New York City will introduce mindful breathing exercises to all public school students in an effort to support physical and mental health, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday.
The program will require all schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to facilitate two-to-five minutes of mindful breathing practices in schools every day.
“We live in a time of toxic social media communities, constant news flashes, and unfiltered alerts, all leaving a toll on the mental health of our students. But, today, it is time for our students to calm their nervous systems down,” said Adams.
A rollout of a citywide professional development program for educators in mindful breathing practices has already begun, city officials said.
The announcement came as public school students marked the last day of classes for the 2022-23 school year.