DECATUR , Georgia ( CNN ) -- Fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith wants her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur , Georgia , to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology . Fourth-graders at Fernbank Elementary in Decatur , Georgia , practice the `` dromedary delight . '' Instead of staring at the board in the front of the classroom , the kids are lying on the floor near their desks practicing yoga . `` It 's fun , '' says 9-year old Jack Besser . `` It gets out the cramps after you 've been sitting for an hour . '' Besser 's classmate Medha Prakash says the yoga drills help her to concentrate . `` It makes me feel calm , relaxed and it gets all the stress out of me . '' Beckwith has linked the symbols of Greek gods to yoga poses , such as down dog and the stork . She 's hoping the students will better retain the material and be re-energized in the middle of the day . `` It 's a fun way for them to think about things , '' Beckwith says . `` You know , it 's healthy for them because they 're getting the breathing right and getting the stretching right . '' Beckwith and other teachers at the suburban Atlanta public school started offering yoga in the classroom two years ago . They received instruction from YogaKids International , an Indiana-based company that distributes teaching materials to more than 50 schools around the country . A similar program is offered by California-based YogaEd . Watch how yoga is working at one elementary school . » . At Fernbank Elementary , teachers hold up large flash cards with kid-friendly poses that are easy for the students to imitate . Step-by-step instructions are on the back for teachers to read out loud . In addition to incorporating yoga into lesson plans , it 's being used in physical education classes throughout the day . PE teacher Katie Bashor says it helps instill discipline . `` If you say you 're going to do yoga with the kids , they just immediately start focusing . '' From kindergarten through fifth grade , students are learning to use deep breathing and basic yoga at their desks to cope with stress and anxiety that may occur before taking tests . School guidance counselor June Neal has seen a measurable difference among the students . `` We 've seen an improvement in test scores and test-taking skills because their stress level is decreased after yoga . '' Neal is n't worried about criticism that may be aimed at the school for taking time away from daily lessons to stretch and meditate . `` An elementary school is more than reading , writing and arithmetic , '' says Neal . `` You do need some down time , you do need some way to express yourself and to reduce anxiety that comes along with being in school . '' Best-selling author Dr. Andrew Weil believes anxiety and stress are some of the biggest reasons young students get sick at the start of the fall semester . `` I think parents underestimate how stressful going back to school is , '' he says . `` I think it 's as stressful as a grown-up starting a new job . '' Weil says stressed-out kids may complain of stomach pain or a headache instead of dealing with a stressful situation at school . He recommends training children to do simple deep-breathing techniques , just as adults do , to help with stress management . Beckwith 's class might be just what the doctor ordered . After 30 minutes of coaching her students through different yoga poses , the kids seem calm but excited about what they 've learned . `` They get energized when they 're supposed to be energized , '' says Beckwith . `` It just gives them a little tweak to their day so they 're not just sitting at their desk . '' E-mail to a friend . Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News .
Suburban Atlanta elementary offers yoga in class . Teacher links mythology characters , symbols to yoga positions . Students also use deep breathing , yoga basics to cope with pre-test stress .