Restorative yoga is a practice that can help teens manage their anxiety and focus on relaxation, which can be key to maintaining good mental health. Teens today can face a lot of stress. Between school pressure, social media, extracurricular activities and navigating friendships, there are plenty of factors that might negatively impact your teen’s stress levels and overall mental health.

Many teens face mental health challenges as well. The World Health Organization says that 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10-19 experiences a mental disorder. As a parent, you may be looking for healthy, effective ways to help your teen work on their mental health. Restorative yoga may be a good option. By learning more about restorative yoga, you can get a better understanding of its benefits and whether it could be right for your teen.

What is restorative yoga?

Restorative yoga is a calm, slow-paced form of yoga that focuses on helping the body and mind relax. Some forms of yoga focus on staying active and improving physical fitness. Restorative yoga is different, focusing instead on comfort and restfulness. Doing restorative yoga typically involves holding comfortable poses for several minutes at a time. Someone doing restorative yoga might use blankets and pillows for extra support. While holding a pose, an individual doing restorative yoga will focus on breathing and mindfulness.

Restorative yoga is designed to soothe the nervous system. With restorative yoga, your teen can bring their body into a state of deep rest. In this state, built-up stress and tension may start to ease. Restorative yoga incorporates traditional yoga poses that promote relaxation. Here are some examples of restorative yoga poses:

• Child’s pose — Child’s pose is a common resting yoga pose. To do this pose, your teen can kneel on a mat and, leading with their hands, stretch their body forward. They might feel a light stretch along their back and shoulders.
• Reclining butterfly pose — To get into the reclining butterfly pose, your teen can start by lying on their back. Next, they can press the soles of their feet together and let their knees fall open, creating a butterfly shape with their legs.
• Supported forward fold — A supported forward fold can be a great calming yoga position. Your teen can start by sitting with a pillow under or between their legs for support. With their legs stretched out, your teen can gently fold their upper body forward, then hold the folded pose. This pose may help release tension in the back and reduce overall stress.

How does restorative yoga help with teen mental health?

Restorative yoga can offer several mental health benefits for teens. It doesn’t just help with relaxation in the moment — it can also provide lifelong tools for coping with stress, anxiety and other emotional challenges. Here are some potential benefits of restorative yoga:

• Reduced stress — One of the main benefits of restorative yoga is the way it can lower stress levels. Teens often deal with pressure from school, family expectations and social situations. When this stress builds up, it can lead to chronic anxiety and even physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches. By encouraging deep breathing and mindfulness, restorative yoga can help the body calm down. As your teen learns to manage their body’s response to stress, they may feel more in control of their emotions.
• Better sleep — Research shows that teens need around eight to 10 hours of sleep every night. Many teens don’t get the sleep they need, though. At age 16, only 19% of teens are getting eight or more hours of sleep. One reason for this can be anxiety. Fortunately, restorative yoga can help stressed-out teens get to sleep. In one study on the impact of yoga in young people, a student said that, after practicing yoga, “I manage to fall asleep almost every time, and then I can manage to work better afterward.”
• Healthier coping — When a teen is dealing with stress, they may cope by isolating themselves or spending more time on social media. These coping mechanisms can be harmful to your teen’s mental health in the long term. With restorative yoga, you can provide your teen with a better alternative. Restorative yoga can help your teen slow down, reflect, and address their emotions in a calm and constructive manner.

Lightfully Teen offers professional guidance and treatment for challenges like stress and anxiety

Yoga can provide a great coping mechanism for teens. However, sometimes it’s not enough. If your teen needs professional support, Lightfully Teen is here to help. Our Teen Residential Program offers on-site yoga and movement opportunities in addition to other treatments. We also have other levels of care for teens, including an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). The framework of everything we do is centered around our Precision Care Model (PCM). PCM is a compassionate, evidence-based model made to provide personalized treatment designed just for your teen.

Change is possible. If you think your teen needs additional mental health support, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of your teen.