“In the beginning, I couldn’t even hold a warrior pose,” was the feedback of one teen who recently completed the Yoga for Teens program taught by Kindfulteens. Those with experience know this is a staple of yoga that takes strength and concentration. Struggling with the pose without giving up is one challenge Kindfulteens brings to adolescents.
According to Juliet Szyprowski, a middle school teacher and the founder of Kindfulteens, today’s adolescents are in crisis. The CDC has published that between 42-57% of teens report feelings of sadness and hopelessness, a major increase in the last ten years. Her interest in the health of her own son and his friends led Juliet to become certified in Kripalu Yoga in Schools (KYIS), an evidence-based yoga and mindfulness curriculum that helps adolescents improve resilience and reduce negative emotional states.
Juliet is bringing lessons in yoga and mindfulness to teens in Potomac and beyond through classes and her increasingly popular TikTok (@kindfulteens.com)and Instagram (@kindfulteens) posts. “The teenage brain is extremely malleable and the skills that adolescents practice become hardwired. The more teens learn and practice coping techniques for well-being like deep breathing, the greater the chances they will carry these strategies with them throughout their lives.” According to Juliet, “I want teens to have skills in self-care, and the Kripalu curriculum offers tools they can apply to the everyday stressors they face in school, and in social and family life.”
Yoga and mindfulness are resources to facilitate sleep, self-regulation, focus, and self-compassion. Juliet named the program ‘Kindfulteens’ combining the words “kind” and “mindful.” It is striking to her how hard teens are on themselves. She wanted the name to remind them to begin with kindness and non judgment towards oneself. She has been teaching the KYIS course at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac and offering it to the public in Potomac, where she works with her students and their busy schedules to make sure they can learn these invaluable lessons.
For more information about the program and to contact Juliet, visit www.kindfulteens.com or email kindfulteens@gmail.com.
“I want kids to have skills in self-care, and Kripalu offers tools they can apply to the everyday stressors they face in school, social, and family life.”