Pre-prom yoga detox with Instagram's ZenGirl!

Mandy Burstein with students

It’s every teen girl’s prom day fear – the big forehead zit emerges, or the dress that wowed in the store doesn't quite fit.

“Self image is a lot of what I focus on, it’s personally a big passion of mine,” says Mandy Burstein, who has taught Yoga for Teens at Prana Yoga Center of La Jolla, California since 2012. Burstein also maintains highly popular Instagram and website followings (zengirlchronicles.com).

The 29-year-old Burstein says she understands the common anxieties that lead up to this perennial rite of passage.

c/o Mandy Burstein

“Some girls might feel stressed about spending $200 on a dress, or finding a date when other girls have already been asked. Plus, the timing of prom coincides with exams. There’s a big pull between...
social life and studies at this time of year,” says Burstein.

Since yoga’s main focus is breathing, “You learn to relax from the inside out,” says Burstein, who recommends taking at least three classes a week.

To get that yoga glow for the big night, Burstein offers these 3 tips:
 

Posture this. Twists are good at purifying. Sun salutes circulate the energy in your body. Do a bit of flow, to get out of your head, before restorative poses. Use pillows at home, stacked vertically along your spine, and stretch out in butterfly pose for deep relaxation.

Calm yourself. Oils are great for relaxing – eucalyptus in particular. Sweet orange is a favorite for energizing when you’re lethargic. Rub in to your palms, hold in front of your face and breathe in and out for a minute. Then, using your fingertips, massage your temples.

Drink up. A green smoothie is perfect for staying hydrated and for encouraging healthy skin. I make one out of cucumber, banana, lemon ginger and coconut water using Vitamix. The ingredients detox the liver and help with digestion. I also mix leftover cucumber pulp with greek yogurt as a facial mask.

Mandy Burstein has been teaching Yoga for Teens since 2012 at Prana Yoga Center La Jolla in San Diego, California.