There’s a great story out of Boulder, CO about yoga being used as a tool to help kids in the autism spectrum. We’ve seen yoga play a therapeutic role for people living with a variety of conditions from cancer survivors to rehabilitating vets to stressed out teenagers. Yes, yoga is for kids, too!
The non-competitive environment combined with the self-calming techniques of yoga help soothe the nervous system to make space for a mind-body connection and boosted self-confidence, as well as improved motor and social skills.
Boulder-based yoga teacher Nicole Calvano, featured in the video below, teaches yoga at Temple Grandin School in a new program for sixth through 12th graders, and has seen the positive effects first hand.
“It’s profound. It’s really profound, giving them a chance to connect with their bodies, when they generally tend to feel a bit a alienated from their bodies,” she says.
“It is an ideal antidote to the inner feelings of brokenness and needing to be fixed that often comes with autism,” she writes on her website theinfiniteu.com. “Yoga reminds us that we are whole and perfect as we are, and gives us permission to express our infinite Selves.”
Though we await more official scientific studies, personal experience and research papers support the benefits (see here and here). We’re overjoyed to see that yoga can help improve the lives of these kids, and that yoga teachers are making it their mission to bring it to them.
——
Earlier…
Yup, I think it’s a great idea. I like the fact that they are working with teen age Aspergians (as John Robison calls himself). Breathing, tuning into the body’s response to movement and relaxation is a good thing to be aware of when they are young.
I’m a yogi mama to an Aspberger’s kiddo. These are great skills for the kids to develop. It’s a challenging road for them and the more coping skills we can provide, the better.