Yoga and its
Therapeutic Benefits
By: Ashley Akers M.S.
OTR/L
One of my favorite therapeutic activities is yoga! Why? I
love that it is easily accessible to families because no materials are
required! Yoga also has a wide range of benefits and works on many skills at
the same time. To name just a few, yoga works on:
1.
Overall body strengthening, especially with core
and postural muscles
2.
Proprioception or body awareness skills
3.
Improving balance and the vestibular system
4.
Crossing midline or reaching across the
body to the opposite side- an important skill for so many daily tasks like
writing and dressing
5.
Motor planning skills
6.
Self-regulation! Yoga encourages self-awareness
and teaches children tools to manage feeling overwhelmed or stressed such as
deep breathing and relaxation techniques
Good poses to start with when first working on yoga with
your kiddo:
1.
Tree Pose
2.
Downward Dog
3.
Mountain Pose
4.
Child’s Pose
5.
Cat/Cow Pose
**Cosmic Kids Yoga on Youtube is a great channel to start**
Tools to Grow also offers great resources: https://www.toolstogrowot.com/therapy-resources/gross-motor/pediatric-yoga
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