Deep breathing and visualization are also an important part of the yoga class. Being confined to a chair is hard for able-bodied people to truly appreciate & understand. These teenagers experience just as much stress as you and where we might be able to go for a walk or simply lie down for fifteen minutes quiet time, these options aren't available to those in a wheel chair. Learning to manage with physical and mental stress is of paramount importance for these kids. It helps them to build self-esteem and also to feel more comfortable with themselves.
On one occasion, we asked the children to take turns in teaching the rest of the group their favourite yoga asana. It was amazing to see how imaginative they were and we found ourselves using many parts of the body and also vocalizing different sounds to enhance the stretches.

One girl could not remember any stretch to teach anyone; instead she offered to show us a dance she had choreographed. We eagerly agreed and looked to see what she would do. Very slowly she manoeuvred her way out of her wheel chair onto the floor. Then kneeling, she began the most intricate and delicate movements of her arms as though she was weaving patterns in the space above her head. After some time, she laid down on the ground, bowing her head to the floor then rose up again to perform another graceful display of arm movements. At one point I made eye contact with her & her eyes shone brightly, almost glistening with tears. Her face was an expression of complete joy. It was the most beautiful dance I had ever seen & I felt blessed to have been present. The special part was that then the other kids joined in to imitate her arm movements & all were very peaceful & quiet as we practiced her dance. It is these experiences that make us appreciate the value of sharing within a group. Moving the body with awareness is Yoga & these teenagers were using their stretches to gain a greater awareness of their body, they also felt completely comfortable to relax & be themselves.

Yoga in Daily Life wishes to bring the benefits of yoga, relaxation & meditation to all members of the community. One does not need to be strong, flexible & physically able to enjoy and learn these techniques. All persons have the right to relax & be happy and often it is simply learning basic practices to enable this to happen. Teaching children in wheel chairs is as much a learning experience for the teacher as it is for the kids and we welcome all opportunities to further our humanitarian work.

Read more about Yoga in Daily Life's work in the community.