Yoga For the Special Child

It's been month and a half since I returned from the training "Yoga for the Special Child" and it feels like yesterday. It made such an impact on me that I cannot imagine doing anything else in life professionally. I received a certificate and recently also practitioner's license. 

I wanted to thank Amelia here for bringing so much meaning and sense into my life. Before you came into my life I did not have a vision, sense of purpose. I worked, I even lost my job as it turned out - to stay home with you and to rethink my professional future. I wanted to work with kids, I wanted to help, heal, give myself to the little ones in need. Did not quite know how. My wonderful yoga teacher told me abut this training so I went to Kripalu Yoga Center and it changed me, made an imprint on my soul. Now, I am new person. I know that having child with special needs happened so I can help others. If there is a yearning in your soul it will find the way out. I guarantee it. 
Yoga For the Special Child is a very unique program for kids of all ages and all abilities. It is not yoga games, animal poses, just fun. It is in fact very therapeutical and it improves quality of life big time. It helps physically (better than PT) but not only - it teaches breathing, deep relaxation, gives kids very much needed sense of achievement. It is very gentle and safe. Author and teacher of this program, Sonia Sumar, developed it over 30 years ago working with her daughter with Down's Syndrome. My wish is to make a difference, to bring light, love and healing to the live of few. I pray for the chance to be given and fulfilled. I practice this Yoga method with Amelia and it is not always easy as she has her own mind and does not always cooperate but I try not to form expectations on how much we need to accomplish in class. I go with the flow, connect with her and follow her moves. She actually has few favorite poses like cobra. It really helps her kyphosis. I chant for her, we exercise breathing techniques, we do easy poses and preparations for more difficult ones we do some simple relaxation (as for the deep one Amelia is too busy :-) As Sonia Sumar said we all have special needs, limitations. We hide them as we were told that the weakest never survive...We are slaves to the typical achievement system. Special kids are free from that and have their own agenda (or better - no agenda at all!), own achievements. They set the pace, nobody else. Kids differently able are more open to love as they have less resistance to love, they are best teaches of unconditional love. I still have so much to learn from Amelia...
Amelia came to Kripalu to help Sonia to demonstrate how she practices her method, initially very shy and unwilling to cooperate:

She eventually warmed up and started trusting a bit more:

Fairly soon Sonia was able to do a lot with  Amelia! I was very impressed!

Amelia started practicing yoga few months before that session, so she already knew down facing dog pose :

 Finally proud mommy's kiss: