When you hear the word "yoga," do you think of a person with his legs twisted up like a pretzel? If so, it may seem like yoga is very complicated or just for adults. Not true!Kids and teens can do yoga for the same reasons grown-ups do: because it feels good to stretch out your body, slow down your breathing, and relax your mind. Yoga can help you feel calmer when life is busy and stressful.

一听到“瑜伽”这个词，你是否就会联想到一个人将自己的腿扭成椒盐卷饼那样呢？这样想来，瑜伽似乎很复杂，更像是专门给大人练习的。其实并不是这样！儿童和青少年也有和大人们一样的练习瑜伽的理由：因为伸展身体、放缓呼吸以及放松精神的感觉很棒。当你感觉生活紧张、压力重重的时候，瑜伽可以让你平静下来。

What You Need

你需要——

Any time you start a new exercise routine it's a good idea to check with a parent. A yoga class can be a great way to get started because the instructor¹ can teach you how to get into the poses².Find a large enough space with few distractions³. No TV or people, if possible. Wear comfortable workout clothes and no shoes or socks. A yoga mat can be helpful because it cushions a bit and keeps your feet from slipping. Yoga should not hurt, so go slow and ease into position. Go only as far as you comfortably can.

无论任何时候，当你要开始一项新的锻炼安排，和父母谈谈总是好的。上瑜伽课程是个不错的开始，因为导师会教你怎样做动作。找一个足够大而且没有什么干扰的地方，最好没有电视或人。穿上舒适的健身服，不要穿鞋袜。瑜伽垫很有用，因为它起到一定的缓冲作用，并防止脚部滑动。瑜伽不应该让你感到疼痛，所以你要慢慢地、舒服地摆姿势。尽量做，舒服就行。

Why Yoga for Stress?

为什么选择瑜伽减压？

When you get stressed or nervous, many things can help you feel better. Talking with someone—a parent or friend—is a great idea because they can help you figure out what's wrong and start coming up with solutions.In addition, you can ease stress through exercise. You probably know exercise is good for your health, but it's also a proven way to put you in a better mood. So it makes sense that yoga is a favorite activity among people who want to feel stronger and more relaxed.Yoga includes a lot of stretching, but that's not all—yoga also focuses on breathing and meditation⁴, which means thinking calm thoughts. Practicing yoga is a chance to learn stretching/breathing/thinking skills that you can use to calm yourself down the next time you feel worried. In other words, yoga can help your body stay loose and relaxed when things heat up!

感到有压力或紧张的时候，很多事情可以让你放松下来。跟家长或朋友聊聊就是一个不错的方法，因为他们可以帮你发现问题所在，找出解决办法。另外，你还可以通过体育锻炼减轻压力。你也许知道体育锻炼对身体有好处，但人们已经证实运动还可以令人心情更加舒畅。顺理成章，瑜伽备受那些希望变得更强壮和放松下来的人士喜爱。瑜伽包含大量伸展动作，但它远不止如此——瑜伽还注重呼吸和冥想，也就是冷静思考。练习瑜伽让你有机会学习伸展、呼吸以及思考的技巧。下次当你感到忧虑的时候，便可以通过这些技巧使自己镇静下来。换句话说，在事情一团糟的时候，瑜伽能够让你的身体保持舒展放松。

Think Good Thoughts

积极的想法

Meditation is the first part of a stress-relieving yoga routine. Meditation means being calm, quiet, and focused. Some people call this "feeling centered." When you're feeling centered, you can do your best in stressful situations such as taking a test or working through a disagreement with a friend. Try these meditation exercises:Take a yoga vacation: Find a quiet, private place, like your bedroom. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Imagine a place where you feel safe and relaxed. Is it your best friend's backyard?Your grandma's house? Camping in the woods? Imagine yourself in this place for three to five minutes. You'll feel much calmer after your "yoga vacation." Positive pictures: When you're feeling stressed about a big test or game, it can help to imagine it going really well. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Picture yourself feeling prepared for your test or kicking the winning goal in soccer. Of course, positive pictures can't take the place of actual preparation, but they can help you feel more confident.

冥想是减压瑜伽练习的第一部分。冥想就是保持镇静、平静和专注。有些人称之为“感受中心”。当你感受到自己的中心，在受压情况下——如进行测验或处理与朋友的分歧等——就能发挥最好状态。试试以下冥想练习：进行一次瑜伽旅行：找一个安静、私密的地方，比如卧室。以舒服的姿势坐下来，闭上双眼。想象一个让你感到安全放松的地方——是挚友的后院、奶奶的房子，还是林中露营？用三到五分钟想象自己身处这个地方。完成“瑜伽旅行”之后，你会感觉平静多了。积极画面：当你为一场大考或比赛临近感到紧张时，想象它们进展得很顺利，这很有用哦。舒服地坐下，闭上眼睛，想象自己已经准备好去应考，或者有信心在足球赛中踢入致胜一球。当然，想象积极画面代替不了真正的准备工作，但它们能让你更加自信。

Breathe Deep

深呼吸

On one hand, you already know how to breathe. You're doing it right now! But learning how to breathe in yoga practice can help you notice how your breathing changes when you're anxious or upset. Often, when you start to feel nervous or uncomfortable, your breathing may get faster and you might not breathe as deeply. Once you tune in to your breath, you can try belly breathing.

一方面，你已经知道如何呼吸，因为你此刻就在呼吸！但学习如何在瑜伽练习中呼吸能助你在焦虑烦躁时察觉呼吸的变化。当人开始感到紧张不安时，其呼吸往往会急促起来，而且呼吸的深度不够。一旦了解自己的呼吸变化，你可以试着用腹部呼吸。

Get Up and Move!

动起来！

There are many different yoga poses. Some can help you stretch the neck, shoulders and back, which are most likely to get tense when you are nervous or stressed. Try these two yoga poses when you want to de-stress yourself:Surprise/Sourpuss: Open your mouth wide and bug out your eyes, then close your eyes very tightly⁵ and pucker⁶ your lips.Alternateback and forth⁷ between "surprise" and "sourpuss." Do this while you're studying to help loosen⁸ up your face and jaw⁹, which can get really tense while you're studying. If you have a study partner, make a game of it! Who can make the silliest face? Shoulder gymnastics: Do a few gentle shoulder and neck rolls right before a test to keep your shoulders nice and loose. You can even do them during a test if you need a refreshing¹⁰ break.

瑜伽有很多不同的姿势，有些可以让你伸展颈部、肩膀和背部，这些部位在你紧张或感到压力时通常会绷得很紧。当你想减压的时候，试试以下两个瑜伽姿势：惊讶/怒容：张开嘴巴，瞪大双眼；然后紧紧地合上眼睛，噘起嘴唇。交替做“惊讶”和“怒容”这两个动作。我们学习时，脸部和下颚会绷紧，这套动作能帮你放松这两个部位。如果你跟同伴一起学习，还可以当游戏玩呢！谁的鬼脸更傻呢？肩操：测验前适当摆动肩颈能让你的肩部舒适放松。如果想休息一下，让自己头脑清醒，你甚至可以在测验中途做一下这个动作。

Have Fun with Yoga

开心自在玩瑜伽

Yoga can help you in serious ways, but it also can be a lot of fun. You can smile during yoga, and even laugh, which is a great stress reliever too. Yoga can be done alone or with friends. And you can do it at home, at a yoga studio, or in the park.We'll end with a special Sanskrit greeting—"namaste." It's traditionally said at the end of a yoga practice and it means the light inside of me bows to the light inside of you. Namaste.

瑜伽既可以严肃对待，也可以趣味横生。练习瑜伽时你可以面带笑容，甚至放声大笑，这也是减压的好方式哦。你可以独自练习瑜伽，也可以结伴练习；瑜伽可以在家、瑜伽室或公园里进行。我们将以一句特别的梵文问候语结束——“双手合十”。瑜伽练习结束时一般都会说这句话，意思是我体内的灵光向你体内的灵光鞠躬。双手合十。