Free Teen Yoga

We were recently featured in the local StarMail News.

Adolescence can be an exhilarating period, a time full of possibilities and paradoxes. Whether you currently live with a teenager or you remember the tribulations of being one, everyone can attest to the myriad of internal and external stressors that teens face.

This generation of teenagers face an entirely different constellation of challenges than any generation before. Recognising a rising mental health and meaning crisis amongst teens, a group in Belgrave decided to do something about it.

In early 2024, at a meeting of the Belgrave Traders Association, the need for more wellbeing and mental health support for teens was raised amongst business owners of The Hills. “I knew we had the resources and space that could support our local teenagers,” says Jodie Stroll, owner of Ananda Yoga Belgrave, a light-filled yoga studio in the heart of Belgrave. 

Ananda Yoga Belgrave hosts regular kids yoga with Elanor Franklin of Melbourne Kids Yoga and Creative Dance, and together with the support of the Belgrave Traders Association, they created a weekly Teen Yoga class in Term 1 of 2024.

Elanor grew up practising yoga and knows it's never too early or too late to cultivate the positive skills and constructive mindset that yoga offers. Initially, the Belgrave Traders Association funded this class, but as time went on, Elanor offered to continue the class for free.

“It’s essential to me that these classes remain accessible through a donation model or at no cost,” says Elanor. “Participation in enhancing your wellbeing and physical health shouldn't be limited to those who can pay.”

Teenagers wrestle with a wide range of internal and interpersonal challenges, complex online and face-to-face social dynamics, academic pressures, sport, work and family responsibilities. Not to mention swirling insecurities and raging hormones. For teens, these sessions provide a mid-week sanctuary. 

Elanor guides teens through movement (āsana), breath (prāṇāyāma) and meditation (dhyāna). These classes offer an authentic introduction to adult yoga practice that is appropriate for the biomechanics of growing teen bodies and the mental-emotional experiences they are meeting at this stage of life.

Students can expect to engage in mindful movement and breathwork, to enhance self-awareness, strengthen both mental and physical health, and foster a sense of tranquillity. With inclusive guidance, teens can develop flexibility and strength, enabling them to achieve challenging postures while also cultivating the ability to sit quietly with their thoughts and breath.

Beyond physical movement and awareness cultivation in meditation, yoga can offer an anchor for teens in a sea of mental health concerns. In a culture where social pressures and anticipatory anxiety are rife, yoga can provide a way for teens to digest their feelings through embodiment practices and orient towards values that benefit their mental wellbeing and social cohesion. 

By encouraging values such as truth, non-violence, patience and forgiveness, combined with the nervous system regulation tools innate to yogic practice, yoga can help teens navigate the waves of their internal environment and interpersonal relationships.

In a time when teenagers face unprecedented pressures, simple, consistent support can make a meaningful impact. Yoga offers not only a movement practice; it provides practical tools for emotional regulation, self-understanding, and resilience during a formative stage of life. Ananda Yoga Belgrave and Elanor Franklin are creating an environment for teens to foster not only individual wellbeing, but a more connected and resilient community.

FREE Teen Yoga 

Wednesday 4pm, during school term.

Ananda Yoga Belgrave 

1681 Burwood Hwy 

Belgrave

By Jessica Kindynis, Studio Manager at Ananda Yoga Belgrave