Children Exposed to Violence Are Exposed to Yoga and Love It
Mar 06, 2018
I had the opportunity to teach a Yoga class to children who have been exposed to violence either in their homes or in the civil unrest of their country.
I walked in to find about 15 lively children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old. No Yoga mats were available so we gathered on a large rug. I began by showing them my "magic listening bells." These are my tingchas I use in every class. I told them they were magic because they helped us to listen inside ourselves. In each one of us is strength, wisdom and creativity. Listening carefully helps us to find this and learn how to use it. This had their attention. I rang the bells and asked them to breathe in the sound and listen carefully until the sound stopped. Tingchas resonate for a long time. We sat in this sweet silence for several minutes. I then told them that we can make this sound with our own voice. The sound is OM. We chanted three times, feeling the sound move through our bodies.
We then did some breathing exercises, sun salutations, strong Hero (Warrior), Tree and other popular poses and then played a game. Many of them remembered the poses and used them in the game.
When it was time to relax, the kids spread out on gym mats and were guided through a visualization about meeting their Ally, someone who is there to help them and answer questions they may have. This is a visualization that can be found in the highly recommended, Spinning Inward by Maureen Murdock. Some were still and quiet, most were actively wiggling their legs or interacting with a friend nearby.
After relaxing, we created our own sound of OM again three times and then the teacher asked the kids if they had any questions or comments for me. The first kid raised his hand and said, "I feel good." The next said, "I love Yoga." Another asked if I could come back again. One boy raised his hand to speak but then just ran up to me and gave me a big hug. Several more kids then came up to share hugs.
We all said goodbye and then I talked with the director of the program about incorporating Yoga into their therapy offerings. As an art therapist and someone who had worked with children exposed to violence for many years, she could easily see how Yoga would benefit these children.
Many adult perpetrators of violence were exposed to violence themselves as children. The practice of Yoga could effectively break this cycle by giving these kids access to their inner resources and specific techniques to manage their moods while fostering a sense of wellness and contentment.
