By Bhavan Kumar

When studying a Yoga teacher training course, most interns do not hear much about teen Yoga.  This is a largely ignored population that needs to find inner calm and remain fit.  Teens often have poor diets and work on homework during the late hours that should be spent sleeping.

For thousands of years, yoga has been a form of self-development. The practice dates back to ancient India. Today yoga is a way many people find to relieve stress in hectic lives. Teens are not immune to stress and are often dealing with stress at school, home, and through the countless other activities that occupy the schedules of young people today.

Teens faced with stressful situations may be surprised that a practical solution does not involve a pill or an expensive treatment, a trip to the family doctor, or a therapy session with a stranger asking them to reveal their deepest feelings. Yoga is timeless and not just for adults. Teens may be surprised to find yoga is a viable solution to handle the stress in their lives.

In teens, stress can cause several problems, these include:

• irritability

• fatigue

• upset stomach or digestive difficulties

• headaches

Yoga postures (asanas) work the range of motion pretty much the same as an exercise routine a teen would get from an aerobic workout.  The big difference is the movements are practiced much slower and with much deeper intention. There are specific poses and moves associated with yoga, which are not that difficult to learn. Basic yoga techniques involve:

• controlled breathing exercises

• meditation

• various physical movements

• forming mental images

• stretching

The great thing about yoga practice is that it does not have to require a large amount of time. It is true that some yoga pose routines may be done for hours and can involve deep meditation and concentration, but once teens learn the basic techniques, yoga can be easily incorporated into their busy schedule.

There is no rule that says a yoga session has to last for hours to be effective. Practicing the Sun Salutation sequences as the first physical exercise in the morning for about 10 minutes will release tension. Gentle asanas and pranayama for 10 to 30 minutes before bed, can be help teens get needed rest.

Learning yoga does not take a lot of time either. Lessons can be practiced by using online tools, through reading books, or by attending classes a few days a week, or on weekends.

Yoga may not seem like the coolest activity in the world to teens, but they just might be pleasantly surprised at the results it produces. The overall benefits of yoga for teens include the following aspects.

• reduction of stress

• better sleep (important for teens)

• lower blood pressure

• lower heart rate

• reduced anxiety

• reduced muscle tension

• better control of anger

• better sense of well-being

• feeling of being in control

© Copyright 2011 – Bhavan Kumar / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Bhavan Kumar is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

To see a complete list of our online Yoga teacher courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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