Teen Stress Relief with Restorative Yoga - APR

Teen Stress Relief with Restorative Yoga

TUESDAYS 3:00-4:00pm

Using Restorative Yoga and guided meditation, we’ll learn how to re-set our bodies and manage stress and anxiety. Restorative yoga involves holding very gentle poses for extended periods of time (3-5 minutes), propped for comfort so you can relax completely. If Yoga and Napping got married and had a baby, it would be Restorative Yoga! The poses work gently on the 6 movements of the spine, and align your posture in a mindful way as you remember what it feels like to have healthy posture. This class will help you establish a mindfulness mediation practice. The guided mediation is targeted for teens and will allow you to remember what if feels like to relax completely. A study on a mindfulness program for children found that mindfulness improved emotion regulation, mood, empathy, confidence and self-esteem, coping and social skills, and the ability to pay attention and focus. Come nurture yourself, let the poses do the work, and remind your body how to relax fully and deeply.

Instructor: Donna Rucinski Harrington

Donna received her initial yoga training at Kripalu in 2011. A former software engineer and technology teacher, her career took a turn when she switched from teaching Robotics to teaching yoga at a local high school. The opportunity to learn more about the effects of yoga, mindfulness and nature on humans and to apply secular and evidence-based endorsement of the benefits of yoga appealed to her inner scientist. The classes for teens who sometimes struggle with anxiety, stress, or depression gave new meaning to her work. She tries to present an array of yoga experiences by teaching Vinyassa, Hatha, Yin and Restorative to her students. But Restorative is a clear favorite of both the students and the teacher, as it gives all a chance to settle deeply into the present moment in a sweet, nurturing way. She received her Restorative Yoga Certification at Kriplau in January of 2018. 

She curates her playlists for the enhancement of the yoga experience, as well as to the changing and particular tastes of a younger generation. Donna has four grown-ish children, is a proud resident of Lowell, and enjoys writing, reading, biking and hiking.