Yoga: The ancient remedial therapy Yoga for
special needs children Exercise and physical activity can prove to be a
challenge for a special needs child as they have to face social interaction,
stressful competitive situations and co-ordinated movements. This is not the
case with Yoga. Yoga is
a natural form of exercise for children because they are supple. It can also be
a creative and expressive way for children to exercise using all the muscles of
the body to stretch, bend and twist. The Holistic Kids Yoga Programme offers children a
different type of physical exercise experience.
The experience is calming, fun and all about them and what their
physical capabilities are. Children with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADD, ADHD
and SID might all benefit from regular Yoga sessions. A combination of yoga poses, breathing exercises and
deep relaxation techniques can promote social integration, strengthen core
muscles, encourage sensory integration and promote self awareness in children
with special needs. Many yoga poses simulate objects or animals such as
the tree, downward dog and mountain poses. Special needs children find this
engaging as they often find it easier to relate to objects rather than
people. Breathing techniques and body
awareness help to calm and sooth a child with special needs by relaxing their
autonomic nervous system. Children with special needs are sometimes clumsy and
un co-ordinated. Yoga helps to strengthen the core muscles of the body,
encouraging correct posture, improving hand eye co-ordination and creating body
awareness. In yoga a child learns to
control his or her breathing. This increases the amount of oxygen in the body
encouraging the body to function at its optimal level. Muscles and organs such
as the brain that are being fed oxygen by the blood can function efficiently
and are healthy. In
addition, Yoga poses stimulate the circulatory, digestive and immune systems of
the body. The
Holistic Kids programme incorporates traditional yoga poses in a playful and
fun way that children enjoy, with no religious connotations or aspects. The
Holistic Kids programme is purely based on yoga poses and the benefits they
have for the body and the muscles involved.
Yoga and crossing the midlines of the body What are the midlines of the
body?
Why is it important to cross these midlines?
The vertical midlines of the body are the necessary references for all bilateral skills such as crawling, walking and depth perception. These skills are prerequisites for the whole body’s co-ordination as well as ease of learning in the near-visual area. Crossing the midlines of the body help to integrate binocular vision, binaural hearing and the left and right sides of the brain and body.
How can yoga be used to cross the midlines of the body?
Yoga poses work with a person’s natural ability to bend, stretch and re-balance the body. There are a number of yoga poses that cross the midline of the body and create balance around the sagittal, coronal and axial planes of the body. These poses can either be performed on their own as ‘remedial’ yoga, or included in a general yoga programme. The advantage of using yoga poses to cross the midlines of the body is the added benefit of deep breathing and body awareness. This teaches the child or adult to ‘connect’ to their body and stimulates the brain to use both the left and right lobes. The deep breathing techniques used during a yoga sessions help to nourish not only the body but also the brain with fresh oxygenated blood.
Benefits of Yoga for special needs children
· Strengthens and improves muscle tone
· Strengthens core muscles
· Stimulates the circulatory, nervous, digestive and immune systems of the body
· Teaches good breathing techniques
· Increases concentration and attention span
· Teaches coping mechanisms
· Teaches listening skills
· Releases pent up energy in a non-competitive peaceful way
· Promotes social interaction
· Improves self confidence
· Improves balance
· Improves hand eye co-ordination
· Helps with insomnia and restlessness
· Crosses the midlines of the body
· Is a fun form of exercise
