teaching KY to adolescents in psych hospital

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam!

I have been working at a behavioral hospital for teens for many months now. I

am a certified KY teacher and have known for a long time that KY would help them

immensely. I finally was able to work through my resistances to introducing the

young ladies to yoga, but find I still have a block about teaching the boys.

Does anyone have any experience working with troubled youth? I would like some

suggestions about how to introduce the Adi Mantra, what sets to teach, etc.

None of them have had any previous exposure to yoga.

I taught a brief intro class this past weekend, in which I told them about yoga

("in a nutshell") and introduced long deep breathing, some postures, and the

Grace of God meditation. Most responded positively afterwards, but during, very

few seemed to even be paying attention. I know not to have expectations as to

their reaction to the teachings, but would love any suggestions!

I have a limited time left at this job and would love to plant a seed of what it

is to experience the power of self.

Blessings,

Balwant Kaur

[Guest guest]

Dear Balwant Kaur,

 

You have to give the kids an experience. The teachings themselves don't

mean much to them or they might but don't risk it.

 

I taught a class for troubled teens once. They were very dubiuos. I walked

into the room, told them they could stay or not but if they were there they

had to do the exercises. They looked around at each other and all decided to

stay. Then we did a very hard set. Totally shifted their energy and they

way they felt. They got so calm. They had never felt that way before.

 

The next day many talked about how good they felt and they wanted to do

their breathing exercises. I didn't even call it yoga.

 

>I still have a block about teaching the boys.

 

Go for it. They need it.

 

>I would like some suggestions about how to introduce the Adi Mantra,

 

Get them to really resonate the ong and make it fun. Then tell them you

want them to observe if they feel any difference afterwards.

 

what sets to teach, etc.

 

Vigorous ones. Navel set.

 

during, very few seemed to even be paying attention.

 

Get them doing the yoga. Hands to the sides with b of Fire balances the

brain. Start with that.

 

The more the students work, the less the teacher has to work. They shift the

energy by doing the exercises.

 

Sat nam,

 

Gururattan Kaur

[Guest guest]

Hi Balwant,

 

I would just like to say, being a guy and having been a troubled youth,

Gururattan's suggestions sound about right. Anything short of 'doing'

or 'action' will

bore them. In fact if you make a subtle challenge out of it probably will have

better

results.

They probably view it as wimpy, feminine and beneath them. Try the breath,

firey stuff,... Surya? Maybe some cobra push-ups. Or maybe Warrior workout?

 

You'll do fine. Sat Nam

 

 

Brad

[Guest guest]

I am teaching in an urban middle school and thinking about teaching yoga

there.

 

I have tried a little yoga teaching in mainstream classes. Few of the boys

wanted to participate. As in everything they do, mainstream students put

very little energy into participation, so they get very little out. I think

I need to start with teachers, but that is really scary, too. For now I

limit myself to little healing moments with individual teachers. We are in

the middle of a big university and hospital community so the potential is

great. When I can get my courage up, I have a feeling that I may be better

off staying out of the school (my work place) where political life is full

of danger for me.

 

Interestingly when I was asked to teach a claass with many English as a

Second language students middle school students, the yoga was a big hit. I

just did standing excercises for ten minutes at the beginning of class. It

really set the tone and woke them up. The black American students resisted

strongly. Christian fundamentalism was one element of the resistance

although I did nothing that suggested religion. The problem was I mentioned

yoga in the beginning. If I had said we are going to stretch, it may have

been easier for those students to join.

[Guest guest]

..... Try the breath, firey stuff,... Surya?

Maybe some cobra push-ups. Or maybe Warrior workout?

 

Brad, please, what is Warrior workout?

 

Linda

 

 

 

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