Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.
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Purchase AccessThe session is a combination of a short lecture, experiential learning, and discussion. It is important to provide a science context so participants understand both why and how, based on neuroscience, yoga is an effective tool for managing stress and for affect regulation. Doing the simple stretching and breathing is a key to participant success in incorporating the ideas into their professional and personal lives. Participants experience other benefits of yoga: building strength, balance, and social connection. The discussion component allows participants to share ideas on how to use what they have just learned and provides social sufpport, a key part of why this session format has proven to be so successful.
Learning Objective #1:
Compassion fatigue is a natural result of working in helping professions and to those with family members on the Spectrum. Information on identifying, understanding, and addressing compassion fatigue will be presented. Simple yoga helps to increase body awareness and to develop an awareness of signals given by the autonomic nervous system (core arousal systems) – signs of stress or anxiety, which then can be regulated through simple breathing and stretching exercises.
(program based on Francoise Matthieu’s Compassion Fatigue program (www.compassionfatigue.ca), and the GreenTREE Yoga’s “Simple Yoga for Compassion Fatigue (www.greentreeyoga.org).
Learning Objective #2
Multiple short yoga breaks are done throughout the session. Many free materials are provided: handouts, audio and video breaks both for adults and children, a 20-minute video explaining a simple game to engage children in doing the stress breaks at home or in school.
The many physical and social benefits of yoga to people on the spectrum are discussed:
Parent comments about our program:
~ One son benefited from the motor planning, another greatly benefited from the breath.
~ Continued improvement of core balance in a non-therapy setting
~ Following direction and imitating - huge for K. to follow direction and imitate with her body, she used to not even look at the person
~ Learning relaxation techniques, especially to use at home and school.
“GreenTREE Yoga continues to make awesome contributions to children with special needs directed to the unique needs of kids with disabilities with fostering their relaxation, coordination, mindfulness and well-being. Yael Calhoun uses her intuitive insights gained over thirty years of teaching.” ~ Louis Allen, MD, FAAP, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. Founder, AbleDifferently. abledifferently.com.
“Excellent job! Good to have a program designed for these children that may struggle in grade-level classrooms, yet may not fit in with more involved children! ~ Scott A. Anderson, AlignmentYoga.com YogAutism.org
Learning Objective #3
It is key to put yoga in a strong science context. The neuroscience of stress and the science of how yoga can help address these issues are foundational pieces for understanding how to help oneself and those with whom one works or lives. Accessible information is given on the newest findings in neuroscience.
Learning Objectives:
Content Area: Education
Yael Calhoun, M.A., M.S., E-RYT
Executive Director
GreenTREE Yoga