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Teenagers tips

Wind-relieving pose (Pavanamuktasana)

Benefits: Pavanamuktasana strengthens and tones back, abdomen, arms, leg muscles, and eases tension in the lower back. It also massages abdominal organs, improves blood circulation, aids in better digestion, and helps in the release of gas. How to:

Lie on your back with feet together and arms beside the body.
Breathe in, and as you exhale, bring your right knee towards your chest and press the thigh on your abdomen with clasped hands.
Breathe in again, and as you exhale, lift your head and chest off the floor and touch your chin to your right knee.
Hold for a few seconds while continuing inhalation and exhalation.
Tighten the grip of hands as you exhale and loosen the grip when you inhale.
Repeat this pose with the other leg and then with both legs together.
Rock up and down or roll from side to side a few times and then get up.
If, at any time, you experience distress or pain, come out of the posture.

Corpse pose (Savasana)

Benefits: Savasana brings a deep, meditative state of rest by releasing stress. It helps repair tissues, reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and insomnia. It is a perfect way to end a yoga session. How to:

Lie flat on your back. Use a small pillow behind your back if required. Close your eyes.
Keep your legs comfortably apart, relaxed, and toes pointing towards outside.
Leave your arms relaxed alongside your body and keep your palms facing upwards.
Bring attention to every part of your body, and try to relax your body.
Keep breathing slowly and gently.
Make sure you do not fall asleep.
Stay in the same pose for 10-20 minutes and then gently roll onto your right, while still keeping your eyes closed. Lie there for a minute or two. You can begin with just a minute or two and work up to a longer time.
Take the support of your right hand and come to the sitting position.
Open your eyes when you feel relaxed and de-stressed.
If you experience distress or pain, come out of the posture.

Improves fitness and physical health

Students participating in yoga often develop more flexible bodies. It may help in improving coordination, balance, strength, and flexibility (5).

Reduces stress and anxiety

High school can be a stressful period for teenagers with both academic and personal challenges. Yoga may help calm the nervous system and thus regulate the teen’s response to stress.

Avoiding excess weight gain

Overeating, excess consumption of junk food, and stress can lead to weight gain in teenagers. Yoga may help in losing excess weight. Research conducted in 2013 looked at 17 yoga-based weight control programs and found that most of them led to gradual, moderate, and healthy weight reduction (3).

Improves focus and performance

Some research suggests that six to eight weekly sessions or approximately 20 hours of yoga class time may help school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) (6).

Extended hand-to-big-toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana)

Benefits: There are various benefits of Utthita Hasta Padangustasana as it strengthens the legs and the ankles, stretches the back of the legs, and improves balance. How to:

Stand in tadasana. From tadasana, lift and bring your left knee towards your belly.
Reach your left arm from inside and hold the toes. If your thigh muscles are tight and this seems difficult, hold a strap looped around the left sole.
Firm the right thigh and press it inward.
Inhale and extend the left leg forward as much as you can while keeping the knee straight. If you are ready, swing the left leg outward.
Keep breathing as it improves the focus.
Hold for 30 seconds. Bring the leg back to the center with an inhale and lower the foot to the floor with an exhale. If you experience distress or pain, come out of the posture.
Repeat with the right leg.
Maintain the balance to avoid falling and injuries.

Improves self-esteem and body image

Adolescence is a time when children might experience low self-confidence, body image issues, and low self-esteem. Yoga is rooted in the principle of non-judgment. Regular yoga practice may make a teen more self-accepting by letting them connect with their inner self.

Encourages creativity

Yoga may help in reducing impatience and impulsivity by improving the ability to be attentive to what is arising and responding effectively. It may help teenagers gain composure and become more disciplined.

Develops discipline and self-regulation

Yoga helps in reducing impatience and impulsivity by improving the ability to be attentive. It may help teenagers gain composure and be disciplined. Yoga practice is considered an effective way to increase core strength, improve flexibility, improve cardio-fitness, burn calories, and relax the mind. It also helps develop self-discipline and self-regulation and is a good way to introduce some physical activity in daily life.