Every day we are growing older. On the forth day we became teenagers. It wasn’t that easy to go back to that time in life. The world was strange like Tim Burton’s movies and confusing like Chinese silent cinema. We were told to do things which didn’t make much sense for us, with the promise that we will use that knowledge one day. Looking back, I wish I did yoga at that point in my life.
In youth we learn; in age we understand – Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Teaching teenagers is similar to teaching adults, only harder. It requires finding a reason for everything, keeping teens attention and making the class flow smoothly. Sharikay did a good job. I didn’t have time to think about upcoming exams, how weird I feel in my body and the latest argument with my boyfriend. Being a part of the group is very important at that age, so we did a crazy mandala flow and a lot of group poses. As we all know working with other people is more challenging… add some more energy, movement and coordination and there you have it a teen yoga class. After this, all life’s obstacles seem to be a piece of cake. Even taking turns in being teenagers and teachers, which took half of the day.
As today’s world doesn’t give much space and time for being with yourself, this is exactly what everyone needs and teens need the most. Therefore, yoga class shouldn’t be another challenge of a busy day. Laura and Sharikay introduced us to a bunch of other activities that may help young people to relax and help in discovering and accepting themselves. Wouldn’t life be better, if we all had a time and tools to do that?
Life would be more beautiful as well if we would learn how to celebrate it. Evening goodbye ceremony for Sharikay wasn’t a part of the training program, but I found it as important and educative as the classes. How to enjoy little things and moments spent together with friends is one of the things we should teach to our children. Be a yogi for a whole day, not only for an hour-long yoga class!
And at the end of the day we learned to look at things from different angles as they may change shapes and your life can look totally different.