Yoga for Teens

Life is busy, especially for teenagers. Between school, family, social obligations and hormones they have a lot going on. The competitive environment of school with the testing, studies, and activities can create mental stress and anxiety. Physical stress can result from the heavy backpacks they haul around daily.

Faced with these challenges, many teens are exploring ways to stay healthy and to live peacefully in a chaotic world. One powerful method being chosen by some is a regular practice of yoga.

Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice that began more than 5,000 years ago. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit, meaning to "yoke", or bring together the mind, body, and spirit.

Yoga is not about sitting cross-legged chanting or being able to bend into a pretzel, though those concepts can be incorporated. Yoga serves to discipline the mind and body while helping to connect with your spirituality.

How many times have you said to your kid, "Sit up straight?" With yoga, proper alignment when sitting happens more naturally. Other physical benefits for teens are strength, building muscles, and keeping their bones strong from an early age. As adults, how many times have you wished you were more flexible? If you had a yoga practice since you were a teenager, chances are you would be more flexible. Finding balance physically is so important for coordination and preventing injuries. A consistent yoga practice helps this happen naturally. Spiritual benefits of yoga practice include heightened intuition, which encourages us to listen to our internal voice and trust it. Compassion and kindness can be learned through honoring our bodies and ourselves.

Breath awareness and relaxation, major components of doing yoga, are so important for overall health. Through learning to breathe and relax our breath, we are able to relax our bodies as well as our minds. For teenagers, the ability to relax allows greater focus. Studying takes an amazing amount of concentration and since everyone learns differently, correct breathing is a positive start. Many studies conclude that doing meditation before taking a test is beneficial for the outcome.

Relaxed breathing used in yoga is beneficial for stress-management. It assists in the ability to let go and stop being critical of self or others. This can strengthen perspective and especially self-image. Finding one's perspective and healthy self-image leads to connection and opening ourselves up to others and to our environment.

As you practice yoga, awareness increases as well as your ability to look within, think for yourself, and trust yourself. The result is a greater feeling of peace and self-confidence during a period of rapid change. Teens are able to engage in the world with a more positive outlook.

With all the wonderful benefits of doing yoga for teens, consider getting involved today. Parents can lead by example. Take a yoga class with your teen. Make yoga a family event. Not only will the teen experience positive changes to make their busy life less stressful, but Mom or Dad will also find it beneficial for creating a more peaceful and centered life for themselves.

Source: Christy Brock and Jennifer Lightsey, "Why Yoga is Good for Teens." YogaMinded.