Avery Fallon, a second grader in Ms. Lamar's class at Winter Park Elementary does Yoga during recess on Feb. 2, 2013.

There are bellowing grunts coming from the playground of Winter Park Elementary School. But they're not loud enough.

"Make some noise!" yells yoga instructor Ryan Williams, bringing his arms over his head, pulling them down like he's chopping wood and letting out a howl. Constance Lamar's second-graders, mimicking his motions, respond with hollers of their own (and a few giggles). But they need to get even louder.

"I can't hear you!" yoga instructor Matteo Zacchino says in a teasing singsong. That produces another round of whoops from the grinning students as they continue "chopping wood."

The exercise is part of Winter Park Elementary's recess yoga program, which is stretching students' bodies and their vocal cords throughout the month of February. The program serves a dual purpose: It gives students a breather and helps them refocus in the middle of the day, while also letting local yoga instructors give back.

The program was born out of an idea that Matteo Zacchino, owner of local Be Unlimited Yoga studio, had while coaching a Cape Fear Soccer Club team. A little bit of yoga before practice left Zacchino amazed at how much more focused his players were, and he decided to adapt the idea for recess at Winter Park Elementary, where his son Dante is a student.

Students in second, third and fifth grade practice for a half-hour during recess three days a week. All through February, Zacchino and instructors from his studio are donating their time for the recess yoga. They're hoping to raise $2,000 to keep the program going longer and bring it to more schools.

Instructors Ryan Williams, Tara Blackburn and Brandi Craddock use different methods to keep the kids engaged, like getting the students to act out the names of poses: A balancing pose with legs spread wide and arms held out to the sides turns the students into warriors. They also offer constant encouragement, asking children how they feel and giving high-fives for good form.

Second-grader Dorothy Delgar is a fan of her daily stretches.

"It calms us down when we're really frustrated," she said.

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Yoga stretches bodies, minds at Winter Park Elementary