Younger Yogis

YOUNGER YOGIS

Age 16-18

From the age of 16 minors may attend the full Bikram sequence on their own but must have a parent countersign the disclaimer, prohibitions, precaution waiver document.

Again, if this age group (16-18) attends with a parent, if the instructor gets a sense that the teenager has been coerced into coming, YM/the instructor reserves the right to defer admittance to class until such time as they are satisfied that the person is attending of their own volition.

Ours is an adult’s Yoga class.  Our focus is adult and the challenge is certainly adult.

That said:

Age 14/15

Enquiries about attendance in a full on Bikram class for ages 14 / 15 do crop up. Our policy is to judge such requests on an individual basis. They must not have been coerced into attending.  This is a ‘parent/guardian’ decision not an aunt/uncle/godparent/sibling decision so if you are enquiring about having a younger sibling etc attend with you the answer will be no. The enquiring parent must have previously attended a class at Yoga Matters before submitting such a request.  IF we accept this age group into the class a parent must always be present in class with them and vouch for their hydration. Depending on the individual they may or may not be permitted to do 2 sets of everything, they may be told to rest out of some poses or take it easy; they should introduce themselves gradually to the practice. Anyone in this age group may attend only quieter classes as can be ascertained from discussion with the instructor in advance. If the instructor deems it necessary to tell them to take a break at any time during the class then they must comply.

Having a younger yogi in the class will have an effect on the ambience of the class and there are many different considerations/subtle modifications taking place for the responsible instructor and how they manage the environment with/for the younger yogi there so assistance from the parent may be required.  The accompanying parent will take full responsibility for ensuring their young person is mentally and physically prepared for the rigors of the class i.e. the younger yogi knows what the class entails and is properly hydrated in the days prior to attendance. If the younger yogi has any pre-diagnosed conditions this is probably not the time to bring them into such a challenging environment; they may require more bespoke attention from a healthcare specialist and whilst we can modify our sequence for many conditions for adults, a younger person’s body is still developing and that is a whole other level of consideration and responsibility that has to take place.

Younger

At present we are unable to accommodate younger children in our hot Yoga room. They don’t need the heat; we save that for us older folks who need help getting a good stretch 🙂