Tom hated his first experience of yoga.
The classroom teacher made him sit near the door, and told hm not to make a sound, or he’d be sent out.
He made a sound. A loud sound.
Tom, is 7 and has autism.
If he is talked down to, challenged, confronted or confused, he responds with a massive outburst.
This was his and my first class together and he wasn’t happy.
The teacher sent him outside the classroom, where he yelled to be let back in.
He cried and screamed a lot.
It was awful.
Next week, I was ready.
As soon as the teacher turned to Tom, I interrupted and said, “It’s ok, he can sit near me.”
Tom followed my every move and when it came to belly breathing, I placed my hands on his belly and started to show him how to breathe in and out, releasing tension.
His eyes met mine and tears started to pour out, down the sides of his face and onto the yoga mat.
I stayed and breathed.
Tom is non-verbal. We had no way of communicating through words.
He put his hand, on top of mine, indicating I was to stay.
I kept teaching the other 7 children in the class, with one hand on Tom’s belly.
He blew out and out until the tears stopped.
With no way of knowing what was going on for Tom, I guessed it was his first opportunity to release all the pent up emotions from 7 years of moving from foster home to foster home and a 7 year life time of not being able to express his feelings.
3 years on, and we do 7 minutes of belly breathing every class. Tom, looks straight into my eyes and connects so deeply that time stops.
Sometimes he giggles- the happy giggles you feel when stress goes away and underneath all there is, is happiness. Sometimes, he tells me he’s done, by saying “Thank you,” – 2 of his very few words, and often he needs more and holds my hands on his belly, saying, “again,” as he senses I’m about to go.
I had no idea the impact yoga was making until I got a surprise email from his foster mum, asking if I would record some yoga that they could do together at home. She said, he does his yoga every day and she often finds him lying with his hands on his belly to calm down when things get too much.

As a kids yoga teacher, you often don’t know the impact you have. But, teaching children with special needs, the impact is profound and instant.

If you have or work with children with additional needs, or would like to, hit reply and let me know.

Hugs, Loraine x

PS If you want to learn more about becoming a kids yoga teacher, click here: Kids Yoga Foundation Course.

PPS Want to become a 95 hour Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher? Then click here: Ultimate Kids Yoga Teacher Package.