DR. RACHEL STRICKER, a naturopathic physician and yoga instructor, sits in a meditative pose at her Battle Ground Healing Arts office in downtown Battle Ground. Stricker will teach a Yoga for Teens course for youth ages 11-18, at the Battle Ground Community Education’s Lewisville campus, on Wednesdays, Feb. 4-25.
Most people are familiar with the health benefits of yoga. The ancient Indian practice, particularly the physical postures, or asanas, is touted for its ability to increase flexibility, reduce stress and relieve everything from insomnia to high blood pressure. In fact, many studies show that practicing yoga regularly also improves the immune system, keeps allergies at bay and increases self-esteem.
Yoga’s health benefits hold true for all ages, but for tweens and teens, yoga can be a great way to cut through negative emotions that often accompany the transition into adulthood.
“Teens often feel really awkward in their bodies, just not comfortable in their own skin,” says Battle Ground doctor Rachel Stricker. “Yoga can really help with body awareness. It helps bring things inward. Instead of thinking, ‘What do my parents, friends, teachers think about me?’ yoga helps us ask, ‘What do I think about me?’”
Stricker, a naturopathic physician who works at Battle Ground Healing Arts in downtown Battle Ground, recalls the first time she practiced yoga – during her senior year of high school.
“I was very driven. I was a three-sport athlete and used to competing,” Stricker says. “And I remember that, after that first class, I felt this profound insight. Yoga had a big impact on me, and I think it really set the stage for the way I’ve lived my life since then.”
In addition to being a naturopathic physician with a background in chronic pain management, Stricker, 29, has her bachelor of science degrees in psychology and gender and diversity studies, and is a massage therapist, nutritionist and registered yoga teacher.
In February, Stricker will teach two different “Yoga for Teens” classes at the Battle Ground Community Education’s Lewisville campus, 406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground. To provide a more relaxed atmosphere for teens and help them feel more comfortable during their yoga practice, Stricker has separated the classes by sex. Stricker says the classes will begin with a few minutes of decompressing – with participants talking about their day and starting to ease into their yoga practice.
“It’s important, especially for teens, to take some time to talk at the beginning of class and to begin to release the stressors from that day,” Stricker says. “After that, we’ll warm up and start to become aware of the breath, which has a calming effect.”
The class will then ease into a series of physical postures designed to improve flexibility, reduce stress and increase strength in the body. Stricker says she will have a plan for the class ahead of time, but may mix things up depending on what the teens need on that particular day.
At the end of the class, the teens will rest in what is known as Shavasana, or corpse pose. A pose that allows the body to melt into the floor and release those last vestiges of tension, Shavasana is also a time for meditation and self-reflection.
Stricker likes to use those last few minutes of class to help teens visualize and go inward. She often asks her young students to think about their child self and then about their present-day teen self. Are there qualities from childhood that can benefit them during their teen years? Can they remember the pure joy of being a child, free from responsibilities, and carry that with them during the stressful parts of their life?
“When you’re in Shavasana you don’t have to do anything,” Stricker says. “You can find stillness in a chaotic world, and that’s very important for teens, who are asked to sometimes be children and to sometimes be adults … and who have so much going on in their lives.”
Jude Blocker, program lead for the Battle Ground Public Schools’ Community Education program, which is hosting Stricker’s Yoga for Teens classes, says he’s excited to offer something for this age group, which often gets lost in the cracks when it comes to community education.
Aside from one class that targets homeschooled teens, Blocker says Stricker’s yoga class is unique for the Battle Ground Community Education program.
“It’s a tough age to reach because they’re involved in sports and student council and other extracurricular activities,” Blocker says of tweens and teens. “We do a lot of programming for the little kids, but we would like to offer more things for high school ages.”
Blocker says he’s excited to see how the yoga classes will be received by the community, and that he’s open to other suggestions for tween- and teen-focused community education courses.
“In my mind, the yoga classes are a great opportunity for teens to get out there and meet other people, to establish a community and release some stress,” Blocker says. “It’s a good, healthy alternative for kids who might not be involved in team sports and it’s a reasonable price for four sessions.”
Stricker hopes the yoga classes catch on, and says she would like to continue to offer Yoga for Teens through the local community education program – or even go into the different schools to teach children during school hours.
“Yoga is just such a great thing for this age group,” Stricker says. “Their bodies are changing and they’re under a lot of stress. Yoga is a stress-busting outlet … and help them build physical and mental-emotional health at the same time.”
Both the girls and boys yoga classes will be held in the gym at the Battle Ground Community Education’s Lewisville campus, 406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground. The girls class begins at 3 p.m., and the boys class starts at 4 p.m. Both classes cost $25 for four, 50-minute sessions and meet on Wednesdays, Feb. 4-25.
For more information about the Yoga for Teens classes, visit the Battle Ground Community Education website at http://bgce.battlegroundps.org, and type “Yoga for Teens” into the search box. Registration closes Wed., Feb. 4.
