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Psychology > Adolescence Problems
By Dr Rita Khanna
The origin of the word, “adolescence” is from the Latin verb, “adolescere,” which means, “to grow up.” Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental
human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes.
The teenage years are from ages 13 to 19. In fact, early adolescence is the most difficult phase of life, as children cannot express their problems correctly
because their power of expression and their knowledge of their own psychology are not mature enough. Due to physical changes, hormonal changes, and constantly
changing moods, teenaged children have many unexplained and unexpressed problems.
Common adolescent problems are: Loneliness, feeling misunderstood,
difficulty communicating new experiences, unable to talk to parents or trusted adults about their experiences, feeling isolated.
Emotional problems are:
Anger, hatred, confusion, low self esteem, low confidence, a feeling of inferiority and uselessness, feeling lost, frightened, depression, jealousy, and envy.
Other problems are: Abusing the body with lack of proper nutrition, wrong eating habits, lack of sufficient water, alcohol, smoking, and drugs
ADRENAL GLANDS These glands have a very important role to play in the child’s moral and emotional behavior, such as fear and love. If there is an imbalance
in these glands, behavior will be affected. For example, if there is an excess of adrenal secretions, the child will be full of fears. He will not be able to
face difficult people. The cause of the problem is not ethical or moral, or even social; it is a psycho-physiological. Sometimes, physical growth and
psychological growth do not mature together. It is related to the brain, nervous system, and endocrine system. At times, physical growth is more advanced
than mental growth; and at times, the vice versa. Usually, those with criminal tendencies have an overactive adrenal system. All we need to do is balance
the adrenal secretions to change the character of the child.
PINEAL GLAND The pineal gland is a very important gland and is situated in the
brain at the top of the medulla oblongata. In Yoga, it is known as Ajna Chakra and is very active in children. It has a balancing influence on the
activities of the brain and keeps it in receptive order. By the time children reach the age of eight or ten, it begins to decay and calcify, and with
that, a major controlling lock upon the function of the pituitary gland is released. When this control is released, pituitary hormones begin to form and
enter the blood stream and the emotions shoot up. The moment the regression of the pineal gland is complete, the emotional growth becomes rapid, and the
child finds it difficult to adjust. Aggressive, antisocial, and delinquent behavior, which signals the onset of puberty and sexual activity, can arise at
any time. This is the reason why so many children become emotionally unbalanced and disturbed during their pre-adolescent and adolescent years.
BALANCING THE HORMONES Sexual consciousness should develop when the child is able to balance his reaction in his mind. Nowadays, as children grow up,
their pineal gland begins to decay and their pituitary gland begins to develop automatically, before the child possesses the mental and emotional stability
to cope with such hormonal drives. As a result, the whole confusion starts at the wrong time. The child becomes restless because he/she is not physically
ready to express this new development. This causes an imbalance between their mental and vital fields, ultimately affecting their behavior. If we can delay
emotional growth, in relation to physical growth, the child’s stability is enhanced greatly. To remove these kinds of problems of children, we will have to
study the emotional effects of the hormones in the system. Sometimes, such problems are also caused by an imbalance of the thyroid hormones. To do this, we
have to maintain the health of the pineal gland; and for this, the practice of Shambhvi Mudra (concentration of the eyes at the eyebrow centre) is very important.
YOGA Yoga is the perfect balance for the changes of adolescence. Regular practice of Yoga can maintain the health of the pineal gland and add extra
years to its life. It increases the flow of endorphins – the body’s natural antidepressant. Yoga should be properly introduced to children by educators in every
school, just as we teach other subjects. Then young people everywhere would be well adjusted, healthy, and happy – both physically and mentally. They would be
more aware of their own potential and more capable of its realization. The destiny of the whole world depends on the little children. Regular practice of Surya
Namaskara (a dynamic Yoga exercise), Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (for health and balance of the pineal gland), Mantra (to challenge the child’s distracted mind),
and Shambhavi Mudra with visualization (to maintain the pineal gland) are very beneficial. These practices not only help the child to maintain psycho-emotional
balance, but also develop his mental growth, as well.
SURYA NAMASKARA Surya Namaskara influences the pineal gland and hypothalamus, helping to prevent
pineal degeneration and calcification. This balances the transition period between childhood and adolescence in growing children. When one performs Surya
Namaskara, synchronizing the physical movements with the breath, all the muscles, joints, and major internal organs are stimulated and balanced.
NADI SHODHANA PRANAYAMA Nadi Shodhana Pranayama induces tranquility, clarity of thought, and concentration. It keeps the pineal gland healthy for as
long as possible. As long as your pineal gland is healthy, your sexual glands will remain under control. The flow of Prana, in Ida, and Pingala Nadis, is
equalized. Blood is purified of toxins.
MANTRA Relaxing the brain, through Mantra, is one of the methods of increasing perception. The superficial
aspects of thoughts, emotions, or desires, which are not needed within the mind, and which need to be expressed, will be swept away by the Mantra. A proper
Asana, or posture, should be selected and maintained, for the duration of the practice, so that there is no movement to distract the concentration.
SHAMBHAVI MUDRA During Shambhavi Mudra, the eyes are moved to a fixed gaze – unblinking at the eyebrow centre – aware fully. To make this Mudra more
interesting, ask the child to visualize at the same time. We name about fifty items and let the child to visualize them one by one. He keeps on moving
his awareness, saying to himself and seeing a rising Sun, setting Sun, full moon, a pink rose, a flowing river, a snow capped mountain, a moving car,
an airplane in flight, a guava fruit, and so on. This practice not only helps the child to maintain psycho-emotional balance, it also develops his ability
to visualize.
Shambhavi Mudra influences Ajna Chakra inwardly and delays sexual maturity until the correct time. It works remarkably for growing
children and adolescents – for balanced emotional development, concentration, and stability.
Note If you are new to Yoga, it is recommended to
practice these Asanas, Pranayama, and Mudra, under the guidance of an expert.
CONCLUSION Every adolescent requires understanding, assistance,
wise guidance, listening to, and love, if they are to pass through this important stage of development, without damaging themselves or others. It is
important not to abandon, reject, or dislike a person, just because he is experiencing the normal adolescence phase.
Om Shanti
Author:
Dr. Rita Khanna
Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She
was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami
Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India). She believes firmly that
Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free
life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like
Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been ...
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©2010. This work is published under the following copyright:
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