 

Have the SEL and yoga lessons had an effect on your students? 

The SEL lessons have helped my kindergarten kiddos learn to express their feelings and freely share them with me or their classmates. They use three collective breaths and "lotus" for settling down after transitioning or to help themselves whenever they need it. Flower Breathing has taught them to share positive thoughts about themselves and others, making them aware of others’ feelings and to foster appreciation. 

Do you envision bringing yoga and SEL to your colleagues or any other community members? 

Yes, I’d love to open up my classroom and practice yoga with the Parkview community at least biweekly. So far, I’ve only shared my yoga practice with a few teachers, but I would love to start it back up.  With my kindergarten team, we have used yoga and SEL for our first PLC focus as a way to help our students heal after COVID and learn social skills.

Would you recommend B4C to other educators who are interested in yoga and SEL?

I would highly recommend B4C to everyone in education. I took the faster pace training this summer, and it was highly stimulating, but I was able to build a close community of educators. Their program has a great way of connecting wellness at its center for healing our minds, body, and heart.