Mountain Island - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

education
Reading, writing – and breathing
Coulwood students
participate in new stressmanagement
program
by Andrew Batten
andrew@mountainislandweekly.com
COULWOOD – In a small, quiet
room off the gym, 19 seventh-grade
students sit barefoot, their legs crossed.
Guru Ranjit Deora sits in front of them,
and on his cue, the students begin
breathing deeply and humming the
mantra “OM.”
While the sights and sounds circulating
through the room at Coulwood
Middle School aren’t typical recess
activity, they will become common
during the next eight weeks as part of
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ “I
AM!” program.
Coulwood Middle, in the Mountain
Island area, and Randolph Middle, in
southeast Charlotte, were picked to
participate in the pilot program to help
students manage emotions and stress
and become better leaders.
“What I am trying to teach you is how
to know yourself, how to know who you
are,” Deora told the students before
settling them down for a brief meditation
session.
The weekly sessions, led by Deora, a
Charlotte yoga and meditation instructor,
will include breathing exercises,
laughter yoga, group discussions, meditation
exercises, interactive games and
a service project.
By simply learning techniques for
better breathing and relaxing, they will
better cope with all facets of their lives,
Deora told the students.
“I can assure you, if you do it, you
can get it,” he said. “There is nothing
that can stop you. Ups and downs will
come in life. Meditation and breathing
exercises are going to help you handle
that.”
Some parents may fear the meditation
and yoga sessions come attached
to some religious dogma, but Deora
said his techniques are “religion free.”
“I don’t bring religion. I bring you,”
he told the students.
While some of the students felt a little
silly just sitting there and breathing,
one person in the room made the session
way cool. Carolina Panthers football
player Na’il Diggs, a 31-year-old
linebacker, is sponsoring the program
with Russ and Gail Angelo. Diggs and
the Angelos are Deora’s students.
“I really hope that this catches on
and becomes cool, that other kids see
what’s going on and want to join in,”
Diggs said. “And I really hope parents
will recognize the good this does for
their kids.”
Diggs has been learning meditation
for about three years, ever since his
wife, Tiffany, suggested Deora’s Yoga
Health Solutions to help him cope with
stress on and off the field.
“It’s a good tool that I can take with
me wherever I go to deal with the business
of football,” he said. “I can use it
on the plane or in the locker room. You
don’t need any fancy equipment.”
Gail Angelo said she and her husband
felt compelled to partner with Diggs,
Deora and the school system because
she realized her own children could
have used the knowledge when they
were students.
“I would have loved for my kids to
have this support when they were growing
up,” she said. “It would have helped
them through those challenging middle
and high school years.” q
Mountain island Weekly
schools
neWs
• Bradley Middle: The School Leadership
Team meets Monday, Sept. 21,
at 6:30 p.m. … Student immunizations
must be up-to-date by Wednesday,
Sept. 23. All sixth- and seventh-graders
are required to have a Tdap booster
shot, and sixth-graders must turn in an
updated immunization record confirming
the Tdap booster. For more information,
call the guidance office at 980-
343-0138. … School officials will send
mid-quarter progress reports home
Thursday, Sept. 24.
• Hopewell High: The school’s
marching band will perform Saturday,
Sept. 19, during halftime of the
Davidson College football game against
Campbell University. The game begins
at 6 p.m., and the band also will perform
in the stands with the Davidson
College pep band.
• Lake Norman Charter: Picture
day is Friday, Sept. 18. … The school
store opens for the new year Wednesday,
Sept. 23. … Parents of sixth-grade
(more on page 17)
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