Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Built a Published Cancer Study on the Grounded Kids Curriculum
A peer-reviewed study in Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics tested whether yoga is feasible for children and adolescents undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) — one of the most intensive treatments in pediatric cancer care.
The research team came from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and Emory University. The yoga they tested was ours.
“The study utilized Grounded Kids Yoga which incorporates the principles and practices found in Hatha Yoga.”
“Grounded Kids provides 84 poses which served as the foundation for the yoga intervention sessions.”
Every child enrolled in the study received Grounded Kids pose cards and a handbook of yoga and mindfulness strategies to use on the unit.
What the study found
A gentle, choice-based yoga intervention was safe and appropriate for children in active transplant care. It helped them stay connected to their bodies, regulate their emotions, and cope with a high-stress medical experience.
The researchers pointed to four things that made it work:
- Sensory-sensitive movement and slow transitions
- Visuals and sequencing tools
- Patient-led adaptations for energy and pain levels
- Teachers trained in trauma-informed kids yoga
Why this matters
A children’s hospital needed a yoga curriculum it could safely put in front of immunocompromised children in active treatment. It chose this one. That is a different kind of credential than a testimonial.
Train in the method the study used
Step 1 of our training pathway covers:
- Child development through the lens of the chakra system
- Tools for self-regulation, grounding, and energy balance
- Our trauma-aware sequencing system
- Visual and sensory tools for accessibility
- Ethical, culturally informed ways to teach real yoga to children
Whether you’re a yoga teacher, occupational therapist, social worker, or school counselor, our programs are built for your work with children and teens.
Explore the full training certification
Read the study
Feasibility of a Yoga Intervention for Children and Adolescents Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplant — the full published article
Easley, T., Haight, A., Hall, T., Palmer, K., Konter, J., Hayes, R., Nelson, J. L., & Cherven, B. (2025). Feasibility of a Yoga Intervention for Children and Adolescents Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplant. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 45(5), 729–744.
More evidence-based resources for educators and professionals: Research & Resources
Want to be a risk taker?
For many of us, a new year represents a blank slate, a Tabula Rasa. Imagine being able to “refresh” any or all areas of your life. Now visualize this table with two columns, Yes and No. You create your truest life by thoughtfully choosing what goes in the No column and what is a Yes. Everything you say YES to and everything you say NO to matters. What if your yes’s and no’s were tabulated and at the end of a day, week, year, lifetime, you could see how the data, otherwise known as your life, balanced out?
Sedef Dion who teaches a Pre-Grounded class at Springs Yoga shared with me the story of a four year old girl who in the cutest way mistakenly called Savasana….Lasagna. This inspired me to write a Savasana visualization with a Lasagna theme that Amy and I recently used to connect with our Fernbank Elementary Yoga Club students. After we did our practice complete with the Lasagna Savasana, one of our students..the Principal’s seven year old daughter said…”that was so relaxing…this could help me fall asleep at night”. Since it was her birthday that day, we wanted to put together a recording that her parents could play for her as she lays her head down for a good night rest after a long day.
1. HAVING A SECURE FEELING OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH REALITY AND YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS.