TEEN TRIUMPH

An introduction to 10 basic yoga principles for teenagers.

Young people today face daily, monumental stressors, including peer pressure, growing responsibilities, and looming decisions about colleges and careers. Mosca’s (YogaLife, 2010) resource for readers in this age group reaches back to the work of Himalayan sages, introducing concepts that she says will strengthen young people’s resolve, self-esteem, and problem-solving abilities. The book’s 10 principles encourage such values as self-care, kindness, truthfulness, and self-discipline, while discouraging common distractions, such as unnecessary messiness and drama, envy, and self-loathing. In short sections, accompanied by Rieves’ straightforward, comic illustrations, the book breaks down big ideas while focusing on self-awareness and self-study. The author also highlights the importance of good relations with other people, encouraging readers to forgive when wronged by peers, to help and contribute to others’ spiritual growth whenever possible, and to understand that the same situation can look different to different people. Each section ends with a handy summation, along with thoughtful questions and lists of “potholes” to avoid. The prose style is enthusiastic and engaging, applying the sages’ ideals to everyday happenings, from fights with friends to frustrations with schoolwork, alongside quotes from figures such as musician Alicia Keys, the Buddha, and Mark Twain, among others. That said, the book feels a touch dated at times; references to Popeye and the original Karate Kid may go over some young readers’ heads, and the book seems fixated on reality television while offering little discussion about social media. Still, this is a quick, well-organized read, and its message of self-validation is an important one.

An often engaging self-help book that offers past lessons and present examples for young people struggling with the future.