by Lisa Weinberg, AD
Teenagers are searching for balance and direction in life. Most young adults in my community are overscheduled. Their days are filled with academics and extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, and projects related to their school and local community, as well as chores and jobs.
Their high school offers Advanced Placement courses, and most parents are directing their children to be involved in anything and everything that could benefit them in their college application process. The pressure is on and is felt by many.
How do we guide our kids to find success and joy and maintain good health in body, mind, and spirit so they can love, live, laugh, be present, have passion, and stay grounded?
Ayurveda. Over the past few years I have worked with local youth and high schoolers discussing yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda. I find that high school seniors preparing for graduation and college are most interested in learning how these disciplines can help them to live and succeed away from home.
We discuss Ayurvedic healthcare routines, including daily habits that will serve them on their journey. Most important, we keep these routines simple and make adjustments along the way.
Recently I was asked to teach a week-long immersion for the local upper school in my community. Most students were fascinated by our discussion of the three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. The first few days featured conversations about prakruti and vikruti and how to know the difference. The kids also found discussion of the four elements—ether, air, fire, water, and earth—informative and helpful in understanding both themselves and their surroundings.
I still remember the two seniors I mentored in the spring of 2016. They worked with me learning the basics of Ayurveda and how to include simple Ayurvedic practices in their daily routines. We talked about their upcoming final exams and college selection. By the end of our time together, they were both committed to shifting their morning routines and sleep schedule along with incorporating daily meditation and personalized yoga sequences into their daily life. I was so gratified when they reported enjoying reduced anxiousness and better quality of sleep during the first ten days of their new Ayurvedic lifestyle.
We know that understanding who we are and how we behave/react will better equip us to deal with times of transition and struggle. Offering Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation to those students has made a difference in their life and approach to living.
One young lady who had enrolled in the week-long immersion course shared that she was excited to learn about Ayurveda, something she had never heard of before. She expressed her great enthusiasm to her parents. Her mom and dad appreciated their daughter’s newfound joy and interest in Ayurveda. They asked for book recommendations and thanked me for teaching their child and being open and engaging with her.
Reaching out to the next generation has been immensely satisfying. I have found that Ayurveda is more than just another tool in their toolbox. It has opened their minds and introduced their bodies to a happy, healthy way of being.
About the Author
“My commitment is to helping others help themselves—living life healthy and well.”
Lisa Weinberg, AD, is based in Cranston, Rhode Island, and has studied Ayurveda, Vedic astrology, yoga, meditation, and energy work and has earned certification in Pet Assisted Therapy Training (PATT). She has practiced Ayurvedic medicine since receiving her AD diploma in in 2001.