Zenworks Yoga has been delivering yoga and mindfulness classes to Cleveland schools for five years. The service has gotten so popular that founder Sonya Patel recently started a company to stream yoga activities into classrooms through short, web-based video exercises.

The new effort, called amaZEN U, launched in February as an online startup. Instead of sending instructors to classrooms, the subscription-based service offers minutes-long videos that guide students through various chair and standing yoga poses as well as mind-expanding breathing exercises.

The site is designed for ease of use, says Patel: Teachers can harness any combination of 88 activities to keep their class calm, focused, balanced and energized.

"Schools don't want a 30-minute class where kids have to take off their shoes," says Patel, a Solon resident. "Students just need a minute to breathe or move, so teachers can put this on in their classroom and the kids follow along."

Since the launch, the site has gained over 50 users including the Cleveland Municipal School District and Southeast Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools. The service includes videos suitable for preschoolers through high school students, with age appropriate poses and activities.

"For high school students, it's intended to get the energy moving," says Joie Scott, a Zenworks instructor and amaZEN U co-founder. "They're not doing handstands, but poses that will shift the energy in their bodies."

Though Patel has yet to witness a video-based class in action, she's getting positive feedback from teachers who say their charges are enjoying the "brain breaks" the movements provide.

"The language is not 'kiddish,' so it's going to be relevant for older students," Patel says. "We keep our videos on specific grade and maturity levels."

Users receive a free one-month trial upon registration. Cost is then $5 per month, or $50 per year. There is also a special discount for school subscriptions.

A portion of amaZEN U profits benefit Zenworks and the shared mission of bringing yoga to Cleveland's schools, says Patel. The limited availability of instructors makes the video service a necessity. The added bonus is that the activities are accessible anywhere at any time.

Patel expects to expand her offerings shortly, with new content including a user interface that lets young yogis and yoginis earn badges by meeting certain participation criteria. Ultimately, she wants to give students a fun, relaxing break from the daily grind.

"We're reaching kids who normally wouldn't participate in these types of activities," Patel says.