Teens are busy people. They are stretched in a million directions between school, sports, extra-curricular activities and their social lives. It is a hard age group to attract to yoga as their demanding schedules leave little time. However, this is an age group that could benefit tremendously from a weekly class.
• Yoga gives teens the mental break that they so need. Yoga helps connect breath with asanas. This link creates little room for non-yoga thoughts. After taking a vinyasa yoga class, I often feel like a towel that has been twisted, letting all the unwanted “stuff” (thoughts, stress and tension) drip away with each droplet of sweat.
• Savasana allows teens to squeeze in some deep rest. Teens are a sleep deprived group. School hours do not coincide with a teens natural sleep pattern. Top that with late nights doing homework or socializing with friends—no wonder teens can be so moody! Teen classes often encorporate a long savasana or work on restful poses to help compensate for teen’s lack of nightly Zs.
• For the teen athlete, yoga boosts core strength while also balancing muscle groups and aids in flexibility. Yoga helps to decrease injury and increases an athletes potential. The YogaDork website posted a great article about teenage football players using yoga as part of their pre-season conditioning and here is an article about the LA Dodgers using yoga in their Spring training.
• Yoga helps teens feel comfortable in their own bodies at a time when their bodies are changing. Yoga gives teens tools to guide them through these years of uncertainty and transformation. Yoga classes focus on self-acceptance, self-awareness, personal strength and positive attitudes—all necessary in creating a successful and happy life post high school.
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August 28, 2009 at 11:33 am
Donna
Like the clear manner in which you present the benefits of yoga for teens. Well done. Great photo too.
September 5, 2009 at 9:53 pm
ChildLight Yoga
Thank you for this! Now, we need to figure out the best way to attract teens them to a class or program.
We are offering a Stress Less Yoga for Teen Girls class this fall. Hoping the ‘all girls’ thing will help to feel more comfortable. The flyer and advertising for the program is also very hip – I do think using fun art like the image you have chose here (rather than a more esoteric image of a perfectly fit female in little clothing doing a difficult yoga pose – ie, what is often seen on cover of Yoga Journal) is key, as is the wording. If you get a chance, take a peek at our class description at http://www.childlightyoga.com/articles.asp?id=143
Lisa
September 6, 2009 at 12:02 am
ChildLight Yoga
Just posted “How to Get Teens to do Yoga” and have linked to/mentioned your great blog about the benefits of yoga for teens. Take a look 🙂
http://childlightyoga.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-get-teens-to-do-yoga.html
September 7, 2009 at 2:15 am
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