by Shahrean Merican
I get very excited every time I see a teenager in my class. For some reason, I always had it in my head that it would be easier to teach Yoga to kids and teenagers. I mean, they are more flexible, have better strength, less likely to have joint or muscular problems (not yet!) and are fearless, which makes it easy to get them to stand on their heads! Unfortunately, I soon realized my assumption was completely far from the truth.
Most often, these teenagers don’t come by choice but are dragged by their parent/s to join them in class. They are brought to class in the hope that they can reap the benefits of Yoga. Instead, I find disinterest in their eyes and complaints about each pose, be it easy or difficult. It is a tough feat to kindle these young children’s interest in Yoga. They have so much energy and the last thing they want to do is sit in lotus pose or lay in relaxation. In a way isn’t this similar to our method of punishment by getting them to sit in a corner, do nothing but stare at a wall!
While it can be frustrating to teach Yoga to these vibrant youths, ironically, they reminded me of myself when I was younger. I remember my mother waking us up early in the morning to do Yoga before we went to school. Along with my other brothers, I would drag myself out of bed with a sour face and dread every moment of it. It would only get worse when my grandfather would come down from India to visit and make us sit in meditation for hours a day. I hated it! I was only 10 years old at the time, all I wanted to do was go out and play with my friends.
Now, more than 10 years later, I am a Yoga teacher and loving every moment of it. I have learnt so many valuable lessons through my fair share of ups and downs in life. My biggest regret is that I never embraced what my grandfather and mother were trying to teach me during my childhood. If I did, I am pretty sure I would have made a lot of different choices in my life. I wished I had spent more time with my grandfather before he passed away and found the answers to the questions I am currently seeking. For that, I am grateful I still have my mother to guide me along my path.
Yoga has always been a part of our family. My parents, siblings, husband, sister-in-laws, nephews and nieces all practice Yoga in one way or another. We spend majority of our time at the Yoga studio that it has now become our place of gathering.
This is all thanks to the exposure we had with Yoga as young children. I can proudly say we are a better and closer family because of this. Yoga has helped keep our family together through our most turbulent times and I believe will continue to do so in years to come.
So when I look at these teenagers, I am dying to share with them what I know now. I want to tell them to embrace what their parents are trying to teach them. I want to tell them that Yoga is a great foundation for sound health, mental strength and good values. I also want to applaud these brave parents for giving the gift of Yoga to their children. I want to tell them not to give up and just keep bringing their kids (even if it means kicking and screaming!) to their Yoga classes. One day, as they get older, they will thank you for it.
Here are 2 pictures I would like to share with you:
This picture is of my late grandfather Professor H.A. Rao and my mother, Datin Suleiha taken 15 years ago.
This picture is of my father, Dato Jawhar Merican and me taken on a family holiday in May this year.
They say history repeats itself. Ask yourself, what history am I creating for my generations to come?
