Yoga for all

When I startred my teacher training, I'll admit I wasn't sure where I wanted it to take me. I started thinking I could easily teach, but then I started to say it would just be for my own personal development, but as the course went along, the more I fell in love with yoga, and the more I wanted to share that passion.

Daily I work with children and adults with physical needs, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, developmental delay, stroke, Parkinson's and MS. To teach myself more I work with a boy with Autism and  girl with ADD  in the evenings as a form of respite/tutoring. Both children are10, yet very different. I have learnt a lot about learning styles, language confusion and seen how children can become frustrated when not keeping up with the standard school curriculum.

I'm a firm believer that we need to channel into the energy of kids. That movement is the essence to everyones learning. With movement we stimulate our brains and explore our surroundings. We movement with can settle the energy that can causes distraction from mental activities. In my profession, we challenge our children and adults, each and every moment. These are people who are usually sat in wheelchairs for extended periods of time. We challenge them to think, process and most of all listen. Listen to their bodies, and listen to the instructions.

I feel that the two children I'm with in the evenings, benefit from the release of endorphins to help them focus. To learn to listen to themselves, monitor themselves and see progression with what they do. With yoga I see this happening. Even when we are doing yoga they may complain things are hard and challenging but at the end I see stillness, focus and breath control. I'm trying to teach mindfulness, and hope they feel it themselves. Trying to settle nerves, rest bodies and see their own potential. I like yoga for these kids because it is not comparable to other children, or has cause and effect. Team sports can be challenging as they may not be able to co-ordinate kicking in soccer, or catch a ball 100% like in basketball. They don't have to keep up with anyone and they use their imagination to think of imagery and stories to work alongside our poses. The whole time they count their poses and are constantly reinforcing their left and right side.

I've decided, yes, I want to teach. I want to teach Vinyasa to adults in studios, but most of all I want to specialize in children's yoga. I want to show yoga can be made accessible for children using wheelchairs, non verbal children and those with limited concentration. Yoga can make them part of a community they never thought they could be.

I'm happy to say I'm putting my hand to this. I have managed to get in connection with a yoga studio ready to run special needs classes and I'm getting ready to promote, and plan for it. I recently completed a children's yoga specialized course and I have been contemplating taking the additional special needs course. However thats not in my budget this year. But I've thought about it and I've worked with children for over 10 years now and worked in the special needs sector for all of these. Kids yoga is about expression, incorporating song, drama, dance and art. I used to teach dance and drama before I went to university. I managed to take my knowledge in these areas and use it to teach classes in a special needs camp in the summer of 2004, so why not do this in yoga. I will try my hardest to believe I have the knowledge and I aim to have enough creativity to make this yoga, and ensure everyone in my classes has fun and learns something. I' ready to hit the teaching world via community outreach, schools and birthday parties, and hope people will help me share my knowledge and share my love.

Namaste.