Saturday, December 12, 2009

Yoga for Kids with Aspergers


Aspergers Syndrome is an autistic spectrum disorder. Often times kids have difficulty with social interaction, and can be a little clumsy with body mechanics. Emotional empathy is hardly displayed. As I love to work with Kids with Special Needs of any kind, I jumped on board when asked to sub a special needs Yogi Beans class. There were four vibrant young girls in the class. All were on various levels of the spectrum, and enthusiastic to do Yoga. We did sun salutations, balance, action songs, and a dog tunnel where one girl had her moving toy hamster crawl through our tunnel. Throughout the practice all the girls support each by cheering each other on. They each made up a Yoga pose and taught it to their friends. The most touching point of class was when we came to a close, and all 4 girls dedicated their yoga practice to something they hold dear to their hearts (family, friends, school etc). One of the young ladies dedicated her practice to all the teachers, specialists, and especially Yoga teachers who have helped her come far and join into mainstream activities. At the end she told me she loved the class, and that my class helped her to relax and find the calmness that she needed for a good night. Her eloquence and sincerity were so touching. Yoga helps kids with confidence, motor skills, social skills and so much more. I am so thankful that I had the experience to work with this lovely group of brilliant young girls.

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