Students and staff at Dodd commemorated the International Day of Yoga with an informative and interactive assembly featuring several dignitaries.
The special program, which was designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and introduce students to the variety of benefits derived from practicing yoga, featured guest speakers Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das of the Consul General of India and Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran. Students and staff also viewed a video about the origin and advantages of yoga, and were led through a variety of stretching and breathing exercises by Dodd teacher Juan Mosquera.
"Who wants to be happy everyday?" asked Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham while speaking to students. "Isn't that the purpose of life? Who wants to be healthy? Anything you want from life - a happy and healthy life - yoga can accomplish for you. I wish I had yoga in my life when I was in middle school. I'm so grateful for what yoga has done for my life. The distractions of life go away when you practice yoga, and the body, mind and spirit are at their most peaceful states."
Last year, Dodd implemented a new social and emotional learning curriculum known as YES - Youth Empowerment Seminar -comprised of daily schoolwide breathing exercises designed to calm students' minds, help them manage their emotions and ultimately lead healthier lives. The program, which is premised upon the same foundation as yoga and provides similar benefits, is now being emulated by other school districts as well.
Dodd's commemoration of International Yoga Day served as a supplement to the YES curriculum, as well as a way for students to learn about the life-changing advantages the overall practice of yoga provides.