Reading, writing and … breathing: Mayor Adams to require NYC public schools offer students 2-5 minutes of ‘mindful breathing’
Hizzoner to NYC kids: Just breathe.
All public schools will soon be requšired to offer two to five minutes of mindful breathing exerciseź¦s to students every day, Mayor Adams announced with a Zen-like calm on Tuesday.
āThereās a science to breathing,ā Adamź¦s told students ašt PS 005 Dr. Ronald McNair in Brooklyn Tuesday.
āBreathing calms your nervous system, it helps to center us and help us regain our sense of balance and focus. It is a valuable, low coš»st tool that is proven to improve mental health and well being.ā
Schools citywide will be required to deliver two to five minutes of breathing instruction to kids grades K-12, building off of the city Dį¦epšartment of Educationās Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Preparation Program announced earlier this year.
A City Hą“all spokesman said the instruction will be built into the existing yoga program, with no new direct costs to the schools.
Hizzoner dubbed the propšosal as āthe schį£ool experience of the future.ā
Adams, a big , said the practice even helpāed him stand out in the 2021 mayoral field ā causing his opponents to fear his šcool.
āI remember when I was debating to become mayor, we were walking to thše studio and all of the candidates would be moving around out of nervousness.Ā
And I would sit down in the studio beforeź¦ we went on to debate and do my breathing exercise and one of tšhe candidates looked over at me and said, āWeāre never gonna beat this guy!āā
A City Hall aide did not respond to an immediate request for comment as to which candidate Hizzoner was refź¦¦erring to.
āThaļ·½t is what we are giving to these children. Young people, youāll never be defeated. You have a tool right now that weāre giving you that ź¦is going to empower you.ā
He predicts the practice will turn the ādisruptiveā āErics of todayā into model students ā referring to his own childhood, as a self-describšed hooligan.
āYouāre going to see a change over time.ā
“Instead of having violence, we will have balance,” he added.
DOE Chancellor David Banks noted itāll be up to school principals and administrš„ators to bšuild in the extra time, be it in the morning before the day starts, during advisory periods or during a gym class.
The DOE will incorporate the practice into itsź©² and teachers are on track to be trained in the exercises overš the summer.
An Adams spokeswoman said “these practices have already started in our public schools. 60 percent of schools have already been trained. Trainings will continue over the summer and fall 2023 for teachers and staff. We are hopeful that breathing practices will be in all public schools by Spring 2024”
The new practices will be a part of the DOE’s “literacy curriculum” and the United Federation of Teachers say about 2,500 teachers have been trained so far.
Banks said kids aāre already doing yoga in someš ° city schools.
Although kids wonāt be forced to participate, Adams predicated school kids will come arouš nd to the ideaš.
āAlthough we are building it in as a requirement, it is not forced on anyone. If you choose not to do the breathing exercise that’s fine. Eventually you will find your way,ā he promised.
The sometimes-vegan mayor also started meatless Fridays in DOE schools and even got the cityās Health + Hospitals system to start serving plant-based meals at all 11 of its facilities.Ā
Heās also previously criticized New Yorkers for failing to exercise enough.
āI lose votes every time I take a hot dog out of school. I like to say Iām the broccoli mayor. Youāre nšot gonna like it now, but youāre going to look back later and say, āDarn it, this guyās got it.ā