working with teens in yoga.

Some ideas for opening up a class to the concept of 'emotions' with yoga philosophy and psychology.

Talk about their ideas for boundaries on butchers paper and relate that to yoga concepts.  

Eg.  Right speech: Throat chakra (which I'll go into more later when we talk about energy lines and focus of chakras in yoga).  

 example: When discussing any reactions or responses ask themselves:

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Is it necessary? 

Speaking freely but without harshness to others.

Practice active listening.

Acknowledge feelings.

Be present.

Observe.

No judgment.

No hasty solutions.

Just listen.

I had these ideas for settling in activities.

1. Creating a mask- use a template of a mask/divide in half,  and colour with pictures,ideas, words- one side with the mask we show the outside world most of the time and the mask we have to ourselves on the other which is what we feel most of the time really.  

discuss how we start life with no masks and our inward feelings are easy to see on the outside and as we get older we experience, sadness, fear, suffering in different ways and we begin to wear masks in the outside world.  What isn't resolved stays under the mask.

We eventually live at odds with our own true nature and the one we present to the outside world.  What the outside world sees does need some regulation, however we will try to learn better ways to reclaim our true identity and be a  peace with any sufferings  we may be 

covering up.  Yoga can help.

Lie down and practice the concept of R.A.I.N. (quiet music playing as I speak).

2.  The concept of R.A.I.N (Buddhist psychologist and author Tara Brach).

R= Recognise: notice what we are experiencing in our body and mind right now.  What is the 'weather' like today in our body?  Is it cloudy, sunny, or a bit of both?  If something or someone once bothered you in life, can you step back and just observe rather than react with that feeling you had?

simple name what was present? anger?, annoyance?  wanting to cry?

And simply be with it without trying to change it.  Don't be hard on yourself for feeling the emotion, just sit with it and sense where you feel this emotion (can take yourself away from the 'story' going on if need be)  then have self-compassion for yourself and sense in which body part do you feel the emotion?

(We can use our folders to draw a body figure and draw  each emotion they may feel and where they feel it in their bodies eg. anger: clenched teeth and hands etc.)  talk about alleviating anger in healthier ways?

I= Investigate:  Look deeper to underlying emotions, maybe there is a softer emotion of hurt underneath your anger? sit with this softer emotion if you can.  Try to send out a message to yourself of no longer suffering or to the person- for them to no longer suffer in their emotions.

N- not-investigate:  Have a feeling/thought etc., instead of 'being' it.  disentangle yourself from that feeling? how could we do this?

Knowing that this experience is fleeting and things change constantly and our initial reaction may not be the best choice relating to the emotion felt.  That feeling is not the total of who you are.  It too will arise and pass.  This is just one part of you; you don't need to claim it as who you are, it is just a passing feeling- you can claim that feeling

 and then sense the spaciousness that comes when you experience it as a flowing emotion.

Follow on with breathing, then asanas and savasana to open up the heart chakra WITH BACK BENDS, and feeling grounded with base chakra poses:  Goddess, staff pose, bound angle pose, pyramid and finish with a relaxation focusing on each chakra and listening to own feelings.

Tell them to try and go home and have a bath one day with lavender sense, epson salts and baking soda to feel relaxed and calm.

'Om shanti'.

Tracey

(Yogamotorskills).