Summer Youth Yoga Program
Teens in Training School (TITS), a subsidiary of Half Moon Yoga, is committed to supporting the youth in the Grand Valley by providing them with a safe environment for personal development, enhanced leadership and public speaking skills, and a professional certificate empowering them with a career option they can take anywhere.
TITS is a Summer Youth Yoga Program that gives youth healthy friend groups, physical activity, and a yoga alliance-approved 200-hour yoga teacher certificate (200YTT).
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Throughout the program, youth are mentored by local yoga teachers who are committed to advancing their yogic practice, empowering others, and building a strong sense of community centered around holistic health.
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The Training encourages exercise and movement as a lifestyle, provides healthy coping mechanisms, increases self-esteem, and enhances emotional intelligence. Youth gain both tangible and intangible life skills that will allow them to manage the stress of life in a healthy and safe way.
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Yoga is proven to provide a sense of wellness and increase health through optimizing the mind-body connection and is recognized by the World Health Organization as a suitable option to manage stress, heal from physical and emotional trauma, and support mental health. Yoga allows youth to experience and express their emotions instead of suppressing them which can cause physical health problems[1].
[1] Pedersen, Traci. "Can You Physically Feel Emotions?" Psych Central, August 20, 2002. http://psychcentral.com/blog/emotions-arephysical#examples.
The mental health crisis in Grand Junction is a real concern, as we continue to rank above the statewide average for suicide, especially among at-risk groups. Studies show that a sense of community and purpose decreases suicidal ideations and promotes well-being[1]. Teens in Training School is fighting mental health head-on by providing youth with alternatives for dealing with social isolation, academic struggles, financial insecurity, and grief, to name a few.
Yoga has its roots in the BIPOC community and our program honors that by promoting inclusivity and awareness for underrepresented groups.
Participation in this program does not require yogic knowledge, nor does it exclude persons with disabilities[2].
TITS is facilitated by Linda Jordan an experienced yoga teacher with over five hundred hours of training (E500YTT), under the Yoga Alliance-approved Z- Flow school. Additionally, experts on the fundamentals of yoga, anatomy, and nutrition will work with youth ensuring they have a well-rounded and fun education.
[1] Guo B, Harstall C. Efficacy of suicide prevention programs for children and youth. 2002. In: Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet]. York (UK): Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK); 1995-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK69303/
[2] “Disability-Inclusive Language Guidelines - UN Geneva.” United Nations - Geneva, 2019. https://www.ungeneva.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Disability-Inclusive-Language-Guidelines.pdf.
Estimated Program Costs
Cost estimate based on thirty youth participants, four yoga teachers facilitating the program, and the use of a facility provided by schools.