Teen yoga

Yoga is known to help reduce stress, but did you know it can improve strength, mental and physical health, and increase energy? Doing yoga as a teenager can help you enhance your brain and body now and in the future. 

“Yoga has really helped me develop a better and healthier mindset so that I can be more successful in school,” said senior Maya Lysinger.

According to Psychology Today yoga can reduce impulsivity, increase patience, and improve the ability to regulate attention. Psychology Today also notes that “yoga and mindfulness provide teens with skills to navigate challenges and build a core foundation that benefits both the mind and body well beyond teenage years.” 

“I haven’t been able to attend yoga in a while, but I miss the feeling of calmness I got from it,” said senior Yelena Sanyer. “When we first started our meetings [Salem Yoga Club], I felt healthier, happier, and found it easier to calm down in stressful situations. I also felt like my performance improved in tennis, since I was taking better care of my body.”

Being a teenager can be stressful which can cause a hard time focusing in school. A regular yoga practice can help mediate that stress. 

“As teenagers, we can get really caught up in trying to do good in school and finding out who we are, so we forget to take a moment to just breathe,” said Sanyer. “Yoga provides an opportunity to block out the outside noise of the world and focus on our wellbeing.”

Lysinger agrees.

“Yoga has definitely been one of the things that’s kept me from stressing about the future, and just focusing on myself and what I can control in the moment,” said Lysinger.

Yoga is great for athletes. Doing yoga warms up muscles and increases blood flow. Most yoga poses can help build strength and endurance in the arms, legs, and abdominals. Yoga also helps with flexibility which reduces the risk of injury. 

“Yoga has both physical and mental benefits and it’s very rejuvenating! It’s like you get to reset your mind and body,” said Sanyer. 

People who practice yoga learn how their body moves and how to become more in tune with their body and mind. By doing yoga, you are taking that time to get healthier and take care of yourself. 

“I think that it improves a person’s mental state the most,” said Lysinger. “Throughout the entire process, you’re constantly focused in on letting your worries go, rather than reliving the past or constantly thinking about the future. It gives people the chance to let go of everything and stay present.”

It is best to try yoga with a trained instructor, but you can also find all kinds of yoga videos on YouTube and give it a go yourself from the privacy of your own home.