Flex.Abilities

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My students LOVE this pose

It being beginner friendly, it’s typically one of the first asanas I introduce to my students. And they seem to love it! I witnessed many of them come into this asana as they come to take their seat, some default to this pose when they feel overwhelmed and over-stimulated.

Though some students with diverse needs and abilities tend to find this pose comforting for its calming, interoceptive, and meditative qualities.

Others default to this as a result of the hip mobility this pose offers. It may seem like a student is flexible enough to embody the full expression of this pose - it’s critical to know if it could be a result of hypermobility.
Hypermobility ≠ Flexibility

It’s recommended that yoga be practiced under the guidance of a trained instructor.

Slowing down is not stopping. The race of life has never been about the finish line but about the journey of life itself. Remember it was the turtle who won the race.

As children yesterdays and tomorrows were foreign concepts. We lived in the now, the next task, game, snack.

Children can teach us a great deal. Observe and listen.

We don’t always have all the answers.

It always the simple things. The small steps that lead to progress.

Bringing kids back to the simple things builds mastery over the skill.

Coming back to basics provides kids the confidence to move forward.

Sessions that incorporate too many new skills is a recipe for failure, lack of self esteem, frustration and regression.

Set-up for Success!

Language can be limiting and misleading.

The capabilities of a person are not defined by labels.

Limited terminology can influence our understanding and perceptions.

As logical and rational beings we are able to challenge preconceived notions and stigmatizing language.

To not allow limited linguistics to shape our perceptions of others’ and their capacity, reality or capabilities.

📸 credit:

Language can be limiting and misleading.

The functioning and capabilities of a person are not defined by labels. Limited terminology can influence our understanding and shape our perceptions.

As logical and rational beings we have a duty to challenge preconceived notions and stigmatizing language.

To hold ourselves accountable to not allow limited linguistics to shape our perceptions of others’ capacity, reality, or capabilities.

📸 Credit: 🙏🏼

The Giraffe illustrates the long distance between the head and heart. The head towering over seeing new perspectives and opportunity. The heart close to the ground keeping us firm on path forward.

The giraffe is seen a gentle creature one that symbolizes uniqueness, humbleness and ability to stand out from the crowd.

This pose calms the nerves by focusing the mind and body inward - the head reaching beneath the heart. Teaches us to engage our core strength when rising back up with our head above all others in gentle grace

Ableism much like racism or sexism is not a term thought of unless it’s experienced by you.

Non-disabled people may be unaware of how to engaged with or ask about disabled persons.

Statements such as “s/he IS disabled” vs “s/he has a disability” perpetuate the stigmas associated with disabilities. The first is defining a person BY their disability, continuing the same narrative that “they are disabled, therefore unabled”

The second acknowledges a persons disability, but not restricting their capacity within our own minds. Much like we do with a person with the flu.

The Tree is one of natures and yoga’s most distinguishable elements.

It’s’ roots ground deep into the earth.
It’s trunk holds steady and stable.
It’s branches flow in the direction of the wind.

Different trees. Different climates. Different variations. But are all a Tree 🌴🌳

Disability Inclusion requires a wider understanding of the associated risks, to achieve better health and well-being for persons with disabilities

That summer twist feeling
- Spinal Twists

“Let’s twist again… like we did last summer” 🎶

You will never know the impact you will have on another

Start slow. All systems check before launch. Breath, Body, Brain.

He can’t speak, he was born diagnosed as “profoundly deaf”.

They say your teachers appear when the student is ready. Little did I know this little (not so little anymore) guy was mine. I was the one blind and deaf to his lessons.

Seeing and listening to him now, this is what I’ve learnt.

What lessons have you learned from yours?

Just Be - Imperfectly Perfect

Pranayama (Breathwork) is one of the most important components to teaching yoga to persons with diverse needs and abilities.

Because those with diverse needs may experience greater amounts of anxiety, worry, fear, a heightened sensitivity to their environment and difficulties expressing emotions, they may perpetually reside in a state of flight/fight mode.

This constant state can negatively impact our daily life and experiences: over-reactivity, fatigue, muscle aches, sleep deprecation, autoimmune conditions, digestive irregularities and many others.

Pranayama brings our attention to the breath, and away from the thoughts and emotions that are anxiety provoking. The focus on the breath helps bring an increase amount of oxygen to the lungs, brain, and body allowing our bodies to function better and activate our rest/digest mode - relaxation.

Breathing induces a mind-body connection giving us the ability to be self-aware, self-monitor, and self-regulate.

Flex.Abilities updated their website address.

The Importance of Mirroring in Social Development

People learn in different ways as all know, some people are visual learners, some auditory, others kinesthetic. In classrooms, you often find all of these techniques being employed. The same notion of teaching should be applied when teaching fitness/ yoga and more so to to persons with diverse needs & abilities.

People will diverse needs are just like everyone else when it comes to learning. Some will require visual aids, others may understand through modeling and touching, while others maybe able to follow simple instruction. If you leave child is not responding. It’s our job as the trainer/teacher/instructor to adapt. In our teaching arsenal we must be equipped to be able to teach and support our students, rather than expecting students to adapt their learning.

A NEED for…

Communication
Sensory Input
Attention
A break
A deep breath
Release of energy
Interaction with peers
Patience from others
Acceptance, love, understanding

All humans are conditioned to behave in certain ways, most are taught behaviors that facilitate our needs to be met. In the absence of understanding what our/others needs are we are unable to express and have our needs met. Resulting in self-adapting mechanisms.

Becoming attuned to the needs of your child, by understanding the behaviors requires patience with yourself and them. Observe before intervening.

Some behavioral intervention strategies can be counterproductive in your child’s ability to have their needs met.

Equal Treatment, Equal Access, Equal Rights - when we fail to provide persons with disabilities the access to resources, services, and benefits as the rest, we are setting them up to fail.

We are preventing them the opportunities to grow, to flourish, to succeed. Let go of limiting beliefs and Believe in their capabilities!

Learning occurs in the entire brain but each side prefers certain tasks and processes certain information

Left: Logic
Time-oriented activities
Verbal Tasks
Sequencing Information

Right: Space oriented tasks
Non-verbal tasks
Images & Pictures
Metaphors

Many children with sensory integration dysfunction or sensory processing difficulties (SPD) struggle with motor activities, which require crossing the midline.

In our next post we will be sharing some actions & poses that cross the midline

Self Regulation: The ability to self-organize - to control one’s activity level and state of alertness; and emotional, mental or physical responses to sensations

Social Skills: Children can learn many social skills through the practice of yoga; such as taking turns, sportsmanship, kindness, friendship. By incorporating group games, group activities and partner poses

Communication/ Expression & Release of Emotions: Yoga poses, breathing and visualization strategies can be effective in teaching children communication. Certain breathing strategies support in releasing tension, anger, or anxiety from the body which allows them to feel more calm. Release of emotions supports children with self regulation and decrease “outbursts”

Body Awareness: practice of physical poses (asanas) and breathing strategies connects children to their bodies, supports in learning body parts and teaches attune mental to emotions, feelings and energy

Visual & Auditory Processing: Multimodality approach used teaching yoga to persons with diverse needs and abilities such as modeling and visual tools, verbal, and hands on assistance supports children in strengthening their visual and auditory processing

Language & Vocabulary Development: Visual cues, Vocalization, Visualization Strategies, Guided Imagery support persons with diverse needs and abilities. Connecting poses to animals, objects, descriptive language increases vocabulary and encourages more language and communication

Gross & Fine Motor: Yoga poses and integration of senses can improve motor skills, which can be an area of delay for many children with diverse needs and abilities

Find the Balance

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex developmental delay that medical sciences are still trying to understand. Here is what is known so far…

To teach, you must first understand. To connect, you must be willing to listen…

Yoga can help people with Autsim with some of their deficits and cultivate an easier time maneuvering the challenges they may face in this world. Help in creating relationships with others and safety within themselves.

Most people are aware of the 5 known senses, but did you know of the 3 hidden senses that impact the way our nervous system receives messages and turns them into bodily responses

5 Known Senses:
1. Auditory - Processes information through sounds

2. Olfactory - Processes information about odors

3. Tactile - Processes information through the skin

4. Gustatory - Processes information about tastes and flavors

5. Visual - Process information through field of vision and what is seen

3 Hidden Sense
6. Vestibular - Connected to balance and movement. Our gravitational spacial awareness. Where we are in space.

7. Proprioception - Processes information through joints and muscles. Position of the body and what the body is doing. Body awareness and how we feel our bodies.

8. Introception - Our internal landscape. What is happening inside the body. The sensations and emotions we are feeling. Being able to sense how our external environment is influencing the internal feelings (ex. Creating anxiety). Or our internal emotions influencing how we are experiencing the external (ex. Feeling angry)

Yoga and mindfulness can build our capacity to integrate our sensory stimuli so we are able to respond appropriately to situations and self regulate our emotions and behaviors, and activate our sympathetic nervous system.

Many persons with disabilities face sensory processing challenges in one or several senses. We at Flex. Abilities work with our clients with hyper/hyposensitivities to gradually improve sensory integration

Mental health of people with neurodiverse needs can typically be challenging to diagnose as many symptoms present as symptoms of their conditions such as lack of sleep, low/high energy.

It’s therefore important to employ strategies that counteract these symptoms that have been well establish. Such as exercise, routines, and mindfulness

This is our aim at Flex.Abilities. To improve mental health of people with diverse needs

Stimming can be understood as stimulation. Behind every behavior there is a need. It’s important to understand what the need is and how that need is being met by the behavior before attempting to change/ stop behaviors. As these have typically been developed as coping mechanisms.

Stimming behaviors can be a result of boredom, fear, stress, anxiety behaviors can range from mild to severe depending on the external stimulant.

People with neuro-diverse needs & abilities, these behaviors are more frequent, and can be more “unusual”.

However, everyone and anyone can display such behaviors. Men can be seen as jiggling their legs, women can be seen playing with their hair. These are less “noticeable” behaviors but serve the same purpose. Let’s let go of the stigma.

Understanding what the person is feeling when engaging in such behaviors can allow trainers/ caretakers/ parents/ friends to engage with the person accordingly.

Replacement behaviors can be introduced gradually, if necessary.

Keep it simple. Neurodivergent people may have difficult processing language. Complex and lengthy sentences can often complicate things unnecessarily.

Speaking clearly, slowly, and specifically can help a child process what is being said, and setting them up for success in following instructions.

As Albert Einstein once said, if you can’t explain it to a 5 year old, you don’t understand it yourself.

Set-up you students for succes, it builds self- confidence, esteem and trust

Connection, is foundational to teaching yoga. Building a relationship, rapport, and connection with you students builds trust.

Trust that you won’t cause them any harm (ahimsa - 1st limb of yoga). Your students have to be able to trust you to follow your lead. People with diverse needs and abilities can become hyper vigilant as they grow up. As their experiences, the stigma they face in society, the challenges they face on everyday tasks can lead to losing trust in others and themselves.

There are many activities that you can undertake to build trust with people with diverse needs (even non-verbal persons).

To build connections and trust with others, a trainer first must embody trust. Do you trust yourself? Are you self aware and connected with knowing who you are at your core?

Journaling and meditation can help discover your connection to self. Here are a few questions to build your connection.

- Are you moving through the world with a sense of purpose and intention?

- Are there obstacles and past experiences in your life that cause you to keep yourself protected, or you can’t trust yourself or others? What are they?

- List 3 things you can do to trust others more