Yoga can improve the lives of children with special needs both physiologically and psychologically, believe yoga therapists Upendra Mohanty and Akhil Chandra Rana.
Both have been helping differently-abled children, including those with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) through Yoga asanas for over a decade.
Upendra, who has been working with autistic children in Bhubaneswar since 2006, says Yoga provides a supplementary support to these children who have a high level of energy.
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“Autistic children face heightened levels of anxiety and sometimes aggression due to which, they cannot express or focus and remain out of the social fabric”, says the 51-year-old therapist who currently trains autistic children free of cost in eight government-run schools in Bhubaneswar.
Based on their condition, he uses different variations of asanas like Vrikshasana, Tadakasana, Trikonasana, Markatasana, Virabhadrasana, Dhanurasana and Brahmari Pranayam that help stabilise the body and brain.
He not only teaches asanas but also trains them in breathing techniques and meditation. “It is usually very difficult to make autistic children sit down and close their eyes to meditate.
But, when they begin to close their eyelids even for a short span of time, you know that the asanas are working,” says Upendra.
These asanas increase strength, coordination, balance and flexibility while improving social-emotional skills and concentration, says Upendra, who began working with autistic children in 2006 at Nayagarh.
Like Upendra, 48-year-old Akhil has been working with children with disabilities, particularly those with locomotor disability, for the last two decades.
A Yoga instructor with SOA University, he works with the concept of muscle loosening through asanas and breathing to increase flexibility and stamina of children with locomotor disability.
“It is usually believed that yoga can only be done while standing or sitting but that’s not true. We do four to five variations of various types of yoga to bring flexibility and movement back to the limbs of children. Depending on their condition, we make them sit, stand or lie down for asanas”, says Akhil who pursued a career in Yoga therapy from Rajasthan University and Utkal University.
The therapy has worked wonders for a Bhabani Shankar Pradhan (7), who suffered from limb deformity following a bout of fever when he was a five-year-old.
Bhabani, who could not walk, began to stand and take small steps within seven months of Yoga therapy.
“While medicines and alternative therapies did not help improve his condition, asanas like Bhujangasana, Uthanpadasana, Triyak Bhujangasana, Malasana, Makarasana worked wonders in his case”, he says.
Akhil also promotes the practice of Pranayam and Surya Namaskar among his students for better focus and posture.
Therapists believe that the ancient helping practice can heal any physical condition but needs daily practice and dedication of not just the differently-abled patient but also his family members, who they are dependent on.
“We have seen autistic children and kids with locomotor disability improve by 80 to 90 per cent but it needs dedicated practice for at least six months or a year depending on their physical and mental condition”, says Akhil.