Yoga through a student’s eyes

Teaching yoga to teenagers is one of the most challenging, rewarding and fun yoga classes I do. I have been teaching at Colfe’s School since 2017 and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity of sharing my love of yoga with these young souls.

The teens I teach are the older years ones, years 11, 12 and 13. Inevitably, when the term ends and the older ones fly away to carry on with their adult life, I always wonder how they are doing and hope they’ll find my classes and I’ll see them again.

On this blog, I have a special guest writer, Abbi Fox, who shares her experience of yoga at Colfe’s.

Yoga through a student’s eyes

By Abbie Fox

As a student in my first year of Sixth Form, Geny’s approach to yoga has been extremely
beneficial in terms of helping me and my peers to relieve any built-up stress.

When I walked into the room on my first session, I was unsure about what to expect. Never
having participated in a yoga class before, I wondered whether it would have been wiser to
sign up for a sport that required a little less flexibility on a Wednesday afternoon. However, I
was pleasantly surprised when we started off with a gentle meditation that eased me into
the session.


Yes, there were parts of the class that were challenging, but Geny’s tips and suggestions
helped me to adapt the exercises themselves, instead of trying to force my own body to
adapt to the positions.

Last lesson, Geny came to the class prepared with a different activity. To switch things up a
bit and keep the class engaged, she had brought with her a pack of cards that contained
descriptions of yoga positions. We were asked to pair up, in order to demonstrate and
explain the exercise to the class. Not only was this entertaining, but it also helped us to
develop skills that would aid us in the wider context of school, and of life. Presenting the
explanation in a fun and light atmosphere gave Geny the opportunity to give us useful
feedback.

Throughout the school holidays, I have started to do my own yoga exercises. Whilst it’s not
quite as enjoyable as being in the environment of the class with a guide to help, it still helps
to free up any negative energy around my mind, body and soul, and to help me retain a
sense of balance.

Geny has promised to teach us a short yoga sequence before the summer holidays, so that
we have something to take with us and practice if we so wish during the break from school.

As someone who is not a fan of the majority of sports, I now look forward to my Wednesday
afternoon break from the regularly scheduled programme of school.

 

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