by SHYAMA SRIKKANTH Staff Writer
Yoga is used as a way to relax and keep your body agile and healthy. By doing yoga, mental ability, body strength, and spirituality increases among teens. Yoga can lower stress levels by calming the nervous systems. It can also redirect thoughts in a calming manner. Poses such as the Corpse Pose and the Child’s Pose are useful for controlling emotion. Concentration also improves by performing poses that require focus and energy. Doing yoga also better equips your mind against stress and helps reduce anxiety. Physical education classes in 51 high schools across the nation participated in a 10 week program. The results showed that students were more positive when they responded to challenges. Freshman Danielle Albaciete says, “I feel that if our high school had a program like that, our students would be more efficient.” Yoga promotes a sound mind and body. It makes you more aware of yourself and the world around you. Doing yoga helps boost self-confidence. It also helps to dispel the negative energy coming from and around you. Sleeping patterns and calmness are another two positive effects. The focus and concentration required to perform yoga are definitely good mental exercises. Yogic philosophy promotes honoring yourself and being healthy all around. There are also positive effects for your body. Improved circulation and releasing skin toxins are benefits for your insides. For athletes that also participate in sports, yoga is a good way to improve agility and flexibility. When used as a warm-up, it can help prevent weakness in important muscles. This is a good way to prevent injuries after rigorous workouts. Yoga strengthens muscles and balance. It can also make you more graceful and improve your posture as time goes on. Freshman Lindsey Frankel says, “If I did yoga before I did karate, I could probably do a better job.” The best yoga positions for teens just starting out would be the Mountain Pose, Tree Pose, and Sun Salutations. The Mountain Pose is a simple stretch that works the muscles. The idea is to stretch your entire body at once by holding your hands above your head. Tree Pose is another standard yoga pose to master. It helps to develop concentration, balance, and strength. You stand with your hands straight above your head, and one leg planted on the other leg’s inner thigh. Balance is key to master this move. Lastly, the Sun Salutations is a rotation of 12 yoga poses that practice posture and increase stamina. This helps to make your body and mind work as one. The best yoga styles for teens to try out would be Ashtanga yoga or Iyengar yoga. Ashtanga uses a fast, intense workout that uses all the muscles in your body. Iyengar focuses on aligning body muscles and learning how to control them. However you decide to start yoga, the results will only make you happy, healthy and sound.