For years, parents have been urging Clemencia Gujral to teach their children some of the same things she’s taught them in yoga class.

Gujral is going to do just that as she teaches the course, &uot;Yoga for Youth,&uot; through District 241 Community Education. The course will be taught for 11 Mondays, June 9 through Aug. 18, in the Brookside gym. The class for ages 8-12 runs from 1:30-2:30, and the class for ages 13-15 is from 2:30-3:30. Tuition is $25.

The instructor said students will learn to breathe deeply and focus on the task at hand, sharpen balance and posture skills, and work on improving flexibility.

&uot;Yoga helps keep the heart strong and healthy,&uot; she said.

What’s more, Gujral said she hopes to instill the importance of quiet time for the children.

Yoga is not about competition, she said. It’s about doing your best and respecting each other.

Gujral also plans to discuss the importance of eating healthy foods.

&uot;Teachers are offering input on what they believe are important topics,&uot; she said.

Yoga for kids differs from yoga for adults in that kids don’t hold postures for long periods of time. Instead, they do repetitions, Gujral said.

Gujral has been teaching yoga in Albert Lea for 25 years, and currently teaches for both the Albert Lea Family Y and Albert Lea Community Education. She first learned the technique after her oldest daughter was born.

“She was a real ‘mommy-mommy girl,'” Gujral recalled. “I couldn’t even take showers.”

Her husband, Saroj, or “Yashi,” was attending college then, and she saw a notice on evening classes in relaxation. “That sounded so far away from my life,” she said.

It was love at first class. “I love that concept of body, mind and spirit,” Gujral said of yoga.

It’s the oldest form of exercise, and while she likes to play tennis or racquetball, yoga remains her favorite.

“If I had to choose between them or yoga, I would choose yoga,” she said. “The only people who are excused from yoga are dead.”

She said even people with serious health problems can benefit.

“Every class is thrilling,” Gujral said. “They’re so diverse. We have from 70-year-olds to teens. It’s so neat to see everybody at their level working their best.”

Yoga means integration, or union. “To have body, mind and spirit working together in perfect harmony translates to perfect health,” she said.

She said just because yoga is relaxing it does not mean it cannot be a challenge. She said it offers cardiovascular benefits by recharging the body with fresh oxygen, and also lubricates joints and muscles. The Mayo Clinic highly recommends yoga for back problems and legs, she added. She begins her classes by telling class members to close their eyes and inventory their bodies so they can locate the areas that need care.

“The power of the mind is remarkable,” Gujral said.

To register for &uot;Yoga for Youth,&uot; call Community Ed at 379-4834, or stop by the office at the Brookside Education Center.