Helping Teens With Anxiety Through Yoga Practice
January 25, 2021
Many of us remember puberty and adolescence as the realization of what little control we had over our changing bodies. This is also the time that many children begin to experience elevated levels of anxiety, fueled by social awkwardness, family dysfunction and loss - all areas beyond our control.
Prolonged anxiety and stress are known to have devastating effects on the body and mind - especially the adolescent mind that is continuing to mature. Aside from the physical benefits, yoga helps an individual manage stress through the practice of meditation and breathing.
“Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration,” said Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, CA.
Adolescents at Elk River Treatment Program often arrive to the residential program with out-of-control behaviors such as substance use, depression and self-harm that are often symptoms of unaddressed childhood trauma. Children learn to cope with painful emotions the best way they can and unfortunately many use risky and unsafe behaviors.
That is one of the reasons Elk River Treatment Program has long provided a holistic approach to therapeutic treatment including professional yoga instruction. For the past year, clients have enjoyed the always pleasant, gentle mannered Jane Ringbloom who leads yoga practice twice a week. Already trained as a group fitness certified instructor through the American Counsel of Exercise (ACE), Jane turned her focus to yoga about three years ago. She began building her knowledge in all areas of yoga philosophy and earned her 500-hour certificate in 2020. She is now working on her 900-hour yoga therapy training registered with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Early in 2021, Jane completed 140 hours of Trauma Sensitive Teacher Training which no doubt helps guide her practices with clients at Elk River Treatment Program for adolescents.
The following is a Q & A with Jane about her experience teaching clients at Elk River in a residential setting.