Help A Child Develop an Inner Resource
Aug 25, 2016
Children who attend school in the city of Baltimore are exposed to violence, crime and poverty at a rate that would be hard for many of us to comprehend. They need to develop a technique to feel safe inside themselves, regardless of the situation around them.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to teach the practice of Yoga Nidra to teachers of kids Yoga in Baltimore. We deconstructed the practice of Yoga Nidra to make it safe, effective and engaging for children. These teachers will now be able to weave this practice into their classes where they teach through the Holistic Life Foundation (HLF). The founders of HLF (read more about them in this previous blog - The Power of Yoga and Love For Children in The 'Hood), have been teaching kids Yoga in Baltimore for so long, their former students are now young adults and have become teachers for the foundation. Several of these long-time practitioners, along with new teachers, participated in this weekend training.
According to research published in the book Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga by David Emerson and Elizabeth Hopper, PhD, every year 1 out of 25 children in the United States experiences some form of abuse. They go on to state that, “By the time a child reaches the age of eighteen, the probability that he or she will have been directly affected by interpersonal or community violence is approximately one in four.”
Kids need an inner resource. An inner resource is a technique developed by Richard Miller, who modernized the traditional practice of Yoga Nidra and now calls it iRest® Yoga Nidra. He added this inner resource piece to the practice when he realized that those he was working with would come upon the memory of trauma and be overwhelmed by it.
The inner resource is a tool to use when what we are experiencing feels overwhelming. We always have a choice. We can welcome and allow whatever is arising – a thought, a memory, a body sensation – or, if it’s too much, we can retreat to our inner resource.
In trauma, choice was taken away. Whether it was a car accident, a natural disaster or abuse, the body’s safety mechanism was overridden by an outside source.
Research has shown that iRest Yoga Nidra effectively reduces PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain and chemical dependency. iRest is integrative in that it heals the various unresolved issues, traumas, and wounds that are present in the body and mind. It is restorative in that it aids its practitioners in recognizing their underlying peace of mind that is always present amidst the changing circumstances of life.
To help a child develop an inner resource, invite them to relax and casually begin to consider a place or an experience where they feel safe and at ease. It could be a place in their own home, in nature, somewhere they have been on vacation or a fantastical place they create in their mind. Ultimately, it is a felt experience of wellbeing that is always with us regardless of what is happening around us.
Some kids will need help discovering this inner resource. Home may not feel safe, they may not have had much exposure to natural surroundings and may have never taken a vacation. Through discussion, storytelling and art children can learn to cultivate a “special place” within themselves. It’s all about the felt sensation in the body of safety and ease. We can help a child tune in to and cultivate that.
A favorite way to get to an inner resource is by Magic Carpet Ride. A child imagines he or she is on a magic carpet woven especially for them, of all their favorite colors and they are safely and gently lifted up and carried on a journey to this inner resource. Here, they explore the sensory experiences of it – sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch. This helps make it more tangible and to be able to more easily get into this experience quickly and completely when whatever is arising in life feels overwhelming.
When practiced consistently, this inner resource is a valuable tool a child can use anywhere, anytime to experience wellbeing, and to recognize they are more than their circumstances.
The Magic Carpet Ride is a track from our Chill Children Guided Relaxation CD.