Teenage years can be a very stressful period in a person's life. These stresses mainly come from the following areas:
- physical and hormonal changes
- social pressure
- academic pressure
- family
The UNICEF reports on "Changing the Future - Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland" make for interesting reading. UNICEF conducted 4 reports; 1. Happiness, Bullying & the Recession; 2. Mental Health; 3. Alcohol & Drugs and 4. Sexual Health & Behaviour. (www.unicef.ie)
Some levels of stress can help teens feel motivated. However, high or poorly managed stress levels can lead to a host of problems from mental health issues to substance abuse. Teens don't always use healthy methods to cope; yoga can help teenagers transition smoothly from childhood to adulthood with confidence.
Yoga practice offers teenagers a wealth of mental and physical benefits including:
- A calm mind
- Improved concentration and memory
- An ability to relax
- Breath awareness
- Self-acceptance
- A stronger balanced body
- Increased flexibility
These benefits can help a teenager have a positive attitude towards themselves, accept themselves for who they are and have confidence in making their own choices. There is also a whole host of benefits to the immune system, the nervous system and the internal organs that I've mentioned in the "benefits of yoga" section on this site.
The Transition Year yoga programme that I am currently running focuses on Pranayama (breathing techniques), Vinyasa sequence of Asana (a flowing sequence of yoga postures), and very importantly a big Savasana (rest) to close. I am always surprised how much the students love the 15 minutes rest at the end of class, it's funny to see the transition from giddy chatty teens to motionless yogi! In my experience as a secondary school teacher, a room of contented motionless teens is a testament to the power of yoga.
Yoga Works for Teens !