Yoga is being used in the US to help children with autism.
According to the Arizona Star, the programme at Arizona Power Yoga offers a way for youngsters to connect with each other and the world around them.
Instructor Pam Adler said: “Children, teaching and yoga – the three greatest things on the planet.”
She explained how improved breath control – a key benefit of yoga – can enable children to calm themselves and relieve their anxieties.
“Individuals with autism often take longer to process things. Breath control helps to provide time to find clarity,” she added.
Each week, Ms Adler uses stories and toys, which are tied to a theme, to keep the participants’ attention. She also works at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and has years of experience teaching youngsters with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Mother Kathryn Spencer said the classes have helped her son Koa cope socially and have especially improved his interaction with other people his own age.
Ron Martin, co-owner of Arizona Power Yoga, said the spiritual practice can offer children the same benefits as it does to adults. It can also enable those with autism to enhance their social and motor skills, and lessen anxieties.
