COMMUNITY // KIDS YOGA
By Adam Avin, a teenage founder of the Wuf Shanti Program
A Call for Education
around Mindful Communication
A
s a 14-year-old, I’m striving to live my
life to the fullest. But it’s hard when the
TV is turned on and all I see are things
that scare me. It seems that around every corner,
there is danger. The tragic event at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland,
Florida, should never have happened. I get
emotional just talking about it, so I can’t even
imagine what was going through those students’
and teachers’ heads during that massacre. It is
like a horror movie that comes to life.
The statistics of teens, and even younger kids,
who are feeling depression, anxiety, and anger
has been rising. I think there are many things we
can do to help them so that they do not express
themselves by shooting up schools or movie
theaters and killing people or themselves. Suicide
is a real threat for kids as early as middle school.
Like most kids, I have a phone and I am on
it a lot, yet we don’t talk to each other enough
about how we are feeling. It’s important for
people to communicate with each other so they
can process their emotions in a healthy way. I
definitely encourage kids, if they are feeling de-
pressed, anxious, or angry to talk to a counselor,
teacher, or an adult they trust.
What can we do? I think we can look at edu-
cation. For example, what if schools offered a
mandatory course in communications in which
kids learn to talk to each other and share how
they feel?
And we could implement a “Coping with
Stress” curriculum. Kids can learn how to deal
with their emotions in a better way. If they
practice the tools they learn, and it becomes an
automatic response to stress, then they will grow
up to be happier and more mindful adults.
Since I believe we are all part of the solution,
I created a dog character, Wuf Shanti, who
travels the world teaching yoga, meditation,
and mindfulness to kids in fun ways with music
and games through books, videos, and a mobile
app. Shanti means peace. I wanted to honor my
great-grandpa when he passed away by paying
forward his mantras of positive thinking, kind-
ness, and gratitude to the next generation.
Wuf Shanti promotes health and wellness in
kids, and encourages peace and positivity. The
Wuf Shanti team visit schools and children’s
hospitals (in costume for younger kids and not
in the costume for older kids) to teach young
people, parents, teachers, and doctors how to
practice yoga, meditation, and positive think-
ing, and about the health benefits of a yogic-
minded lifestyle.
Health benefits of these practices include
reducing stress, depression and anxiety, helping
manage anger and impulse control, increasingfocus, concentration, self-confidence, respect for
others, and empathy, and boosting the immune
system. Scientific research has shown that with
a mind-body connection, our thoughts have the
ability to help make us well or unwell. Yoga,
meditation, and mindfulness can improve the
healing process, help us handle stress, and have
better interaction with others. That’s why I think
a “Coping with Stress” curriculum is so impor-
tant. It can help kids learn to be in better control
of their emotions.
Many people believe that yoga is about doing
physical poses, but there is also a mental compo-
nent that is practiced off the mat to help us have
inner peace. This includes breathing to relax,
stay calm, and centered. It is about diversity,
inclusion, kindness, and compassion. It is about
self-love and love for others, no matter where
they come from. Yoga is for everyone.
The Dalai Lama said, “If every child in the
world is taught meditation, we would eliminate
violence within one generation.” It seems clear
to me, especially now with everything going on
in this world, that we need to be teaching things
like this in school to help our generation grow
up to cope better.
We should be able to communicate without
so much anger or violence. I don’t know why
some people become violent or how to solve the
gun issue, but I do know that there are things
we could be doing in schools to help kids deal
with emotions. People who are supposed to be
our role models, like politicians, athletes, and
celebrities are having a hard time listening to
each other and becoming unified. There is too
much negativity, and we need to be trained to be
positive and kind so that we can make a positive
impact on the world.
We can’t keep doing the same things and
expect a different result, so let’s try something
new. Gandhi said, “If you really want to reach
peace, then begin by educating the children.”
Let’s begin.Adam Avin is the 14-year-old creator of Wuf Shanti,
Yoga Dog for Kids. He wants to help get this message
out about the benefits of yoga and meditation to kids
everywhere, and their parents, teachers, and doctors.
With everything going on in the world, Adam wants
to help stop the violence. Wuf Shanti includes award-
winning videos, books, and apps: wufshanti.com