Why Yoga and Mindfulness are Important For Young Adults

Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • Mar 30, 2021

Yoga is beneficial for everyone, from 3 years to 103! It might be said though, that the 13-18 year old age group needs it the most.

There is so much going on in the physical, emotional and mental layers of the young adult body. They are at a crossroad. Hormonally there is a lot going on. Emotionally our young adults are often on a rollercoaster ride. Cognitively, they are growing their neurological pathways.

Female Young Adult practicing yoga asana

All of this is going on while there is pressure coming at them from everywhere: home, school, parents, relationship issues, body image issues, problems with friendships, wanting to fit in and be liked, feeling very different and not knowing how to express it, getting told off all the time, often not feeling safe to tell people what's going on, even if they could put it into words. Does this all sound familiar?

Our young adults need the tools to control their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They need a time and a place in their week where they just get to be, where they feel safe, and where all pressures are removed. They need time to connect and to be real, to connect by being real. Young Adults just want to be seen, to be heard, and to be listened to. They want to connect to someone who is real. This is where yoga and their yoga teacher can come in.

A yoga session for young adults, like all age groups, is made up of many components. The young adult yoga session encompasses all of the Seven Essential Mental Activities shown above, based on The Healthy Mind Platter by Dr Daniel Siegel and David Rock, and much more.

In young adult yoga sessions, we look at the physical, cognitive and psychosocial stages of development and build lessons encompassing all three areas. We also use yoga therapy based therapeutic exercises that work with the body to bring the body back into balance. We use breathing techniques throughout the sessions to focus, quieten, develop concentration, relaxation and for connecting to the self. Breath work is also important to expand the lung capacity during dynamic yoga movements.

"The breath is a mirror of how we feel. Through conscious breathing we can change our tension into relaxation."
- Danielle Bersma and Marjoke Visscher

Young adult females practicing meditation together

Mindfulness and coping strategies are also used, giving our young adults life skills to draw upon at any stage in their future life. These skills not only improve communication skills, they also work on calming the mind and body, increase focus and attention, increase the ability to learn, foster less reactive behaviours, develop self-awareness, help tune into their emotions, lessen anxiety and stress and help manage those volatile emotions our teens so often experience.

"Because of what we now know about the benefits of mindfulness, it would be irresponsible to allow a human being to come to adulthood without at least making it available to them to learn how to tune their own instruments, so they can play them under sometimes very challenging situations; that instrument would be the body, the heart, the mind, relationality with others and nature, where you no longer see yourself as the centre of the universe".
- John Kabat-Zinn

Young adult yoga is done in a caring, structured, yet fun way. It is done in a space that encourages all children to feel welcome, to feel safe, and allows them to be themselves without judgement, all while learning how to be the best version of themselves that they can be and develop life long skills to cope in the real world.

My mission for all Young Adults, Teens and Kids is:

To create a safe place where children can be themselves, and believe in themselves. I encourage every child to be at ease in their own uniqueness and unlock their potential.

Who do you know that could benefit from learning life long coping skills and strategies to strengthen their physical, mental and emotional bodies? Essential Wellness Yoga runs various sessions and programs for Young Adults:

If you have any questions, or would love some more information, please contact me. Please share this post on your Social Media and email. Let's spread the word about the importance of Yoga and Mindfulness for our teens.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Back to Blogs

What is Yin Yoga?

By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • 30 Jul, 2023

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, gentle style of yoga that focuses on holding passive poses for an extended period, typically ranging from 3 to 5 minutes or even longer. The practice primarily targets the connective tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, and fascia, rather than the muscles. Find out more about yin yoga below.

Cooked or Uncooked? Red or Green? What Ayurveda Tells Us About Apples.

By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • 27 Jun, 2023

According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian system of medicine, both green and red apples are considered beneficial in Ayurveda, but they have slightly different qualities. Find out more as you read on.

The Power of Turmeric

By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • 11 Nov, 2022

Turmeric is widely used in Indian cuisine, but did you know it has many health benefits according to Ayurveda?

What To Expect From A Yoga Therapy Session

By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • 27 Oct, 2022

Do you want to know more about what a yoga therapy session is? Would you like to be involved in free yoga Therapy sessions as part of my Yoga Therapist training? Read more...

Yoga for Older Students

By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • 14 Oct, 2022

Why is yoga and yoga therapy for older students so beneficial and why do they require special attention? When discussing the needs of older students, we are referring to those aged over 50. You may be surprised that we class 50 and over older, however these students present with a more unique history than our younger students. Therefore it is important to provide yoga sessions or yoga therapy that is suited to their special needs. Along with the usual intake steps that apply to all students, when looking at older students we need to pay particular attention to things such as: injury history and medical conditions lifestyle factors medications aims and expectations Injury history and medical conditions Injury history and medical conditions are important details that your yoga teacher should know regardless of your age. You may not know what is relevant to your yoga practice, so it is important to inform your yoga teacher or yoga therapist of your medical history, medical conditions and injury history. This allows us to provide practices that can support certain body or organ systems Lifestyle factors Lifestyle factors are extremely important to consider when planning a yoga practice for older students. Things to pay attention to include sleep quality, energy level and nutrition Medication Medication can have a huge impact on the type of yoga practice older students should be doing. Certain medications can change your balance, coordination and pain perception. Informing your yoga teacher or yoga therapist can allow them to provide a safe practice for your individual circumstances. Key Areas For Focus in Yoga We aim to maintain a healthy range of motion: Moving the body in different directions - forwards, backwards, side bending and rotation all encourage tissue elasticity, lubrication and circulation. Improve posture: As we age we tend towards flexion, which can create flow-on effects on bone loading, breathing, digestion, energy, and mood. Building the back body and posterior shoulder strength, as well as allowing time in 'neutral' positions of the spine is important. Postures such as chest openers and shoulder stretches as well as deep breathing is very beneficial. Working and strengthening under-utilised areas such as the back and posterior shoulders, the glutes, core and upper body Improving stability and preventing falls with poses that coordinate opposite sides of the body, standing and kneeling poses, foot awareness work and moving from pose to pose are key areas to work on as we age. Down-regulating the nervous system by emphasising the parasympathetic nervous system through mindful movement, Yoga Nidra, body scans, yin and restorative poses, Savasana, breath work and meditation. Cultivating acceptance of the stage of life we find ourselves in is extremely important. This may involve a gradual withdrawal from family and worldly life, to prepare for life as we age. Concepts from yoga philosophy can be helpful here - svadhyaya (self-study), vairagya (non-attachment) and santosha (contentment) There are many tools of yoga that can support the body, mind and emotions as we age. Why not give yoga or yoga therapy a try and see what it can do for you.