Yoga teacher helping teenagers reduce anxiety and stress levels

Hollie Breslin, Lilly Tabbit and Amy O Kane practising their tree pose

One Derry yoga teacher has been working with groups of young people for a number of months to help reduce their stress and anxiety levels.

Amanda Murphy, of TOGA Teen Yoga, has adapted her classes to ensure the young people still have their weekly session during the global pandemic by hosting them on Facebook Live.

Amanda, who is also Vice Principal of St. John’s Primary School, first got involved with yoga when she was living and working in London.

Some of the teenageres who attend the yoga classes led by Amanda in Studio 2.

“I was working as school principal in Hackney and it was a pretty stressful environment. I was working 12 or 13 hours a day without a break and yoga became one of the few things that helped me relax.

“I am quite a busy person, quite enthusiastic about everything, energetic and full of lust for life. Yoga was physical exercise, but also gave me a chance to really settle the mind.”

Amanda took a year out and travelled the world before returning to Derry.

“When I came back I started to go to John Bell’s yoga and did my training with him as a hobby, because I wanted to improve my own yoga practice.

Amanda Murphy who teaches yoga to teenagers in Derry. The classes have moved online during the Coronavirus lockdown.

“Yoga is all about treading the Earth peacefully, doing no harm to yourself or others and spreading good karma,” Amanda explained. “I came to yoga later in life, but have always thought if I had practised it as a teenager, it would have been great.”

Amanda decided to use her skills to help others and began teaching yoga to children in her primary school and to local groups of teens.

“Yoga has taught me to be accepting of myself and that is something I want young people to do. It doesn’t require lashes and fake tan or to look fabulous on your mat. It is actually about using exercise to feel good about yourself and feel powerful and strong, inside and out.”

Up to 15 young people attended the yoga classes each week in Studio 2, prior to the lockdown.

The teenagers say that taking part in yoga classes has boosted their self-confidence and reduced anxiety levels.

“The feedback I have had from the young people, and their families, is that it is helping to reduce anxiety,” Amanda said. “Their confidence level and self belief is increased and they are becoming more willing to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.”

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Amanda has had to postpone classes but is hosting them over Facebook Live.

“I wanted it to be a free resource, so anyone could use it when they need it, to send out some positive vibes. I am still at work as a key worker and have also been doing food parcel drops, but I just felt I needed to do something else at this time of crisis for the young people. It has been so difficult for these young people to be ripped out of school and many are not getting an opportunity to do their final exams. Their potential to shine has sort of been taken away from them and it will undoubtedly raise anxiety levels and lead to anger and stress. They can work out those feelings on the mat through exercise and the power of yoga will help them to let go.”

The yoga classes take place each Monday night at 6:30pm and are available on the TOGA Teen Yoga Facebook page.