Child’s Pose Brings Therapeutic Yoga To Park Slope

The world can be an overwhelming place for children with diagnoses such as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

While most can appropriately organize the pandemonium of a subway station during rush hour, a noisy lunchroom, or even a gentle kiss from mom at bedtime, the neurological signals become tangled and confused for children with SPD.

The resulting meltdowns, impulsivity, and hyperactivity often come across as undisciplined or “spoiled,” but in reality, the child’s body is desperately attempting to compensate for the giant wave of sensory information flooding the brain.

The enormity of these emotions are exhausting for children, parents, and educators alike — which is what led special education teacher and certified yoga instructor, Meirah Korval, to develop a new series of classes that help special needs children find calm in the midst of chaos.

We recently sat down with Meirah to talk about her new organization, Child’s Pose, and the benefits of therapeutic yoga for children with developmental disorders.

CKC: First of all, tell us a bit about yourself.

Meirah Korval: Both practicing yoga and teaching children with special needs have long been passions of mine. As a licensed Special Education Teacher and Early Intervention Therapist for nearly a decade and holder of a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Special Education, I have worked both as the head teacher in a small classroom setting and as a 1:1 Special Education Itinerant Teacher and Early Intervention Therapist in the Brooklyn community.

Simultaneously, as a certified and insured Yoga Instructor, I have extensive experience practicing and teaching Vinyasa and Hatha yoga to both children and adults in a variety of settings.

What attracted you to working with special needs children?

My first experience working with a child with special needs was as a 15-year-old day camp counselor for an 8-year-old girl with Williams Syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and cardiovascular complications problems.

That summer, I successfully taught her to swim, and it was the biggest accomplishment of my life up to that point. It felt truly rewarding to have a direct impact on a child’s life and to see the joy and self-confidence that this new skill brought her.

Later in high school, I found myself frequently spending my free periods volunteering in the special education classroom and formed real bonds with the students that felt fulfilling and meaningful.

When did you make the connection between yoga and special needs therapy?

In 2009 I worked as the head teacher of a 12:1:2 classroom working with students with a vast array of developmental disorders who required highly structured classroom activities.

I wove yoga into our curriculum three days a week, mostly because I personally loved to practice and knew it would be an activity my students would enjoy. But soon the benefits that these sessions had on my students became clear, and my favorite time of the week became the hour that followed these sessions, when the students were substantially more grounded and calm.

During these times, we were all able to focus more successfully on academic lessons, with much less need for managing challenging behaviors. As a class and as individuals, learning became much more possible after the students were given a chance to exercise, stretch, practice controlled breathing, and work through guided meditations.

How does yoga help children with developmental disorders?

Yoga has countless benefits for children with special needs. It provides a platform for sensory integration in a world of sensory overload. An atmosphere cultivated with attention to sensitive stimuli such as sounds, colors, lights, and space becomes a safe environment for a child who has sensory sensitivities, trouble processing and organizing senses. Here they are free to explore their body’s capabilities without fear of the unknown.

Additionally, Child’s Pose yoga class is a place where children can practice social skills. Every class includes a partner pose where children have to work together. Facilitated opportunities to interact with one another give students more confidence when approaching other children.

Yoga is also a great way to practice motor skills. Coordination, balance, and awareness of one’s body in space are integral parts of yoga that are incorporated throughout all sessions.

Also, extracurricular activities in general are so important for every child’s sense of being and belonging in a community. A class geared towards accommodating and modifying for children who would otherwise be unlikely to participate provides a place where all children can have success and fun and feel like part of a group.

Finally, yoga can have an extremely calming effect on one’s nervous system when practiced with intention. Children with developmental disabilities are often in a natural state of overdrive, trying to balance the stimuli of their environment and make it through a long week of therapy. An activity that can help ease the stress on a child is highly therapeutic in itself.

When did you first come up with the idea for Child’s Pose, and how long did it take to turn that dream into reality?

The idea of teaching a yoga class to children with special needs has been a dream of mine for about five years.

A few months ago, a parent of one of my students asked me why in the world I was not offering this service to the public, and two days later I got an email from an old colleague whose son has ADHD. She was asking for a recommendation for a therapeutic yoga class after being told by her pediatrician that this could really help her child.

After a quick Google search and very limited results, I told her to sit tight and that my program would be coming soon. It felt like the time had come for me to put this idea into action. People were asking for it.

Since then I’ve worked tirelessly and passionately to put all the pieces together so I could get this class off the ground and running.

Is there a particular type of yoga that you use in your sessions?

The yoga practice will be a blend of Hatha and Vinyassa styles and will also incorporate tasks geared toward developing particular social, sensory balancing, daily living, and speech skills.

What type of diagnoses or behaviors are your sessions geared toward?

No diagnoses is required to register for the class. If a parent feels his or her child may benefit from this form of therapeutic yoga, they are welcome to join.

For children who do hold a diagnosis, the class is ideal for students with mild to moderate disabilities with diagnoses including (but not limited to) Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Down’s Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, Speech/Language Delays, and Preschool Children with Disabilities.

Smaller classes will be offered in the future with support for children with more severe and physical disabilities and in need of a medically fragile environment.

Getting ready for school and bed have always been difficult transitions in our house. What are some things you would recommend at home for calming little bodies thrust into overdrive?

Little bodies, just like ours, require a wind down before being expected to just doze off to sleep, so incorporating a couple minutes of a bedtime yoga practice into your evening routine could help your little one prepare for a restful night’s sleep.

Try lying down with your child and putting your legs up against a wall, while you read a bed time story or sing a soothing song together. This pose aids in calming the nervous system by sending it the message to slow down.

In the same vein, when your exhales are twice as long as your inhales, this too has a calming effect on your nervous system. To try this, you can pretend to blow out birthday candles with your child and have them breath along with you so you can control the length of the breaths.

Finally, ask your child to close their eyes while lying down or sitting, and tell an elaborate soothing tale about him or her going for a long walk outdoors. Weave in fine details of colors, sounds, textures, and smells they come across to make it a sensory experience. Maybe your child will want to try out his or her imaginary tale telling on you too while you close your eyes and relax.

Finally, at bedtime, avoid activities that invigorate and boost energy such as back bends or warrior poses.

Where will your yoga sessions take place?

Classes are offered in the upstairs hall of Da Nonna Rosa, located at 140 7th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Tuesday/Thursday afternoons from 4:15 to 5pm. The semester is 12 weeks long and requires pre-registration due to a limited class size.

How can interested parents sign up?

Parents can register and learn more about the program at www.childspose.nyc.