Yoga for At-Risk Youth

This past weekend I completed a certification with Hala Khouri to teach yoga to at-risk youth. 

It was an incredible workshop and made me realize how different my teenage years would have been had I found yoga sooner.

Yoga can help adolescents find:

Strength —
builds strength of muscles and bones

Flexibility —
lengthens muscles to increase mobility in the joints

Improved Posture —
develops understanding of body mechanics, healthy movement patterns, and ideal postural alignment

Ability to Relax —
develops the skill of non-action and the awareness to physically relax

Breath Awareness —
draws attention to the breath as a reflection of state of mind and as a tool to elicit relaxation and focus

Stability and Balance —
provides physical experiences that ask the body to continually re-establish balance, which develops coordination and prevents injury

Equalizes Energy —
revitalizes low energy and tempers hyperactivity

Stress-Management —
allows teens to experience a sense of space around their concerns (including what others think) and provides techniques for redirecting thoughts and calming the nervous system

Improved Decision Making —
teaches teens to make choices that respect themselves and others

Concentration —
develops one’s ability to focus through practical disciplines of breath and bodywork

Healthy Body Image —
provides a strengthened internal perspective; helps self-image develop free of media and other cultural influences

Acceptance —
cultivates gratitude for what the body can do; enables letting go of the tendency to be critical of one’s self and judgmental of others

Curiosity —
provides a healthy way to experiment, take risks, and explore the body

Compassion —
opens us to our greater qualities of kindness, compassion, and nonviolence

Connection —
cultivates interconnectedness between ourselves, others, and the natural world around us

Presence —
heightens awareness and cultivates emotional connection while combating both numbness and drama

Intuition —
encourages self-trust by valuing one’s internal voice

Here’s a video to explain the great work Hala Khouri is doing and how she is spreading yoga around the country.