ADAPTATIONS

Yoga vs Adapted Yoga –

If you are doing Adapted Yoga there is no pose that is too hard. There is always an adaptation, so that no child is left behind.

See a pose moving in space and how the pose can serve the body. Yin Yoga focuses on an inner feeling of relaxation and calm and internal sense of balance.

Body is the vehicle for learning and we have to find different ways to get to the solution either through interacting with our bodies or the environment (props, etc.)

ADHD not enough peer physical interaction, no enough body awareness, difficulties with self-regulation.

Autistic children self-regulation issues. These behaviors are body’s way to try to ground and balance. Oscillations – movements within the body we are or we are not aware of. This can be helpful in working with these children. Noticing any type of motion in your body.

[Activity]: Close your eyes and focus on a nature of this small movement you are noticing like a movement in a forest of trees. Observe a plant. Constant movement. Balance and grounding, how the movement feels through out the whole body? Engaging muscles-bones, mind (awareness, focus). Motion happens everywhere on micro and macro level. SPIRALING. The body is never still – it is a grounding movement, that establishes the relationship of the child and gravity.

HUMAN SKELETON ::: HOMO ERECTUS (upright man) ::: we are made to be upright ::: we have “doubled up” structure except the spine because we develop FROM THE SPINE UPWARDS. It is like a river  – a central channel and everything flows off this channel. Spine – torso – arms – legs – hands- feet-scull and so on. DEVELOPMENTAL HIERARCHY TREE ::: tree: root-stem (trunk)-branches and so on. SPIRAL PRAXIS – we study these developmental structures, hierarchy and function of each zone.

Middle section of 24 yoga poses  – presentation and discussion and adaptation  – do we always need an adaptation? Being careful not to go away from the core purpose of the pose, align with the bone, provide very concrete instructions. Energetic child? Connect with this energy by strong energy of touch, hug, weight, getting physical by gentle push, stretch and pressure on the hands or back, etc. Match the energies!  Set of eyes, attention, watching him with the whole class and counting, another child on a child.