The basis of the practice is one of positivity and invitation this is important as our children have so many things ‘happening to them’. But the emphasis of yoga is not that our children require fixing or are less but actually one of acceptance and that these children are beautiful gifts with whom it is an honour to work with. From this place the child can work from a much more positive space conducive to development.

The foundation of the practice is to come from a place of relaxation and deep connection. The deep connection allows there to be communication and shared understanding between teacher and child not reliant on verbal communication.

Yoga is holistic in its approach so the benefits as such are both mental and physical as these are all very much interlinked.

Asana or postures help enhance Brain-Body connection that helps to develop body awareness and motor planning abilities.

In addition Asana and deep relaxation to help reduce tight muscle tone in children with Cerebral Palsy while the resistance in the pose helps build strength where there is low muscle tone.

As the muscles are stretched the body releases serotonin (happy hormones) which helps create a sense of wellbeing, create a sense of calm and alertness and helps anchor information in memory to enhance capacity for learning. Firing joint and muscle receptors causes neural pathways to open and enhances brain chemistry.

Many children have difficulty sleeping for long periods of time and this reduces the chemical balance in the brain and the ability to function well. Yoga practice calms the nervous system aiding sleep patterns.

Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath, and focus on the present, shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (or the fight-or-flight response) to the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is calming and restorative; it lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the intestines.

Yoga also enhances the immune system; this is another important factor for children with developmental delays as healing can be prolonged when the immune system is under stress. Because Yoga works on so many different levels, it has great potential as an effective therapy for chronic diseases and conditions that do not respond well to conventional treatment methods.