HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Yoga and Mindfulness for Children & Teens
“A little bit of meditation daily goes a long way and should be treated like a daily facial scrub but for the mind.”
Yoga, mediation and mindfulness prac- tices can help children and teens en- hance their physical and emotional well-being. Yoga postures and breath- ing techniques can help calm down the central nervous system, reducing the effects of being overly stimulated (or in a state of fight or flight). By being able to self-regulate themselves, children can enhance their overall temperament and im- prove their sleeping habits.
Children and teens can learn body aware- ness, co-ordination, flexibility, concentration, self-control and relaxation as well as im- proved energy levels and listening skills. These skills are useful in an educational environ- ment. Yoga promotes a strong positive inter- nal perspective. This is extremely useful for teens in helping them to develop positive self-esteem and a positive self- image as an alternative to the negative self-images which are often found in the media or bullying that they might encounter at school.
Like reducing stress, yoga and breath work has been found to be useful in reducing the affects of hormonal changes in the body.
Yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices have been scientifically
proven through evidence-based re- search that they help to reduce stress and anxiety.
Like adults, children and teens are also feeling the effects of stress and anxiety that is commonly found in society today. They are over stimulated from technol- ogy, social media and after-school activi- ties while experiencing pressure to excel at school or universities. Some young people are so use to being stimulated that they have lost the ability to remain in silence or without their mobiles – they are unable to just sit and be in the moment.
Colleen Lally provides yoga and mindfulness practices in London. If you are interested in a yoga and mindfulness for children and teens taster session, please contact her at
colleen.lally@
splendourwellness.com
www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 29
Furthermore, yoga can help with managing stress. For children and teens, their lives are outside their con- trol. Parents, caregivers and teachers control their daily schedules and provide them guidance on what they are per- mitted to do. Although this is for their benefit, children and teens may expe- rience anger or anxiety over it. Mindfulness practices can help teach them how to become aware of their emotions and their reactions, including how their behaviour affects others. This awareness can help improve their relationships with family and friends and how to best respond in situations and with others.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
