Activity Feature
Lucy Maher shares how practising Special Yoga with the children she works with has enriched them , as well as her own role .
Activity Feature
Special yoga , occupational therapy and me
Lucy Maher shares how practising Special Yoga with the children she works with has enriched them , as well as her own role .
S pecial Yoga ’ s methodology focuses on the practices of movement , breath work , relaxation , mindfulness , sound , massage and working with the feet . Arguably the most important tenet of our methodology is inner work as a basis for coregulation . Our state not only matters , but it is also intrinsic to our ability to fully support .
Special Yoga has informed , transformed and expanded so many aspects of my occupational therapy performance that I have been compelled to share some of my findings in the hope of inspiring others .
I am a mother , a paediatric occupational therapist and a Special Yoga practitioner . Not only has Special Yoga given me valuable tools to use with my own children and the children I work with , but it has also set me on a path of deep healing and self-awareness that I now realise is paramount to serving others .
This article is a journey through some of my discoveries and a passionate plea to rally any occupational therapist ( or human being ) to investigate this for themselves .
My journey
I qualified as an occupational therapist in 2010 and before long had managed to get my dream job of working in a special school . This led to further continuing professional development training in sensory integration and many opportunities to connect with and support children with neurodiverse needs . My first taste of how powerful yoga could be came in relation to my own practice , which I found an invaluable tool to support my ability to hold space for these special children . Simply using a regular morning practice to set me up for the day , reduced reactivity that might have been triggered by any challenges at school ( both in relation to staff and pupils ).
This in turn led me to seek out ways of using yoga with the children in a more direct and evidence-based way . Which is when Special Yoga appeared and I knew that it was a path I was meant to follow .
18 OTnews May 2023
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