yoga & Qigong give Young people breathing space

five reasons every child should take up yoga and qigong

1.Breathing Space

How do you feel by the end of Wednesday? Amplify it! This is probably how the average teen and tween feel most of the time. Between the pressures of schools and exams, and now catching up after the Covid-19 pandemic we are placing more and more demands on young people to have a packed schedule of activities; then there are social obligations and the buzz, buzz of social media. Yoga and Qigong give teens breathing space; sometimes quite literally. Focussing on the breath gives young people the opportunity to self regulate and to give a frazzled nervous system some respite. Learning this simple tool holds them in good stead for times when they meet greater challenges such as exams.

2. Positive Body Image

The accelerated changes taking place in every teenage body can at times feel unsettling. What is more worrying is that children are worrying about body image at younger and younger ages driven often by social media and society’s expectations. Yoga and Qigong offers young people an alternative way of viewing their bodies. As children grow older these movement practices offer young people a wonderful tool to navigate this change. Can you remember that feeling? When what once felt right, suddenly felt different?  By helping young people understand that each day, our bodies feel different and by focussing on the positive within their own bodies rather than comparing themselves to peers or unattainable ideals, young people are able to grow into their own potential.  As well as helping young people to view their bodies in a positive light, by lowering the stress response, yoga helps young people to grow better with a healthy immune system, balanced hormones and the ability to bring themselves into a more balanced stage.

3. Greater Connection

Finding your own voice and those with whom you feel most at home is a huge part of the adjustment made by children as they grow into the tweens and teens and as they learn to become independent.  Yoga and Qigong can play a fantastic role in supporting young people to make friendships in a positive way, recognising when things are going well and how to manage when things aren’t.   Yoga and Qigong help teens make better choices and learn to pause before acting in ways that can seem overly impulsive or impetuous. These findings were supported by a research study conducted by Leeds University in 2013.

4. Better focus and enhanced learning capacity

Sometimes in yoga, you have to focus, or you might literally find yourself falling over.  Wobbles are certainly a part of balancing and yoga helps you to cope with the wobbles and falls, but it also supports teens in learning how to balance.  Qigong is known for its grounded qualities and in bringing energy from buzzing minds down into the body. We talk of calming down rather than calming up and qigong can support young people to feel calm. What is true literally is certainly true metaphorically, and in addition to this, yoga and qigong help young people to learn by balancing areas of their lives that may be disturbed.  The combination of physical activity which helps with good circulation and blood flow, better breathing and relaxation promotes better sleep but also helps with learning. How?  Well, the parts of the brain that are associated with learning are the same ones that shut down when stressed. A stressed individual cannot learn. We are programmed to flee when we feel threatened.  We aren’t going to hang around to learn, explore or experiment. A calm and relaxed individual, and one that is open-minded will be able to learn more effectively and will retain this knowledge. Yoga and qigong offer powerful tool to help support young people’s learning.

5. Coping with change and challenge

Yoga and Qigong help young people to slow down, feel more connected within their families, friendship groups and schools and more comfortable in their bodies.  Mindful movement lowers stress and fosters good sleep, relaxation, smart decision making and can help increase focus and learning. In a fast changing world, yoga also helps young people to cope with change and challenge and develop discernment in how hard to push themselves.  Rather than blame themselves for things that are not within their control, yoga and qigong teach self-control, composure and calmness when faced with challenge. The result is resilient young adults.

YOGA CLUB! CHILDREN’S YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

I’m teaching on Yoga Club! Kids yoga teacher training at Yoga on the Lane a 60 hour course which starts in March 2023 and runs over three weekends. TWe are facing an unprecedented crisis in children’s mental health and YOTL’s children’s yoga training will give you the skills to support children in a mindful, compassionate and creative way that is rooted in science and shared with you by a team of dedicated and committed practitioners.