for Teens

For Teens Header

Yoga (yg) means to connect our bodies and minds. It is an ancient practice which means that people have been doing yoga for a very long time – over 4,000 years! In yoga we use physical activity (exercise), breathing techniques, and relaxation to help us to connect our bodies and minds.

Did you know?  People who do yoga are called “yogi’s” (pronounced yo-Geez)

What kind of physical exercise do we use in teen yoga?

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  • Yoga poses…

    • Traditional ones like sun salutation A & sun salutation B
    • We teach our teens the Ashtanga Primary series modified just for teens!  The Ashtanga Primary series for teens is a great workout for the physical body, helping you create a balance between strength & flexibility.

How do we exercise our minds in yoga? 

  • Affirmations are said at the beginning of each class. Make your own or check out our affirmations hereEasy-Pose
  • The Ashtanga Primary series follows the same postures each time.  It’s great exercise for your mind & muscle memory to learn the flow of the postures.

How do teen yogis connect their mind & bodies?

  • The simple answer is that we breathe! We specifically use “Ujayii” breathing  (pronounced oooo-ja-yee) when we practice the Ashtanga Primary Series for teens.   Ujayii breath is sometimes called “Ocean Breath” because of the sound created as we exhale deep down into ourselves. It creates heat in our body and makes a sound for the mind to focus on.  This gives the body a chance to move and the mind a chance to relax. For some the breathing and movement is a moving meditation, for others its a great opportunity to clear their thoughts while their body gets a great workout.
  • Writing. We encourage our students to keep journals to write what’s on their mind. We also have fun and silly YoKid Libs fill in the blank activities in our YoKid Activity Book.

How do we relax in teen yoga?

  • Every class ends with a pose called Savasana (pronounced sha-VAH-suh-nuh), In this pose we keep our bodies still, our minds quiet, and “let everything go” until our body says it’s time to get up.  The hardest part of this pose is to try and stay awake!  Give it a try.
  • We listen to guided visualizations or yoga nidra.