I have been practicing yoga for 12 years and have been teaching for 3 years. I have been passionate about yoga for years but I always felt a sense of lack around my teaching, as though each adult class was not quite right for me, as though we didn’t fit. The classes were always well attended and the students were happy and content but I believe the unrest was coming from within me.

I have 4 children of my own; the youngest is now 16 so I am quite experienced with children and teenagers. I had an idea when my daughter was in her final year of secondary college to teach yoga on a voluntary basis and see where it took me.

It was extremely (and surprisingly) successful. We began with a full class, about 20 teenagers aged around 17 to 18 years of age and after the 10 week course we had a steady class of 10 to 12. I was very happy and so were the kids. It was so successful that the school requested it for the next year and offered me payment for the classes. At that time I was working for another yoga teacher and was still completing my training.

I had a break from teaching kids for a couple of years after that  but felt the calling again earlier this year. I am now in the process of setting up my own yoga business, focusing on teaching teenagers in schools and community centers.

It’s quite a risky move for me as I will probably need to give up my present job (as a massage therapist) from which I earn my income so I can dedicate the time needed to make the yoga one work. My intuition is telling me it will be ok. I have one placement already teaching Koorie (aboriginal) teenagers in a school nearby. They would like one class that runs for one hour per week. This is quite a specialized area as these kids are disadvantaged for various reasons and are not suitable for regular schools. I begin this class in about 3 weeks.

For the last 10 weeks I have been teaching year 9 (about 14 to 15 years of age) teenagers at the local secondary school. For the first few classes they were a little self conscious around asanas, the girls especially found them challenging. I think they were embarrassed to move their bodies in that way. They were pretty much over that by week 4 and haven’t looked back since then. They love the relaxation and breath awareness at the beginning and end of class. In the last few weeks they were saying “can you take us to our happy place?’… that was so thrilling for me for me to hear that.  

I look forward to the challenges ahead and it feels great to know that I may be planting a small seed in the minds and hearts of our young people, even if they just remember to be aware of their breath sometimes I think it will be worth it.

Andrea Windsor lives in rural Victoria, Australia, on 5 acres of land with three of her four children. She practices Satyananda Yoga.

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Yoga Jenga

Take a jenga game and write a different pose on each block. I took inspiration from the 60 poses included in Once Upon a Pose writing the English pose name on one side and the French name of the other thereby creating a bilingual game (the name in Sanskrit, Spanish, German, etc. would be equally as effective – See Language Learning Thru Yoga).

Have a couple of kids set up the game by stacking three blocks across three blocks until a tower is formed.

Choose a child to carefully remove a jenga block.

Perform the yoga pose written on the block.

You can place the block back on to the top of the jenga tower in order for it to continue to build. If you don’t want to repeat any poses during the class simply place the used jenga blocks off to one side. As well we more often than not simply run out of time long before the tower comes down.

Choose another child and repeat until all children have had a turn, class is over, or the tower falls over.

Visit the Yoga Games page for more engaging yoga activities to use in your class. Also join us on Facebook and check out our YouTube Channel where there is always lots of great content to keep your kids and teen yoga classes fun and inspiring.

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1. There will be tears – The trigger could be being overtired, or not getting to lead the game, or feeling overwhelmed, or that somebody ran into them during Yoga Tag, or they are frustrated at not being able to do their favourite pose precisely when they wanted. Tears are part and parcel of kids learning about their emotions and how to handle life. After school yoga classes are especially prone to this response as kids have already put in a full day of learning, may not have had an adequate after-school snack (low-blood sugar often causes emotional melt-downs), or may simply need a little TLC whereas the rest of the class wants to burn off excess energy.

2. Classes are noisy – Laughter, chatting, roaring, barking, singing, energetic chanting and more are part of a yoga class for kids. Once a Grade 5 teacher asked me how to get her students to be quiet during yoga. My response: “Don’t.” Kids need to express themselves using all their senses and they will at every opportunity. I believe that happy noise is productive to learning. One rule, however, when the instructor talks everyone else listens. That way explanations and instruction can be given, and then activities can be fully interactive. So have fun, make some noise!

3. You will be interrupted – Imagine half the adults in your yoga class expressing out loud the first thought that comes to mind every time the teacher begins to explain a pose or activity. Imagine being half way through a story only to be asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?” Imagine hearing all about someone’s fish that died on the weekend, a favourite TV show, the type of cake that was served at a friend’s birthday party, or the nasty comment that Mommy said to Daddy when he came home late from work…again. Now you are at a kids yoga class.

4. Classroom management is an essential skill – You will need to possess some classroom management skills to keep Bobby from constantly playing with the gong, Sue from cuddling with her best friend, Joey on task, and Beth from using her yoga mat like a sled. Kids generally know how to behave but will take advantage of any opportunity for chaos. Every kids yoga instructor needs to find their own style of classroom management so that the environment stays conducive to learning and growth. Remember you are in charge.

5. When you mess up, you’ll be told– Adults are generally rather polite when instructors make minor mistakes, stumble over their words, or fall flat on their faces. Kids – not so much! They love pointing out your shortcomings, faux pas, and inconsistencies. Instructors have two options: 1) achieve perfection 2) develop a sense of humour. Since perfection is a far way off for me, I find laughing about my blunders a lot more fun. In addition, the way in which adults respond to error helps kids to see how to handle their own mistakes in positive, life affirming ways.

6. Classes are similar to herding cats – Each group has a variety of ages, physical, mental and emotional abilities, and maturity levels. Add to that the fact that kids’ attention spans can be measured in minutes and you have an interesting challenge on your hands. Establishing a class routine and making sure the themes are kid friendly will lengthen the amount of time kids will spend on any one given activity. Kids yoga instructors, however, had better always have a few fall back activities & yoga games in mind to keep everyone engaged and having fun.

7. It’s not about you – Kids love classes which focus on THEIRinterests. WebKinz, Hannah Montana, Star Wars, Creepy Crawlies, Princesses, Spiderman, and more all come to yoga class. When the instructor incorporates a yoga inspired activity which plays off the students’ favourite things then you know you’ve got a great thing going. As well each holiday from Valentine’s to Halloween provides fodder for fun. So don’t be surprised if you spend time wondering how to incorporate leprechauns or superheros into your next yoga class.

8. Props, props, & more props– For an adult yoga class most instructors use a mat, an mp3 player, and if you are lucky an eye pillow. Iyengar classes will add a strap, a block, a blanket, and possibly a chair. For any given kids yoga class, take that basic list and add books, puppets, feathers, scarves, pompoms, parachutes, stuffed animals, musical instruments, hula hoops, card decks, hoberman spheres, rocks, balls, bean bags, craft supplies, colouring sheets, and more. Be sure to have some storage space available.

So there you have it: the inconveniences, traumas & reality of teaching yoga to kids.

There is a flip side however. If you take pleasure in providing tools for kids to be happy and healthy the rest of their lives, enjoy genuine sharing, approach life with curiosity and creativity, want to end each class with a sense of satisfaction, and love to receive spontaneous hugs, then teaching yoga to kids is for you.

Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) to Yoga In My School to receive fantastic content to keep your yoga classes for kids and teens fresh and interesting. If you are on Facebook, become a Fan of Yogainmyschool.com and receive additional links and updates.

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The first story in the book is that of Shiva as Destroyer: Warrior Poses. In a nutshell, Shiva’s wife, Sati, threw herself into a fire becoming the sacrifice her father refused to provide during a ritual party where he was simply flaunting his power and prestige. Upon hearing of his wife’s demise, Shiva, overcome with grief and fury, ripped his hair from his head and threw it on the ground where it became a Warrior, the  embodiment of his emotions.“This is Virabhadra, the personification of righteous anger and the noble impulse to defend the innocent.”

This pose and its story took on very personal meaning over the past week as an innocent child became the victim of molestation. Suddenly each time I do Warrior pose, I am Virabhadra filled with anger and anguish at the injustices of life. What was once a sometimes demanding physical pose now encompasses an entire range of strong emotions.

Newell encourages yogis to:

Reflect and journal on a time when you came to the defence of a righteous cause or an innocent person. Invite the emotional qualities of that experience into your practice of the warrior poses. Keep the experience in mind while practicing with softness in the eyes and openness in the heart.

It may be a too soon for me to practice “with softness in the eyes and openness in the heart” as I am still in protect and safety mode. However, knowing the story behind the pose has given me hope to work through the pain to the point where my heart is open and calm as I move into action.

There are far too many children who are victims of abuse. Please do everything within your power to protect and fight for their innocence. Be the Warriors for those who cannot protect themselves.

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Shari wasn’t happy. She wasn’t popular, didn’t have a boyfriend, didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life, and felt alone much of the time even though she was surrounded by friends. Then Shari’s Mom enrolled her in a yoga class. In a matter of a few weeks Shari began to walk taller, feel stronger, and know that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. She began to attract positive people and experiences into her life and spent most of her day smiling and feeling good about herself. As Shari practiced yoga her self-confidence grew. She knew herself better and was certain her future would be bright no matter what it held.

Here are a few ways in which yoga helped Shari and will help you feel good about yourself and know you can handle anything life brings your way…

Read the rest here.

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There are many more twists and variations, especially when you delve into arm balancing poses and inversions. However, a large number of these require strength, balance, technique and other essential skills in order to perform. They are definitely something to work toward and have fun with but, many teens may not be ready just yet to take on the challenge. The ones covered here are great for High School PE classes, athletic teams, and teen yoga classes.

Yoga Twists for Teens

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Sit on the floor with legs bent. Place your left foot on the outside of your right buttock, left knee facing forward along the ground. Step the right foot to the outside of the left knee with the knee pointing straight up. Hug the raised knee and sit up on your sitz bones. Inhale and circle the right arm behind you, placing the hand on the floor as you exhale and lengthening the spine. Inhale, raising the left arm. Exhale place the elbow on the outside of the right thigh. If this isn’t possible simply hug the knee. Inhale and exhale two more times as you continue to deepen the twist throughout the entire spine, pressing the elbow against the knee and looking behind you. Binding Variation:If your left shoulder can clear the right knee (be on the outside of the knee), you can try to bind the arms. Circle the left hand toward the right hip and thread it through the hole between the legs. The right arms reaches behind the back to clasp the left fingers. Voilà, you are a pretzel! This is the quintessential twisty yoga pose and always a class favourite.

Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

revolved chair pose

Stand in Mountain Pose. Inhale raise your arms overhead. Exhale bend your knees and hips as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair. Inhale extend through the upper body, exhale, twist to the right, bringing your hands into prayer position, and placing the left upper arm on the outside of the right thigh. Look down at your toes or to the right, whichever is comfortable. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Inhale and return to standing. Repeat on the other side.

Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

Stand with feet wide apart. Inhale raise the arms to shoulder height in line with feet, ankles should be directly below hands. Turn your left foot in slightly (this is your brake). Turn your right foot out 90 degrees. On an exhale turn your torso to the right bringing the left arm to the front, right arm reaching behind you, and squaring your hip points to the front as much as possible. Inhale, lengthen the side body, actively reach the arms apart, and ground through your big toes. Exhale, reach your left hand down to the ground or onto a block while the right hand reaches high. Beginners can look down or to the side. More advanced students can gaze at their raised thumb. Hold this pose for a few breaths. Exhale to release the twist. Inhale to return to standing. Reverse the feet and repeat on the other side.

Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

Stand with feet wide apart. Turn your left foot in slightly. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees. (So far the same as above) With hands on hips, turn your torso to the right and square you hips forward. As you do this lift the left heal off the mat, rotating on the ball of the foot. Exhale and bend the right knee to get your right thigh parallel to the ground. Keep the left leg active. On the next exhale, rotate the torso and lean it down with the left arm on the inside of the right foot, right thumb in the crease of the right hip, pressing the thigh down and back. If this is easy, inhale come up slightly place hands in prayer position, extend through the side ribs and then twist further by placing the upper left arm on the outside of the right knee. As with all twists, lengthen the body on the inhale, deepen the twist on the exhale. Hold for a few breaths. Inhale to come up. Exhale to release the twist. Reverse the feet and repeat on the other side.

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Adding journal writing to your yoga practice allows you to access these transformative benefits and takes the process from being simply a physical experience to becoming a window to the soul. 

You never know what you will learn till you start writing. Then you discover truths you never knew existed. – Anita Brookner

There are two way to use journalling: prompted or free flow. Both have their advantages and disadvantages as well as a place within the yoga journal experience.

Prompted Journaling & Yoga

Prompted journaling is when the teacher assigns a topic for students to journal. For example: “We’re going to do Pigeon pose and I want you to pay attention to what your hips are telling you. We’ll then spend a few minutes recording the thoughts and feelings this pose generates.” Journals also are a wonderful place to record personal affirmations, set goals, and recognize our strengths and weaknesses. Topics I’ve used include:

• Comfort is relative – how do backbends teach this idea?
• How does doing Fish pose help you look at life from a different perspective?
• What do you feel while doing Eagle pose? What do you feel after?
• What images come to mind while doing Warrior pose?
• Let’s write an affirmation for Mountain pose. Everytime you do Mountain Pose repeat this affirmation to yourself.
• Which is your favourite yoga pose and why?
• What do you want/need to get out of class today?

Free Flow Journaling & Yoga

Free flow journaling occurs as an organic result of the yoga experience. Allowing yourself to simply reflect upon the experience, identifying and putting into words your thoughts, feelings, insights, etc. while upon your personal yoga journal, is an enlightening endeavour. It is not uncommon for yoga asanas and breathing techniques to release strong emotions. We often hang onto negative emotions such as fear, anger and sorrow because we have not dealt with them adequately in the past. Our bodies remember and hold these feelings deep inside. A regular yoga practice will release this negativity and tension, allowing us to return to a state of happiness and relaxation. Journaling these experiences will hasten emotional recovery and is widely used as a self-discovery and therapy tool.

How to Use Yoga Journal Writing

In children’s classes I almost always provide a prompt. This helps the children get to the journaling without wasting time on wondering what to write about. Younger children can draw a picture of their feelings and insights while older ones can put these into words.

Teens and adults are more familiar with the journal writing process and can adapt it to the yoga classroom generally without difficulty. Since this is the case I will use both techniques while encouraging them to ponder and explore their yoga practice. Yoga classes that begin with setting an intention are a wonderful place to start if students seem stumped for a topic to journal.

Entries by my students have ranged from sketches and quick insights, to lists and pages and pages of emotional outpouring. The lovely thing about journal writing is you can’t get it wrong. It is a snapshot of who you are today. There are a number of fantastic yoga blogs which serve as journalling for the authors. Some of my favourites who share the more emotional/trans-formative side of their yoga practice include:

• Everyday Yogini – Nona’s life through yoga coloured glasses
• Grounding Thru the Sit Bones - Brenda shares her life & revelations from the mat
• It’s all yoga, baby – Roseanne probes into yoga culture and community
• Karmaspot’s Blog – Jen shares thoughts on yoga for kids and parents
• Lifebloom Yoga – Abby’s creative expression of yoga in her life
• Linda’s Yoga Journey - Linda explores the world and her personal yoga journey
• The PranaMama – Amy provides yoga from a Mom’s perspective
• The Queen of Bohemia Cleans Her Own House – Sydney connects yoga and emotional recovery
• YogaChickie- Lauren writes about her life and the insights gained from yoga
• Yoga Demystified – Bob entertains and educates through poetry and probing questions
• Yogic Muse – Brooks reveals her personal journey one yogic step at a time
• Yoga With Spirit - Amy applies yoga to her life

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At schools hard hit by neighborhood violence, gang pressure, parental job loss and homelessness, the centuries-old Indian discipline of yoga may turn out to be an effective tool in helping young people cope with both crises and day-to-day life.

This is great news for everyone. The more teens who can be exposed to yoga and access its benefits, the more can use the breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and asanas to cope with the stress of growing up in the modern age. The four years of high school are often considered the most stressful time of life. Providing youth with tools to stay calm, manage their anger, and combat the negative effects of stress is vital.

Yoga is well known for its stress busting qualities but many teens don’t have access to the practice. Yoga classes geared especially for teens needs and interests are often hard to come by so this program is great news. And taking it to kids in high risk neighbourhoods – FANTASTIC!  Street Yogais another program doing similar work. If you are interested in helping de-stress teens, a great resource to help teens manage stress while building self-esteem is Indigo Teen Dreams by Stress Free Kids.

I think Alejandro Adame, 14, an Overfelt freshman, summed it up best when he said, ”You just take a moment to not get angry.” Now if we all can simply follow his example.

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Lately there has been a debate raging around the yoga community regarding developing competitive yoga with an eye to having it accepted as an Olympic sport. Some find this philosophically wrong as yoga is about acceptance and personal growth. While others enjoy the individual challenge that the competitions emphasize.  To see the two sides of the argument visit YogaDork‘s Competitive Yoga:Vicious or Vindicated: Ask Bikram and the flipside at the Bikram Yoga NYC blog Yoga Competition: Perspiration and Inspiration.

Today NY Times enters the fray with this article on how Rajashree Choudhury (wife to Bikram) is trying to build momentum for competitive yoga in North America and the Yoga Community’s response to that effort.

From what I know about yoga competitions I tend to agree with Michael Alba, a yoga teacher in Boston, who is quoted as saying, “It perpetuates the idea that yoga is for lithe-bodied contortionists.” A concept I completely disagree with. Yoga is for every body. See Yoga Accessible to All.

Competitive yoga is yoga at its pure physical extreme. Even Choudhury admits “We are not trying to judge any kind of spirituality when they are out there.” I think that is exactly the point. Yoga is, after all, a body/mind discipline and yoga competitions simply celebrate the physical aspect in a quick three minute performance, even if part of the path to achieve that physical performance was spiritual, mental, and emotional.

Jon Gan, a Bikram Yoga instructor and Director of the United States Yoga Federation, hopes that yoga competitions will help inspire yogis and non-yogis alike. “When I was a kid, I played tennis, and whenever I watched players on Wimbledon I’d want to get out there and play like them,” he said. “It inspired me. I’m hoping the same kind of things will happen here.”

Maybe, maybe not. In the meantime I’ll continue to teach all kids, teens and adults, regardless of ability, strength, flexibility, body shape, or special challenges, how to harness the many benefits of yoga and access their personal path to acceptance and understanding.

Namaste.

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