The yoga program Dr. Barbara Malkas started a few years ago in North Adams Public Schools has benefited students, faculty, staff, and even the community at large. But Malkas, the Massachusetts district's superintendent, admits her motivations for teaching yoga in schools were more personal.
“I have to be very honest and say that my bringing forward this as an initiative in the district came from a purely selfish self-care need,” says Malkas who was recently named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year. “This was back in 2021. We were just coming out of the pandemic. Stress levels were really high for both the adults in the district as well as for the children.”
