We understand that educators are busier than ever, and the last thing they want is one more thing added to their plate.

Rhithm may seem like “one extra thing”; while it’s true it does take a few minutes to complete each day, we believe the “one extra thing” of doing Rhithm with regularity can actually buy back instructional time.

How? The Rhithm wellness videos, when done habitually, teach simple regulation practices that can re-wire the brain for lasting change. When students are emotionally regulated & equipped with the tools to stay balanced (or, in Rhithm 😉), there can be more time focused on learning.

Read below to find out more – or if you prefer, check out our Science of Rhithm videos.

Being Ready to Learn

Your and your student’s mood and mental ability can change a lot throughout the day, impacting our readiness to learn.

When our bodies are dysregulated – like if we’re anxious or distracted – our brain physically doesn’t function in the same way as if we were regulated.

There is a part of our brain called the pre-frontal cortex that plays a critical role in learning, as it helps modulate attention, memory, and our thinking ability.

When we are dysregulated, this part of our brain acts like a light-bulb and shuts off or dims – making our brain less able, and sometimes even unable, to focus or think clearly.

Instead, re-regulating our body is now the brain’s top priority- not listening, sitting still, reading, or anything else you might want yourself or students to be doing.

When the pre-frontal cortex is not turned on, students are not ready to learn.

Learning when we are dysregulated is extremely challenging and sometimes physically impossible for our brains.

Using Rhithm helps get the prefrontal cortex in working order to help your class thrive.

Why it Works

The variety of methods we offer for self-regulation, such as deep breathing, affirmations, guided imagery, mindset, and movement, are evidenced-backed to be effective.

For example, you may have noticed that Rhithm videos frequently invites you and your students to take deep breaths.

This is because every time we take a deep breath, our brain communicates to something called our vagus nerve, a key player in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of our nervous system responsible for calming and relaxing us.

The more deep breathing we participate in, the more our vagus nerve physically strengthens, enabling our body to more quickly and effectively relax. Our parasympathetic nervous system turns on, physically calming us.

Deep breathing is the best tool we have for creating instant change in our bodies. And, not all people are comfortable with deep breathing – which is why we offer a variety of different practices.

Healthy Habits for Long-Term Change

Habitually incorporating Rhithm into your classroom procedures or schedule for only a few minutes can have lasting impacts on how you and your students feel and function.

Our brains are made up of roughly 86 billion tiny messenger cells called neurons, that link together and create neural pathways. These neural pathways have the ability to grow and rewire – which is called neuroplasticity. Often, schools refer to this as a Growth Mindset.

What we do (from our thinking to how we move our body) impacts neural pathway development AND according to the principles of habit formation, how frequently we do something is an important factor too.

Simple, healthy habits when practiced regularly have the strongest and most lasting positive impact on our brains and bodies.

Choosing to get in Rhithm is a quick routine that uses your whole body to practice healthier habits and rewires the brain for lasting change.