In today’s fast-paced world, teenagers often face problems much bigger and more complex than they would a few years back. From both parents working to increasing academic pressure or the much-recent influence of social media, there are enough stress-triggers in their lives. While most teenagers adapt to these triggers, in the longer run, constant exposure to high-stress levels can negatively tinker with their impressionable minds.
Yoga is a great way to teach them the much-needed coping mechanism. Yoga not only helps keep the body fit but also ensures sound mental health. When teenagers are encouraged to practice yoga, they become more self-aware, relax better, engage in a non-competitive form of sports, gain confidence, and much more. For these reasons and more, yoga and meditation are a part of our curriculum at Lovely Professional University.
Advantages of practicing yoga
Here are the top 6 benefits of encouraging children to practice yoga.
- By practicing yoga, teenagers get better at managing stress –
Teenagers today are more at risk of developing stress-induced anxiety disorders than ever before. It is indispensable to empower them with coping mechanisms from an early age to be well-equipped to handle whatever life throws at them. Yoga involves many breathing exercises that can help children learn how to cope with stress and anxiety better.
- Yoga is a one-stop solution for obesity management –
Childhood obesity is a growing concern amongst parents worldwide. A relatively sedentary lifestyle, over-involvement in computers, and of course, junk food are some of the main reasons why more and more teenagers are becoming obese. Doing yoga is a holistic way of controlling this problem. Another benefit of introducing yoga is that teenagers not only get the needed physical burnout, they also learn to control their food or other urges – helping them make better lifestyle choices.
- Teenagers who practice yoga stay more focused on a particular task –
Teenagers today have more difficulties focusing on a given task, owning to distractions like social media, computer games, etc. Lack of focus directly hampers their academic performance. When teenagers meditate and do breathing exercises, they learn to focus better.
- Yoga helps in boosting confidence and courage –
One of the significant learning takeaways from yoga is self-awareness and self-love. Once teenagers learn to be comfortable in their bodies and minds, they are more confident, and there’s nothing they can’t achieve in life. Also, acing that somewhat tricky yoga posture gives them a significant confidence boost, besides teaching them the importance of patience and perseverance.
- Yoga helps maintain a good posture and general fitness –
Just like obesity, postural problems are becoming exceedingly common in teenagers. When teenagers perform yoga regularly, it helps them maintain a healthy neck and spine posture and overall fitness.
- Practicing yoga from a young age leads to emotionally stable and socially sound adults –
A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. Emotionally stable and socially sound teenagers grow up to become very well-rounded individuals. Practicing yoga from an early age helps in psycho-social development most naturally.
Yoga – The ancient Indian system of exercise is not just another way to lose some weight, and it is certainly not for adults alone! It is a comprehensive manual that teaches you how to live life through physical and mental exercises. Owning to its multifaceted benefits – mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive, yoga is an integral part of our extra-curricular activities at the Lovely Professional University.
