Yoga and Mindfulness for Teens

I would like to introduce myself as the new ambassador for Teen Yoga and Earth Yoga Kids in Swindon!

Having completed my YogaBugs training in 2010, this year I decided to take and successfully pass my TeenYoga training enabling me to teach yoga and mindfulness to teens. TeenYoga is fully accredited by Yoga Alliance UK and Independent Yoga Network established in 2004.

Teen Yoga & Earth Yoga Kids is aimed at teaching yoga and mindfulness to young people. Yoga & Mindfulness not only helps to calm teenagers but also improves their concentration, fitness levels and stamina!

Yoga postures, breathing and relaxation techniques are woven together into an exciting practice that aims to give teenagers the tools to identify underlying stress & tension. In the safety and familiarity of their school environment and being amongst friends, teenagers will learn valuable tools to help identify & release tension through vital calming and focusing techniques. Yoga also improves learning, academic achievement and emotional literacy in teenagers.

YOUNG PEOPLE NEED YOGA

Research has shown that the number of young people reporting feelings of depression and anxiety is rising and there is a trend for the rates of these disorders to increase in the transition between childhood and adolescence. Amy Morgan, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds

Ofsted requires every school to actively promote and evaluate students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. Yoga classes support SMSC education by encouraging students to explore and reflect on life purpose, cause and effect, resilience, obstacles, relationships, feelings and emotions.

YOGA IS TAUGHT IN MANY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UK

TeenYoga is now taught in several continents across the world with close links to Sportivate & the NHS.

Part of the PE curriculum
Part of PHSE curriculum
An elective in an enrichment programme
A lunch time or after-school club activity
An intervention to maximise the achievement of disadvantaged students

Schools that offer Teen Yoga report major and positive impacts on:

Helping teenagers in terms of physical, mental and emotional development
Improving teenagers social skills as well as their fitness levels
Benefiting teenagers with special educational needs
Improving concentration as well as teaching them to relax
Compliance with Every Child Matters, Extended Services and five hours of physical activity per week targets

Millions of people around the world practise the ancient discipline of Yoga. Many students will have heard of yoga because it has a strong following among celebrities such as Ryan Giggs, Harry Styles, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kaley Cuoco

WHO DOES YOGA APPEAL TO?

Sporty students do yoga to develop performance in their game.
Non sporty people like yoga because it’s a non-competitive way to keep active.
Boys practise it to increase stamina, strength and confidence in relation to their body as it grows and changes.
Girls enjoy relaxation and flexibility exercises which promote emotional and physical wellbeing.
Students with Special Educational Needs enjoy and benefit from stretching and relaxation.

BENEFITS OF YOGA

Develops strength, flexibility and stamina
Reduces tension, stress and anxiety
Raises self-esteem and promotes self-efficacy
Improves motivation
Develops clarity, focus and concentration
Creates awareness of emotional responses
Encourages self-management of behaviour
Promotes social, mental and emotional health

YOGA COURSES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Now available in your area, courses are designed and delivered by myself, an experienced yoga teacher who has completed 60 hours specialist training with TeenYoga (UK). This includes study of adolescent anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, psychology and behaviour management.

The teaching techniques used have been constructed with the help of specialist Neuroscientists, Anatomists, Psychologists and Yoga Teachers. Actual experiential research, by the Leeds University Psychology Department, was gained to measure outcomes of mindfulness and yoga on young people. This research was used to help support and structure the teaching techniques used in the classes.

TeenYoga teachers also have:

DBS clearance
First aid certification
Insurance to teach yoga to young people
Completed a minimum of 200 hours general yoga training

I am very excited to offer my specialised childrens’ yoga classes to primary & secondary schools in the Swindon area.

I am able to tailor the courses to suit the needs of students, the school and the timetable.

I recently worked with Shrivenham Church of England Primary School to bring yoga to every child in the school from Reception to Year 6. We worked together to come up with a model that fitted in with the day curriculum with minimal interference and maximum benefit

Typically, courses will include:

A range of postures
Breathing and relaxation techniques
Mindfulness and meditation
Yoga philosophy and psychology

After school clubs are also available. My first after school club runs every Friday from 5:00pm-5:45pm at Shawrdige Primary School in their community centre.

I have registered as a coach with WASP. I would truly welcome the opportunity to talk to you further regarding the research on yoga's impact on achievement at school & potential funding opportunities to cover costs of lessons and the opportunities for yoga to be offered from a whole school perspective.

If this is of interest, please do let me know. I can be contacted on my mobile

(07789 792697) or email earthyogasanctuary@outlook.com

COURSE COSTS

Rates vary depending on course length, class duration and other requirements such as provision of yoga mats and equipment. Funding opportunities (for example from Sportivate) to cover costs of lessons and grants are available. Please get in touch for details.

MAT CHAT

I started yoga over 3 months ago and I have noticed a dramatic change in my flexibility. I started doing yoga for my D of E bronze and have continued it even though my course has finished. When I first came to yoga I was ridiculously inflexible but after only a few weeks I noticed my flexibility improving.”
Not only is yoga good for strength, it is also amazing for stress relief. I am in year 10 and I have found that when I am preparing to enter an exam and I am nervous the breathing I learnt really helps me stay calm. Yoga also helps stiffness that comes with age.”
Yoga is really beneficial for you. It is about making your muscles stronger and your body more flexible. It has the same benefits as going to the gym but less stressful.”
You see improvements in yourself when you’re competing in sport. You can move faster.”
Yoga is like time out space in the middle of the week to take you away from exam stress and everything. You can put things to one side for about an hour and it’s really helpful.”

Additional Information can be found:

www.teenyoga.com

www.teenyoga.com/research

Young people experience a great deal of pressure, and consequently stress, to perform well in school due to the high expectations on them both academically and socially. Yoga is a great way to deal with this and the TeenYoga course has been extremely well received by students. I recommend the course wholeheartedly.” John Chantry, Vice Principal, Ralph Allen School, Bath