I found this article on www.yogawoman.tv and found it really interesting. Even though it is written for teens, it applies for everyone - enjoy.
Get up, get moving and get stretching
Daniela
THREE YOGA TOOLS: HELPING TEENS FIND BALANCE
By Abby WillsPosted on 15-Feb-2011
For over a decade, Abby Wills has joyfully guided youth and teachers in movement arts, mindfulness and yoga. She is the founder of Shanti Generation: Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers, has guided youth in movement arts, mindfulness and yoga in schools and communities. Visit www.shantigeneration.com
Navigating the journey between childhood and teenager status can be both a fantastic and treacherous adventure. At the onset of puberty, everything seems to change. Youth experience dramatic, often sudden, transformations of physical systems, cognitive capacities and social relationships. It is natural for youth to experience some degree of confusion or disequilibrium about these major life alterations. The fluctuations in mood and opinion can be just as confusing for the people who live and work with youth. Fortunately, ancient health systems like yoga can contribute to finding balance and ease. Here are three yoga tools that I’ve found helpful to the teens I’ve worked with over the past 10 years. They address three distinct needs that many early adolescents share: self- awareness, emotional regulation and energy rejuvenation.
1. Breath Moves Energy
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose on the floor. With a deep inhale, extend both arms out to the side and up, joining the palms overhead. Exhaling, draw the joined hands down the midline of the body, past the face, heart and center. Inhale, arms reach out and up overhead. Exhale, center the mind and body as the hands pull down the midline. Repeat 10 to 20 times being mindful of movements and breath the entire time.
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose on the floor. With a deep inhale, extend both arms out to the side and up, joining the palms overhead. Exhaling, draw the joined hands down the midline of the body, past the face, heart and center. Inhale, arms reach out and up overhead. Exhale, center the mind and body as the hands pull down the midline. Repeat 10 to 20 times being mindful of movements and breath the entire time.
Benefits: Increases self awareness, builds lung capacity and develops core strength.
Why it works: When the body, mind and breath move together in concert, the whole system reaches a higher level of harmony. Explain to youth that yoga is about linking all of the different parts of ourselves together: physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social. All of these parts can be compared to a band. When one part is out of tune, the whole song can sound unpleasant. Yoga is a practice of tuning our various parts to the same note.
