Resilience

By increased self, body and social awareness, and increased understanding of one’s limitations, also resilience increases. The insight into the dynamics of action-reaction, and for example in the own share in conflicts, and on the other hand, the awareness that you cannot change or ‘control’ everything, increases mental power.

The experience is really different for everyone, very personal. We had a boy who thought he came to make his body stronger. And then suddenly, during some playful exercise about emotions, something woke up in him, he gained an insight. He really thought that yoga was something for strong muscles. Another girl, who is very sensitive, came here for relaxation. She comes in completely full of emotions, and at the end of the session she looks completely different. And then she says literally “Woow!  And now I’m ready to make my homework. ” Yet another teenager, a girl who had a  hard time to let go of the children’s yoga wanted to continue playing games. She learnt here that it can also be fun to learn something, and not just to play. And she is doing better in school now. (teen yoga teacher)

These  youth have made a connection with their bodies, and that alone is pretty spectacular. They are just much more aware of how and where they stand in life, what causes them to explode sometimes, or be bullied all the time, or how they can react in an appropriate way in difficult situations. They just start to really feel, to feel in their bellies, rather than stay fixed in their heads. And I am convinced, that it is that that they are learning, that connection with their belly. Really going to feel, now I stand as a rock, or as water when I choose to do so. They become more their own boss. If anyone does something against you, that doesn’t give you the right to do something annoying back. It is all about starting to feel “What do I need?”, “What do I want?”, and “How do I respond in this or that situation to attain this?”. (Rock and Water trainer)

Some exercises focus on mental strength. Those are physical exercises in which by adjusting their mindset they perform better or longer in the exercise. For the youth, these are real Aha-experiences. If you can achieve such an experience after a number of exercises, then it’s going to linger much longer, I think. (Rock and Water trainer)