One of the things I worry about most with young people is how early we start defining them. Clever, academic, difficult, anxious, high achieving, not reaching potential, good at maths, bad at English, university material, not university material. And then come the results, the grades, the comparisons and the inevitable question of what you are
You Are Good Enough Continue »
In 2005, Japanese mathematician and essayist Masahiko Fujiwara published a provocative book, The Dignity of the Nation. His central argument was simple but profound: a nation does not flourish because of wealth, technology, logic or even democracy alone. It flourishes because of the character of its people. A nation possesses dignity when its citizens are
The Dignity We Cannot Measure: Why Young People Need More Than Mental Health Support Continue »
One of the assumptions that concerns me most when discussing the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training is the subtle belief that the trend is somehow inevitable. When a problem becomes large enough, visible enough and persistent enough, there is a tendency to begin treating it as a fact of
Can We Reverse a National Trend? History Suggests We Can. Continue »
One of the qualities I most admire in any society is the willingness to change course when new evidence emerges. It is surprisingly difficult for institutions, governments and even individuals to admit that an idea which once appeared progressive may require reconsideration. Yet throughout history, some of the most important advances have occurred when people
Sweden’s U-Turn on Screens and the Courage to Ask What Children Really Need Continue »
When Alan Milburn’s report landed on my desk, I found myself thinking less about employment statistics and more about a group of teenagers standing outside a school gate twenty years ago. At first glance, the connection may seem tenuous. The report concerns the growing number of young people in the United Kingdom who find themselves outside
What Iceland Teaches Us About the NEET Crisis Continue »
Alan Milburn’s recent report on young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) highlights one of the most pressing social and economic challenges facing the UK today. The rising numbers should concern all of us, not only because of the impact on the life chances of individual young people, but because they
The NEET Crisis Begins Long Before a Young Person Leaves School Continue »
There is a strange contradiction at the heart of modern life. We are more connected than ever, more visible than ever, more able to perform ourselves to the world than any generation in history, and yet so many young people feel unseen in the ways that matter most. Beneath the endless stream of content, branding,
The Quiet Measure of a Life: Dignity, Grace and the Return to Real Connection Continue »
We live in a time that is deeply committed to the reduction of suffering. This is, in many ways, a moral achievement. We have language for mental health, access to support, increasing compassion in systems that once ignored distress. And yet, alongside this, there is a quiet risk: that all suffering becomes something to be
The Intelligence of Suffering Continue »
There is a moment in almost every session when something subtle yet decisive shifts, and it rarely corresponds to the introduction of a new technique or the refinement of a sequence. It happens instead when the young person recognises, often without naming it, that they are in the presence of someone whose attention is not
Attention Is the Medicine: Why Presence, Not Technique, Heals. Continue »
A generous donor has made something genuinely radical possible — five fully funded places on our 60-hour live London course, offered to individuals with the capacity to reach over a hundred young people each. Three of them are already working in therapeutic settings. Crucially, this course brings together leading practitioners, including a specialist paediatric physiotherapist from
This is what impact looks like. Continue »
There is something I have come to understand very clearly over the years: real change does not begin with systems, it begins with people. It begins in the body, in the nervous system, in those small, often invisible moments where a young person either feels overwhelmed by life or finds just enough steadiness to stay
I watched our cat the other morning, sitting quietly beside what used to be a lively rat’s nest. She wasn’t pouncing, prowling, or even particularly alert. She was simply there — present, steady, unhurried. Within days the rats had relocated. No drama, no battle. Just the quiet influence of her being. I’ve seen the same
The Subtlety of Being Rather Than Doing Continue »
We often think of hypnosis as something mysterious, done by someone else, maybe with a swinging watch and a deep voice. But here’s the truth: you are hypnotising yourself every single day. Every time you repeat a thought — “I’m not good enough”, “I’ll never manage that”, or even “I always mess things up” —
How Are You Hypnotising Yourself? Continue »
BeyondPills and Protocol: Towards a More Empathic Treatment for Young People When it comes to mental health, young people today are often met with waiting lists, assessments, and clinical labels. Pills and protocols can sometimes help, of course—they can bring relief, clarity, and stability. But if we stop there, we miss something essential: the human
The Case Against Pills And Protocols Continue »
Listening to the Super-Conscious: Yoga for Young People So much of life as a young person is loud. The noise of school deadlines, friendships, social media, expectations, and the constant hum of “what’s next?” can be overwhelming. We spend so much time in the buzz of doing, reacting, and comparing that it’s easy to forget
Listening To The Super Conscious– Continue »
Being a teenager can feel like living in a house that’s being beautifully renovated while you’re still inside it. Neuroscience now confirms what many of us feel: the adolescent brain isn’t “broken”—it’s under construction, exquisitely wired for learning, courage, and connection. 1) A brain built for boldness.During adolescence, the reward system (hello, dopamine) becomes extra
Adolescence & the Brain: A Love Letter to Your Becoming Continue »
Adolescence isn’t a problem to fix; it’s a season of becoming. New studies keep reminding us how exquisitely plastic the teen brain is—shaped by experience, relationship, stress, screens, and even a global lockdown. Below is a simple roundup you can share with young people, parents, and practitioners. 1) COVID-era disruption and the teenage brain A
Adolescence & the Brain: what recent research is whispering to us Continue »
By Charlotta Martinus In a world that constantly demands your attention—scroll here, swipe there, binge this, do more—have you ever paused to ask: Where is my energy going? This is a question at the heart of an ancient yogic principle called Brahmacharya—a Sanskrit word often misunderstood, but deeply relevant to young people today. What Is Brahmacharya, Really?
Where Is Your Energy Going? Understanding Brahmacharya for Young People Continue »
by Charlotta Martinus Self-care is often spoken about as something simple: take a bath, go for a walk, pause for a deep breath. Yet for many of us — teachers, parents, young people alike — caring for ourselves can feel surprisingly difficult. Even when we know we need rest, something inside resists. We keep pushing,
The Art of Letting Go: Overcoming Hindrances to Self-Care Through Ishwara Pranidhana Continue »
By Charlotta Martinus In the face of rising violence, fractured communities, and the deep loneliness that haunts so many—especially our young people—what if the real revolution begins not with resistance, but with tenderness? We are living through extraordinary times. The headlines—whether about war, climate breakdown, political unrest, or mental health crises—paint a picture of a
Tenderness as a Revolutionary Act: A Hopeful Vision for the Future Continue »
