The Wellness Initiative The Wellness Initiative was founded in 2006 to deliver secular wellness programs to K-12 students in Colorado. The mission of The Wellness Initiative is to improve the physical health, social and emotional development, and academic performance of low-income youth through yoga-based wellness programs. We served 1,700 students and 300 classroom teachers in 19 schools during the 2009-2010 school year. Students of all ages suffer from increasingly stressful lives and they often lack the opportunities and tools to relax, reflect, strengthen, and focus. This reality negatively impacts their self-confidence, relationships with others, physical health, and academic performance.