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School Wellness Program

For the young generation shaping the future,
lifelong skills to find balance within.

Hatha Yoga and Meditation Programs for Schools

Bringing authentic Hatha Yoga and meditation to elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and universities.

Discuss a school visit or talk Explore age groups

Students Today

Today's students live in a world overflowing with information

Young people today are surrounded by more information and stimulation than ever before. Smartphones and social media, studying, entrance exams, relationships, finding a job, and worries about the future: the concerns and stresses students face change at every stage of life.

As information continually flows in from outside, there is less and less time to notice how the mind and body feel and quietly turn inward.

Children and young people today

Time to quietly connect with themselves is disappearing

As information continually flows in from outside, there is less and less time to notice the mind and body and quietly turn inward. Hatha Yoga and meditation offer a practical way to bring that time back into education.

Focus

Bring attention back from distractions to the present moment.

Find balance

Become aware of the state of your mind and body.

Meet challenges

Stay grounded, even under stress.

Live fully

Allow your natural vitality to flourish.

Age groups

What each age needs, right now

Even within Hatha Yoga, the abilities to nurture and the challenges students face vary with age. Programs are designed for each stage of education.

Elementary school · Ages 6–12

A time to move the body and develop self-awareness

As time spent with smartphones, games, and videos increases, there are fewer opportunities to move freely outdoors. Difficulty concentrating, sitting still, or shifting emotions can arise. From an early age, children face challenges including lack of exercise, poor posture, sleep patterns, friendships, and the stress of school life.

How Hatha Yoga and meditation can help

Through experiences of moving, sensing, focusing, and becoming still, students build foundations for concentration, body awareness, posture, balance, and the ability to calm themselves.

Examples for elementary schools

  • Hatha Yoga experiences in PE and health education
  • Hatha Yoga and meditation classes to build concentration
  • Programs exploring healthy relationships with smartphones, games, and digital media
  • Experiential programs combining movement and stillness
  • Mind and body wellness programs for families and PTAs

Young people today, in numbers

Official statistics also reveal the current situation

These challenges reflect a changing environment for young people. From smartphones and social media to school non-attendance and, most seriously, suicide, the numbers show where things stand.

Smartphones, social media, stress, and anxiety

Source: National Institution for Youth Education, Survey Report on High School Students' Use of Social Media (July 2024)

49.6%

Started using social media in junior high school

Next were grades 4–6 of elementary school, at 28.5%. Children are starting to use social media at younger ages.

30–40%

Experienced low mood or insomnia while using social media

Reported by 30–40% of Japanese high school students and around 50% in the U.S. in the same survey. Longer usage time is identified as a factor.

School non-attendance | Latest national survey

Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), FY2024 survey (published October 2025)

137,704 students

Elementary school students

23.0 per 1,000 students

216,266 students

Junior high school students

67.9 per 1,000 students

67,782 students

High school students

23.3 per 1,000 students

School non-attendance per 1,000 students

353,970 students

Total elementary and junior high school students not attending school. The number has reached a record high for 12 consecutive years.

Suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students | 2025

Source: National Police Agency, Suicide in 2025, final figures

Breakdown by school level

Elementary school students

10 students

Junior high school students

172 students

High school students

356 students

Total

538 students

Highest since records began

In 2025, suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students reached the highest level since records began in 1980.

Data on university student suicides

National Police Agency, 2025 suicide statistics by occupation / MEXT, FY2024 Survey of Student Deaths at Universities

424 students

University student suicides

2025 · National Police Agency

306 students

Confirmed or suspected suicides

University survey

11.0

per 100,000 students

Shown as separate measures because survey methods and definitions differ

Beyond the numbers

Behind every number,there is an individual life.

Three quiet practices

  • Noticing the state of your mind and body.
  • Knowing how to calm yourself.
  • Developing habits that help you find balance.

This can be one educational approach to supporting mental and physical wellbeing. It can be incorporated into everyday education alongside support from schools, families, healthcare providers, and specialist services.

Skills to nurture

Six abilities to develop through Hatha Yoga and meditation

The ability to focus

Develop the ability to return attention to the present moment, rather than being constantly pulled toward outside distractions.

The ability to balance the mind

Develop awareness of your current state, rather than being swept along by thoughts and emotions.

The ability to care for the body

Cultivate posture, flexibility, balance, and body awareness, along with a sense of care for your own body.

The ability to meet stress

Rather than aiming for a life without stress, develop the ability to find balance amid pressure and change.

The ability to connect with yourself

Develop the ability to step back from social media, others' judgments, and comparison, and take time to quietly sense yourself.

The ability to live with vitality

Develop the ability to express your natural vitality more fully and live with energy, as yourself.

Program design

Tailored to age, group size, goals, and challenges

Programs are designed around the challenges each elementary school, junior high school, high school, university, or vocational college currently faces. Timing can be adapted to class schedules and school events.

Introductory classes

For whole schools or year groups

Curriculum classes

Integrated into PE and health education

Exam preparation

Concentration programs for exam students

Club activities

For athletes and sports clubs

Student support

In partnership with counseling and health centers

Training

Programs for teachers, staff, and PTAs

Session length

From a single introductory class to an ongoing program across a term

30 minutes 60 minutes 90 minutes 2 hours

Inquiries are welcome from across Japan. A format will be proposed to suit your class schedule, year groups, and venue.

Your teacher

Authentic Hatha Yoga, taught directly

Setsuko Hata

Setsuko Hata

Sadhguru-certified Hatha Yoga teacher / School programs

  • Sadhguru-certified Hatha Yoga teacher

    One of only six Japanese people with this certification.

  • A year and a half of yoga training in India

    Completed more than 1,750 hours of intensive training.

  • Previously, 13 years in the U.S. jazz world

    Worked as a composer and professional musician, developing communication and expressive skills.

  • A yoga tradition supported by science

    Teaches Hatha Yoga systematized by Sadhguru, the same tradition studied by Harvard researchers.

Learn more about your teacher

Contact

Yoga and meditation for the future of education.

After discussing your school's current challenges, students' ages, group size, and class schedule, a suitable program will be proposed. Inquiries are welcome from across Japan.

Discuss a school visit or talk

Contact person

Setsuko Hata
Sadhguru-certified Hatha Yoga teacher

Email

yoga@setsukohata.com

Statistics on this page are based on published data from the sources listed.