I just came back from teaching a private yoga lesson to a young woman with “special needs.” I cannot express how rewarding the experience was for both of us. I was apprehensive to teach at first, as I have no real experience in that relm, but I knew she had done some yoga in the past so we went for it. She was a real joy and had a lot of spunk. She had good listening skills, she just needed a little extra time to think through the poses and postures. We both seemed a bit nervous at first, but I realized the only way to face the fear of something new is to jump right in! She needed work with her balance and flexibility; yoga provides both. As we know, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it takes patience I tell her, and come to think of it that’s what I tell all my students. It is wonderful to see people reaching their goals and aspiring to their dreams. It is my goal to see “Sheila” get more confident so she can step right in and take a yoga class at a gym. She wants to feel more comfortable in a group settting, and I have no doubt that with gumption like hers she can do it. Special needs means simply- that special needs, nothing more and nothing less.
