Yoga with PSL Services/STRIVE: October Program Spotlight
SCY launched a new program in July with PSL Services/STRIVE, in their day program for adults with intellectual disabilities. Health and wellness take priority at STRIVE, and participants are encouraged to take part in at least one physical activity each day. Our weekly yoga class emphasizes having FUN while building functional strength and balance. The class also reinforces the life skills of using breath and movement to calm heightened emotions, and making healthy choices around what feels safe in our bodies. Becky Wiggins, a STRIVE staff member, shares, “I see joy in our participants’ faces as they learn new postures like Tree & Warrior. There is a feeling of self accomplishment as they do yoga poses on their own. Yoga builds up participants’ self worth and gives them a feeling of success.”
SCY teacher Lisa King loves teaching this class for STRIVE. She shared this story about a recent class:
“Bill* is usually very into yoga, but wasn’t joining much today. He shared that he was feeling very frustrated, so we talked about big feelings, and then we all practiced how we show and feel different emotions in our bodies. We all stomped our feet together then took some big breaths. The class liked this! When we returned to asana, Bill joined in. We also explored some animal shapes on the floor, which everyone loved. We took a nice long savasana, and two students fell asleep. At checkout, Bill gave me a big smile and two thumbs up!
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This story highlights how important it is for our yoga teachers to sense into the needs of the group every class. SCY teachers are adept at pivoting if they sense the group needs something different than what they had planned for that day. We feel so fortunate to have this new partnership with STRIVE, reaching another population that might feel challenged in a traditional studio setting, and sharing the many teachings yoga provides for managing life’s challenges.
*Name changed to maintain confidentiality.