Today's nugget of knowledge

Teenagers, and posture. #2

One of the most prevalent complaints of adults throughout the world is back pain. Most people experience back pain at some point in their lives, and this comes down to poor posture. But a newer generation is now facing this problem…teenagers.

What is this problem caused by?

More and more teenagers now spend their day sitting down. Either in front of a television, a computer, a gaming console, or even a study-desk. Growing teens being glued to their phones is also a fairly common sight now. 

This causes something called the “text neck”. The text neck is a posture where we see a forward head posture due to neck misalignment, where the shoulders are rolled forward and slouched caused by being hunched over screen.

That begs the question. What is good posture?

Posture can be defined as the way in which you hold yourself. Good posture ensures that all of your bones and joints are aligned properly and prevents excessive strain on the muscles. Good posture involves having a neutral spine.

What does bad posture do?

Bad posture leads to an ever growing prevalence of a pain-points in their lives. Things like back pain, headaches, and lack of energy to do things.This can be very harmful to young teens, carrying over to their adult lives.

What are the benefits of good posture?

When you stand and sit with your body properly aligned, all your organs can function as intended. Your bones and spine can easily support your body’s weight. Making you breathe better, look better, and function better.

Can poor posture be improved?

Definitely. With just a little help, you can understand what is going wrong, then with some discipline and perseverance you can get it right. You will feel the positive changes almost immediately as well. Yoga is a great way to do this. With Yoga, we learn to understand our body, tweak our posture and get in tune with how our own body moves and responds.

Somatics Yoga makes you intentional about your movements, and helps you understand how you hold yourself. It is all about making yourself better.

So if your teenager is facing difficulties standing or sitting straight, simply contact us. We can help you lead a healthier life. 

Remember today’s mantra: 

Stand straight, show confidence, stay powerful.

Tip of the Day

Making healthy food is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, it’s easier than you think. And it helps you replace your unhealthy food habits. 

Here’s what I drink instead of carbonated soda - 

Made with just 4 ingredients in under 5 minutes!  Celery, avocado, cucumber, and spinach.

With these, you can whip up a really healthy juice for yourself too. Try it today. 

Teenagers, and a healthy lifestyle. #1

 As we start growing older, we also begin looking after our body, since it demands more. Teenagers are often given a free pass because their bodies can take it. Here’s the news, that’s not true. A bad lifestyle affects teenagers just as much as adults, if not more. With teenagers, there’s a growing concern of it becoming something that sticks to them life-long, because they are still in their learning period of life.

In this series, we will deal with common issues teenagers face, which are often ignored and can be solved by Somatics Yoga. Today’s topic, the first of this series, is a widespread problem among teenagers - Sleep deprivation. 

Sleep is a very important part of our physical, emotional and mental health. The average person will sleep for one third of their life. The way we prepare for sleep is very important because the quality of sleep we receive shapes our emotional, mental and physical health. But teenagers barely sleep. Whether it’s a high-load of school work, their routine, or even play time, teenagers often are the first to skip sleep. This can lead to various problems.

Noticeable signs of sleep deprivation include:

Memory issues

Weight gain

Irritability

Excessive fatigue

Poor balance and co-ordination

Imagine all this, on a growing child learning to adapt to life’s challenges. It’s a cocktail for disaster. And that’s why solving sleep-issues of utmost importance. If you’re a parent looking to help your child, look into their sleeping patterns. If they have trouble sleeping regularly and consistently, get in touch with us. Somatics Yoga can aid your child into forming healthy life habits, and fix their sleeping problems and more. Here’s how…

Somatics helps you relax your muscles and be mindful. When you are relaxed and aware, you are able to let go of all the stress you are carrying. This helps you reach the state where you can start your sleeping process. Thereon, Somatics teaches you methods that will help you calmly fall asleep. One of them is a form of breathing exercises. Try one of these simple exercises when you’re in bed.

Rest your eyes and notice your breathing. Pay attention to your breathing pattern and feel the air enter and leave your body. Visualize the flow of air as it passes through you, goes inside you, and is exhaled back out. Look for any tension, and as you exhale, feel the tension leave too. If your mind wanders to another worry or thought, let it go and gently redirect your attention back to your breath.

This is just one of the many things we can do to help.You can learn more by joining us for a personal session online or offline. Simple contact us for a counselling session and help your child kickstart a better life.