Renew energy, build strength and restore peace. These are just a few of the benefits of a yoga practice. And what better time in life to introduce these benefits than in the changes of adolescence? Yoga has been proven to lower stress, reduce anxiety and balance the systems in the body. As pre-teen and teenage girls begin to experience physical, emotional and relational changes, a fun and engaging yoga practice can be the perfect balance to increased stress.
Balancing Physical Changes in Adolescence
As young girls’ bodies change and develop, it is important to maintain flexibility in the muscles. Not only does this support the skeletal system, but also it fosters a feeling of lightness and adaptability both in the body and the mind. This can be important in the moments of a girl’s development when a changing body feels foreign and uncomfortable.
Physical flexibility increases emotional flexibility, which is an important quality for a young girl in her adolescent years. These feelings adaptability, both physically and emotionally, offer some sense of calm and control when life is increasingly challenging and confusing.
Increased Body Awareness
Not only do yoga poses encourage flexibility, they also encourage body awareness. This awareness is helpful for increased self-confidence and decreased fear over unfamiliar changes. Whether hormones are raging or skin is breaking out, having a sense of the body can help pre-teen girls move through these changes in a more confident way. Instead of feeling out of control, they can feel some sense of engagement with the changes they are facing.
This increased body awareness lends itself to benefits off the yoga mat as well. If an individual feels connected to their body, they are more likely to consume a healthy diet. By paying attention to what is happening to them physically, young girls can learn to listen to their appetites, which means they are more likely to eat when they are hungry, lower sugar cravings and consume healthy food.
Relaxation and Reduced Stress
The meditational qualities of yoga familiarize young girls with how to deal with stressors. Simple breathing techniques offer methods of calming in moments of tension. Practicing challenging poses can teach girls how to channel their energy in positive ways, and engaging in a form of exercise ensures more peaceful and restorative sleep at night. Whether girls are able to consciously implement these practices themselves, taking part in a yoga class will stimulate the brain the body to use the breath in situations of stress.
Challenges of Teaching Yoga to Pre-Teen Girls
Yoga sometimes carries the stigma of being slow and boring, which can make it difficult to offer to young girls. However, the wide variety of yoga practice can be formed to anyone’s needs, and it is simple to make yoga interactive and engaging. Whether a parent is looking for a class for their child or an instructor is considering teaching a class to pre-teen girls, it is not necessary to shy away from creating a social and fun yogic environment. Girls can be encouraged to take classes with their friends and to express what their yoga practice means to them personally.
It may require patience to engage young girls in a yoga practice. Their responses and interactions can be much different than adults. But young minds can offer new insights and fresh perspectives. The tradition of yoga may benefit from its practitioners as much as the practitioners benefit from yoga.
 |
 |
