Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India, with a history spanning over 3000 years. We may have often heard of adults all around us practicing this ancient tradition, but somehow, yoga has never seemed to be associated with kids or teens, despite its numerous health benefits.

I had the opportunity to speak to Ms. Bijal, a renowned fitness trainer who believes that yoga can help teens get in shape and improve their posture, strength, and coordination. Upon speaking to her further, I also learned about the numerous health benefits of yoga on the mind, such as lowering anxiety and stress while making the participant feel more energetic and focused. This proves to be particularly useful, especially in their teenage years. Ms. Bijal also mentioned how yoga helps build a spiritual connection with one’s inner space, helping one move towards love, gratitude, and compassion for all experiences.

Meanwhile, pediatrician, Dr. Gandhi, is of the opinion that yoga can improve self-esteem and body image in teens. Upon personal research, I found that this was because yoga encourages self-awareness in conjunction with a sense of self-affection(NIH.)  Dr. Gandhi also believes that yoga encourages cognitive, rational thinking and creativity while developing discipline, consequently, promoting self-regulation. Thus, yoga helps develop various essential virtues in teens.

The teenage years are often associated with volatile mood swings especially in the younger adolescence, however, according to Dr. Srividhya, the release of endorphins during yoga while reducing stress, also acts as a mood regulator, thus significantly improving the overall mental health of the teenager.

So the next time you see your parents or any other adult around you practicing yoga, make sure you join in, as yoga acts as more than just a physical activity, it helps instill discipline and patience in oneself- virtues that are essential throughout life.