"Breathing to Write" by Professor Jennifer Sinor

Professor Jennifer Sinor published an essay titled "Breathing to Write" in the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. This essay highlights the struggles that her students face. She writes,"I don’t need the newspapers or the latest studies (one in five college students, one third of college students, one-fourth of the state) to tell me that anxiety/depression is the number one health concern facing young people today. I see it in their writing. Every semester."

"We must teach the whole person. To deny students their complete identity as human beings is to sever them at the neck."

In reaction to what she sees in her students, she describes her approach to addressing the ever increasing issue of mental health in students. She began incorporating her training as a yoga instructor into her class, beginning each class with minutes of breathing with closed eyes. Her essay shares how including this meditation has been beneficial to her and her students.

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