News — yoga

The Yamas are five forms of discipline that help keep the mind and body pure. They are the "don't" in yoga, and though people do not like to hear the word "no", these yamas will help keep you and your children on the right path to a positive and happy life. 

Ahimsa (Do not harm):  When we talk about harming people and animals, we usually are talking about our words or actions.  But, how about our thoughts?  They can be harmful, too.  The next time you have a negative thought in your mind about someone or something, try ti switch it to a nice thought such as: "I wish my enemy to find love and happiness."  Sometimes, just the thought of it makes you smile.  

Satya (tell no lies): According to yoga philosophy, truth does not harm anyone.  It results i strength in character and personal integrity. Truth is not just about what you say, but how you live your life. Do you practice what you preach?  Do you follow through on your words?  And how about those thoughts of yours? Are they realistic or are you setting yourself up for failure?  Be true to yourself and others.  The goal is to have our minds, speech, and actions in harmony.  

Asteya (do not steal):  This is not just about stealing items, but also about stealing thoughts and ideas from others.  It's very natural for kids to copy each other and often times it's a sign of flattery.  Therefore, it's important to let people know your intentions and to thank them for their contributions.  Again, be thankful for what you have and be content with who you are.  Instead of taking something, make it a practice to give something instead.  Habits can be formed over time, whether good or bad.

Brahmacharya (Control desires):  This can be any form of desire, whether sexual or non-sexual.  The idea is to have inner strength and contentment so that we have better things to think about or do other than lust and desire.  Having faith in ourselves and our families can help with finding Brahmacharya.  Filling your life with positive people, past-times and meditation will also help curb any sort of lusts and desires.  

Aparigraha (Don't be greedy):  It almost feels like all of the Yamas are the same, and in a sense they go along with not being greedy, but finding contentment instead.  When we live a simple life and are happy with what we have, greed seems to disappear.  When we give more than we receive, greed goes away.  Remember, you don't own your items and things in life.  They own you.  Instead of interrupting others and wanting things, try to give more and listen more.  

So, now that you have that down, go take on the day!

Yoga benefits children with autism as well as children of all levels of development,  thinking, and processing.

As a teacher and yoga instructor, I find that more and more parents are becoming aware of the benefits of yoga, especially for children. In my yoga classes that I teach I have children of all ages, ethnicities, and development. I teach children at –risk, children with autism, and children with behavior issues. What I’ve noticed is that yoga works. Parents often ask me what the benefits are of yoga. For me, I wanted to know how yoga benefits children who may have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Here are a few more things that I’ve discovered.

1. Managing Stress: Yoga teaches children how to relax the mind and body, especially when there’s stress or anxiety in life. For example, we talk about how mouse pose or child’s pose is a great pose to do when one is feeling sad, overwhelmed, or upset. Since yoga focuses a lot on breathing, we share how taking deep breaths can help relax the body and mind. In yoga, we also use a lot of imagery or visualizations-another way to help deal with anxiety or stress. These are excellent coping tools that children can take with them and apply in their everyday life.

2. Brain-Work: Through story-telling, songs, and chants, yoga is an emotional journey as well as a physical one. These experiences help children with their emotional development, giving them opportunities to share and experience gratitude and positive experiences with peers. Through sharing stories, children share ideas and feelings with each other, which helps them gain identification with each other.  

3. Body Self-Awareness: Yoga teaches children about their bodies. We learn what our bodies are capable of doing, how to listen to our bodies, and our bodies as a human instrument. Children continuously learn about where their bodies are in space, which helps with coordination, stability, and balance. When children move through the poses, they move slowly, which engages and strengthens their muscles. This in turn helps with fine and gross motor skills.

4. Positive Habit-forming: We are creatures of habit. It’s important for us to find habits that are good for us, such as brushing our teeth in the mornings and evenings, exercising, and reading. Yoga is a great habit and can be a great substitute for watching T.V. or dwelling on the negative. Certain “ticks” that children adopt, can be replaced with yoga movements. Children love the songs and chants in yoga. The deep breathing and meditation are also habit-forming, which is a great alternative to some of the other not-so-good habits that kids are forming these days.

It seems as though yoga's benefits are infinite.  Yoga has something to offer everyone and can be done anywhere. Our children today are so fortunate to have all of these tools to use throughout life.  They are life skills to share with everyone, especially those with any sort of special need. It's a connection that we all have, as everyone can incorporate it into their daily lives.  Enjoy sharing it with your friends and family.

Yoga and Autism

I’ve been a teacher for the past 15 years and have worked with a lot of different types of children. I’m still always amazed by yoga’s seemingly endless benefits, especially when working with children at-risk, children with special needs, and kids with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder is nothing new, and we’re finding that it’s more common than we thought before. Some people say 1 in 68 children have autism, while others say more. After talking with my co-workers, friends, and other compadres we all agree that yoga’s benefits are worth sharing. So, here’s a shout-out to all those who want to know how yoga can help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. By the way, as you will notice, these benefits can also empower the child in all of us.

1. Routines: I teach yoga on a regular basis to children. We go through the same poses, while adding new ones when appropriate. Yoga is orderly and consistent. This element of order is very important for a child. It speaks highly of continuity, which is preferred by children and most of us. We like routines and need them in our lives. It keeps our brain calm, so that we can observe things better and deeper. You can still add variety, such as small variations in Sun Salutation (a sequence of 8 poses that are done for 4-5 times). For example, we say our Sun Salutation poem using different voices. This was a technique that my yoga instructor taught me and the kids adore-though they often times pick the same voice (squeaky voice).

2. Sensory Input: As we know it, yoga is very sensory oriented. Yoga provides a nice balance of sensory integration. Children with autism often suffer from a highly sensitive nervous system and are easily over stimulated by bright lights, new textures, loud noises, strong tastes and smells. Yoga is usually done in calm settings with dim lights, organic materials, and soft music. Either that, or it’s outside in an environment conducive to yoga. The other thing that is often done in yoga is talking about and recognizing how our senses play an important role in our lives-whether they trigger memories, make us feel happy, or trigger something else such as being irritating. The yoga poses help release nervous energy and the breathing helps the children calm their bodies and minds.

3. Fine and Gross Motor Skills: Yoga helps develop both types of motor skills. Yoga helps children with balance, stability, and focus. It provides lots of opportunities to work on coordination and body awareness. Yoga also strengthens and tones the muscles of the body, thus making a more sound and secure body to work with.

4. Confidence and Social Skills: Whenever we have a yoga class, we always start off by asking the children a question, which gives them an opportunity to share their thoughts and/or feelings. For example, we may ask the kids: “What is something that makes you happy.” Not only does this give the children lots of opportunities to speak in front of others and build their self-confidence, but it also helps with social skills…such as taking turns, listening to our friends, and sharing. Children also feel confident when they learn challenging poses such as Eagle Pose or Crow Pose. Yoga fosters an environment where everyone works together as a team. Partner poses also help children gain confidence with their peers.

It seems that every day we’re trying to understand our children more and more, and rightfully so. The better we understand their needs, the happier they are and the happier we are. When we meet their needs, it teaches everyone about empathy. And that is something that we can use more of these days!

Whether you need to just relax at the end of the day or you feel stressed and need a good 10 minutes to regroup, here are some poses to help you.  These poses are perfect for adults and children.  They can be done at home, at the beach, at the office, or just about anywhere. I've actually done them in the back of the airplane on a long flight to stretch out my muscles and calm my nerves (not about flying but about how long the flight is from Asia to America).

Child Pose or Mouse Pose:  This pose is a pose that we tell our children to do when they are feeling upset, stressed, or just need a safe, calm place to go in the middle of chaos.  Focus on feeling your belly rise and fall as you inhale and exhale slowly.

Happy Baby Pose:  If it doesn't calm you, it sure will make you feel good getting on your back, lifting your feet up in the air, and grabbing your ankles or feet.  Rock side to side like a happy baby. 

Bridge Pose: This pose stretches your back and legs.  It is associated with helping reduce anxiety, fatigue, and headaches.  It also forces blood to your heart and your brain, which in turn sends oxygen to the cells of your body. 

Extended Triangle Pose:  If you need a full body stretch, this one is great.  It opens your heart and relaxes your body. It can also help improve digestion. 

Eagle Pose:  This pose gives the body a boost of confidence, which can help in stressful situations.  It is a powerful pose which takes a bit of energy (you will feel the heat rising when you are in this pose for a few breaths).  Your heart will thank you, as you give it the power to pump oxygen and nutrients to your brain and the rest of your body. Don't forget to do this pose on both sides.

Lying down with feet and legs up against the wall: I'm not sure what this pose is called, but my mom loves it and does it every day.  It's an inverted pose, which is good for the heart and the brain.  It relieves stress and stretches the legs gently.  It also improves posture and gives your spine a rest. 

Puppy Pose:  This is a version of child pose.  It stretches the arms and shoulders, a place where we hold a lot of stress.  The back and spine are given a counter stretch, which also relieves stress.

Corpse Pose:  This is the pose which you can lie down on your back and take a nap if you want to.  It's a great place to meditate, breath deeply, and relax.  Think of 5 things to be thankful for and relax a bit more.  Our bodies need rest in order to function, so enjoy this pose as long as you need to. 

Here are five poses to help you with flexibility and balance.  Improving your balance strengthens your core and other muscles, improves stability, posture, muscular control, and body awareness. It also improves mental focus and clarity.  Try these on a balance board for an extra challenge, in the sand, on pebbles, or on your yoga mat.

Crow Pose: Whenever we teach yoga to kids, they love to try the crow pose, because it's such a challenge and they feel so proud of themselves after they have mastered them (or even while trying).While in frog pose (squatting on feet with hands touching the ground between two legs), take hands and place them in front of legs.  Kneel forward, bending elbows to make a shelf for your knees.  Then, lean forward and place your knees onto your elbows like a shelf.  Keep leaning onto your tippy toes and then lift both feet off the ground so that your elbows are supporting your knees.

Half Moon Pose:Begin in Triangle pose, then slowly start to shift your weight forward onto your front foot. Lift your back foot off the floor, and center your hips over your standing leg. Open your hips as you extend your arm upwards (lift the same arm as your leg), keeping the other hand on the ground.

Dancer Pose:Begin in Mountain pose, then lift one foot so that the heel makes contact with your behind. Grasp the top of the foot with the hand on the same side, then lift your foot up and away from your torso and the floor. This pose requires arm and leg strength, as well as balance, but with enough practice it is a majestic balancing pose.

Tree Pose:Begin in mountain pose, then slowly slide your foot up the length of your standing leg and let it rest against your upper thigh. Bring your hands to your chest or above your head, and balance, breathing deeply.

Warrior III:Begin in a high lunge, with both arms above your head and your torso leaned slightly forward. Exhale and attempt to straighten your front leg and lift your back leg at the same time. Let your torso and arms come parallel to the floor as you balance on your standing leg.

These poses will strengthen your arms, wrists, belly, back, legs, and hips.