8 reasons Yoga is good for Teens!

In no particular order (and as well as being a whole lot of fun!) here are 8 wonderful qualities that a yoga practice can help to promote for adolescents:

Mindful Awareness.

As the pace of modern life continues to increase, most Australian teens have all the information they could possibly dream of at their fingertips through mobile technology. However, research has shown that this can have a detrimental impact on our ability to connect, be present, and maintain mental health. Yoga practice helps to teach strategies for mindfully becoming aware of the present experience.

Relaxation.

This fast paced lifestyle means that many young people are losing the ability to relax that is crucial for their minds to recuperate and physical bodies to heal and renew. Savasana at the end of each yoga class allows students to practice this. Furthermore, within yoga students are encouraged to self-regulate by listening to messages from the body and give themselves permission to rest within class when they need to.

Self-calming strategies.

Many school aged students report feeling stressed and anxious, with current statistics suggesting that 1 in 6 Australian teenagers experiences anxiety. Yoga practice can help both reduce and prevent the symptoms of anxiety by teaching individuals to learn strategies for calming their bodies and mind.

Clarity of mind.

This in itself has a flow on effect, as having a calm state of mind has been shown to be important for students’ ability to learn successfully.

A positive relationship with the body.

Adolescence is a time of physical change and students often spend a lot of time comparing their own body to those of peers and media personalities. Practising kindness to the body within a yoga class can help students develop a positive relationship with their body to combat some of the body shaming and bullying commonly experienced during adolescence.

Tolerance of others.

When individuals build their relationship with themselves during a yoga practice there is often a flow on effect where they become more tolerant and accepting of others, and improve social connections.

Hormonal balance.

Adolescence can be a time of emotional turmoil due to hormonal change. A yoga practice can help to both balance the hormones, but also promote emotional resilience for individuals as they learn to accept and go with the flow of their physical body.