Sun and Moon yoga teacher Annie Moyer began working with pregnant and parenting high school students at Mountain View Alternative School in Fairfax County last fall. Lea Gaffen, a Fairfax County Alcohol & Drug Services Prevention Specialist and yoga student of Sun and Moon studio, brought Annie to introduce yoga to the students she works with in the Leadership & Resiliency Program (LRP). LRP helps students learn how to use their existing strengths to overcome adversity. Students in the program meet in weekly group meetings, and participate in monthly adventure activities and community service projects. According to Lea, “yoga seemed to be a perfect activity for the pregnant and parenting students since most have never tried to connect with their bodies through their breath and stretching, and it fit in easily with the students’ schedule to ensure their participation”.

Annie began her first of three sessions with the girls (ages 16-21) by having them close their eyes and tune into their bodies by taking deep breaths. Even though this simple action initially elicited some giggles from the girls, they soon began to trust Annie and each other and relaxed into the exercise. In the remaining two sessions Annie taught the students gentle yogic stretches and discussed with them some yogic philosophies such as the importance of living in the present moment, and remembering that while thoughts and feelings come and go, our true nature is always good and always present deep inside of us.

When processing the activity in group sessions, several students mentioned they enjoyed learning yoga and were looking forward to Annie’s return. One student, a 19-year-old mother of a 5 year old, mentioned that yoga helped her feel at peace. Lea stated “the best part about the students experiencing yoga together is that they are learning to trust each other and those around them, which is a huge amount of growth for these students.”

Because she used to teach high school English, Annie loves working with this age group. “I’m really drawn to adolescents and the challenges they face. I truly believe that if I had been exposed to yoga practice and philosophy as a teenager it would have made a big difference in my life,” said Annie. “I might not have made all the same mistakes, or maybe I would have still made those mistakes, but at least I would have had a different framework for them. Teens are always being told what is right and wrong, instead of being encouraged to recognize what is true for them at any given moment, and then given the tools to find another truth that might be more freeing, or less harmful to themselves or others.”

Lea is looking forward to Annie’s continuing to work with the pregnant and parenting students indefinitely. She feels the partnership between Annie, the students, and the LRP benefits everyone involved on many levels.