Balancing Life Through Yoga Training
If your child does not respond to their name by 12 months of age or if your child does not point at objects to show the need or if the child avoids eye contact and wants to be alone, you have reason to suspect a case of childhood autism. But don’t worry, Jeevaniyam can help your child lead a perfectly normal life
Autism is a neuro developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication and restricted and repetitive behaviorism. Parents usually note signs in the first 2 years of their child’s life.
The main goals while treating children with autism are to lessen associative deficits and family distress and to increase the quality of life and functional independencies. No single medication is best and the treatment is typically tailored to the child’s needs. Treatment modalities include education, medication and alternative medicine. Among these, the role of Yoga in the treatment of autism cannot be denied and it gains much more popularity in the present world. In recent years, yoga has become a topic of interest as an intervention and supplementary support for children with autism.
How the Child Benefits
Yoga being a group of physical, mental and spiritual disciplines is a backup therapy for anxiety and stress, a refresher to start your day. Using exercises, breathing techniques, and meditation, Yoga improves the health and happiness of anyone who practices it. Yoga is growing in popularity in our society these days as a complementary therapy for children with special needs and autism, with the rising number of schools and parents participating in innovative yoga programs that are cropping up around the country. Children with autism and special needs learn coping strategies through the art of yoga which enables them calmer, happier and healthier lives. Yoga in addition to the benefits typically associated -improved strength and flexibility, and an increasing sense of peace- autistic children also experience a relaxation of pain, anxiety, aggression, obsessive behaviour, and self-stimulatory activities. The children are also having greater success making new friends and regulating emotions. Teaching children specific breathing strategies and yoga poses to support them in activating the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest, relaxation and digestion support them in reducing anxiety, releasing difficult emotions and tension in the body, developing healthier sleep patterns, improving digestion and optimal functioning in the body and improving mood and behaviour.
Jeevaniyam tries to culminate all the benefits of yoga for the betterment of autistic children and also to support them. We often highlight the importance of visualization predictive, which uses over 50 cue cards to help children visualize the pose they are supposed to take. Through this visualization, they are able to successfully intimate and model physical autism and postures they would not have been able to previously. We also take into consideration those kids who don’t talk and does not have a language. They can obviously look at the cue card and respond so. Some children also have trouble engaging, even if they can achieve fluid sentences and can perform motor planning. Jeevaniyam with its core team works day in and out to help each and every kid who approaches Jeevaniyam for help and his/her recovery.
A Proven Track Record
Realizing that yoga reduces irritability, lethargy, social withdrawal, hyperactivity and non-compliance in children with autism spectrum disorder and that incorporating the program into school days maximize academic engagement and optimize classroom time, Jeevaniyam takes initiative in conducting an outdoor session in both normal and special schools, to make them aware of the importance of Yoga and help the children who need help. These outdoor sessions have proved to help thousands of kids to improve themselves, to be well versed in the Yoga procedures making them fit and healthy for a better tomorrow.
One of our main strategies is to conduct small, working, hands-on sessions called therapeutic sensory yoga:-
Therapeutic Sensory Yoga
This 1-hour class will focus on yoga, breathing strategies and mindfulness activities that support children with increased body awareness, sensory processing, fine/gross motor development, self-regulation and social skills. The session explores the 5 senses through yoga poses and breathing strategies including the 2 hidden senses – proprioceptive and vestibular senses. We give training also to learn strategies to support self-regulation!
Jeevaniyam tries its level best to provide the kids what they want and to make them happy forever!