Our Classes:
Yoga for the Special Child® classes use Yoga poses and meditation to balance the body and relax the mind. Introduce your child to yoga and begin a lifetime practice that will help them connect to themselves and others. Yoga is about integrating the mind and body but is individualized by each person. Yoga offers children of all ages the opportunity to expand their horizons and provides tools for living and growing up in the world today. Yoga improves socialization skills, boundary awareness, focus, concentration, balance, coordination, overall physical fitness, motor skills, memory, reading retention, and speech via improved breathing and alignment. In addition, yoga increases sensory integration, strength and flexibility while teaching children tools to calm the body. Yoga is effective for children of all ages and abilities and unleashes the potential of every child.
Classes are available at 4 convenient locations in the Chicagoland area, and are Taught by Kat Matthews a certified instructor for Yoga Special for the Special Child® and recognized by the IYTA: Integral Yoga Teacher’s Association. Every class includes breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices. Call Wondersteps Yoga at 847-858-2047 for more details and class availability or click here to fill out our online contact form.
Wonder Steps uses “Yoga for the Special Child®” -a comprehensive program of Yoga techniques designed to enhance children’s natural development. The method is gentle, therapeutic, and effective. Children learn to calm their body and quiet their minds resulting in regulation and self-awareness.
Our therapist employs the same basic Yoga methods taught around the world integrating the mind and body and individualized for each child.
These methods of class is divided into 5 areas of practice:
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- Pranayama, or breathing exercises
- Cleansing Practices
- Asanas, or body postures
- Music and sound therapy
- Deep relaxation
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Pranayama At the beginning of each yoga class, we employ specific breathing practices in order to prepare students for body postures. Students will learn how to increase the flow of vital energy to the organs in the body, which builds immunity to disease, and overcome physical ailments. By regulating the breath and increasing oxygenation to brain cells, the voluntary and autonomic nervous systems are strengthen and revitalized. Breathing practices also has a powerful stabilizing effect on the mind and emotions
Cleansing Practices Cleansing practices aid eliminating excess phlegm and mucus from the respiratory system. Students will use techniques that strengthen the organs of the abdomen, as well as doing eye exercises.
Asanas Body postures: is a particular posture of the body, which is steady and comfortable. These posses form the mind-body integration work. Active posses tone specific muscles and nerve groups, benefits organs and endocrine glands, and activate brain cells. Passive posses are employed in relaxation and breathing exercises. These set of yoga posses cover the entire human anatomy while helping to correct postural and systemic irregularities. During the practice of posses, the mind is totally focused on the body. Students focus their mind on the steady flexion and extension of different muscle groups and this inward focus is maintained throughout the entire yoga session. The breathing techniques and posses work hand-in-hand to balance and integrate different physiological functions and to help dissolve emotional blocks and negative behavioral patterns.
Music and Sound Therapy This therapy includes the use of rhythm and melody, combined with hand movements and sound combinations. To develop concentration, breathe coordination, communication and motor skills. This produces a calming and healing effect on the nervous system and psyche. By combining sound therapy techniques with yoga posses, we create an ideal learning environment for all levels of yoga students.
Deep Relaxation Deep Relaxation is the conclusion of every yoga session. It allows the body to absorb all the benefits of the yoga posses, breathing and cleansing practices. Our therapist gently guides students through the relaxation process, encouraging the release of physical tension and mental stress, by bringing the attention to various parts of the body.
Click here to view out Class Descriptions
Attention and Focus
Relaxation and Regulation
Body Awareness
Flexibility
Balance
Posture
Motor Control and Coordination
Central Nervous System Function
