As an update to our post on Yoga for Autism, our favorite specific needs yoga heroes at ARedLotus kindly alerted us to special yoga teacher trainings for special needs kids. If you ask us, these trainings are particularly good because they focus on working with a specific population, and can really help fine tune your skillz – perhaps supplementing a generalized Yoga Therapy approach in continuing ed. Lord knows kids are a rare breed!
Of course, these trainings cost you something called money! Which you may have forgotten how to spend in Recession. But, if you happen to have the extra dough lying around (or hoping to get lucky couch diving for spare change under the cushions?) it may be worth it, and you’ll be doing some pretty fantasticly great work — maybe check your neighbors’ cushions too.
(on another note: we’re pleased to see so many options out there, but anyone else overwhelmed by the influx of multi-type teacher trainings? We kinda wish we could do ALL of them, but our bailout check hasn’t arrived yet.)
Yoga for the Special Child trainings available on tour
Comprehensive program of Yoga techniques designed to enhance the natural development of children with special needs. Our style of Yoga is gentle and therapeutic — safe for babies and children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Autism and other developmental disabilities.
This multi-level program is taught by Sonia Sumar. Designed for parents and their children, Yoga teachers, educators and health care professionals, it provides the basic tools for teaching Yoga to children with special needs.
What it’ll run you: Seven-day course at Integral Yoga Institute in NYC is $960
Samarya Center in Seattle: Integrated Movement Training
It is an approach for people of all ages, from infancy to adulthood, using yoga’s philosophical, physical and spiritual framework in conjunction with conventional neurophysiological perspectives to address the unique challenges of people with special needs.
What it’ll run you: IMT Basics $75/$65 early registration; Multiple levels for actual training each costing $425/$375 early registration
If you are aware of other trainings available for special needs please let us know.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Maria Gunstone is a UK based teacher of yoga for special needs who is internationally known for the yoga teaching system she has developed over a number of years.
Her teaching materials are available from her website and she is developing a range of web-based training and online tutorials.
Her youandmeyoga.com website is definitely worth a look!
Hi,
I need a yoga teacher for autistic kids in my studio Brooklyn NY. If you know someone who is interested, please contact me.
Thank you.
Gary
info@yogaspotny.com
718.339.6425