One-to-One Yoga Therapy
The Special Yoga Centre provides one-to-one yoga therapy for children with special needs.

We support individuals with a wide range of conditions including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, hemiplegia, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), epilepsy, ADD, ADHD and other physical and developmental difficulties.

Regular weekly sessions are held at the centre with an allocated yoga therapist who uses a personalised approach to meet the individual requirements of each child. This programme offers a step-by-step integrated system of yoga poses, specialised breathing exercises and deep relaxation.  The intention is to assist each child to feel comfortable and peaceful within themselves.

It is our belief that everyone should have access to the healing power of yoga. We therefore provide these sessions on a donation basis, ensuring that no family is turned away and that all children can benefit from the therapy, regardless of economic status.

Parent Support Groups
In addition to providing yoga therapy for children with special needs, we recognise that their parents need a place where they can share their challenges and experiences, relax in a nurturing environment and feel physically and emotionally supported. To this end, we provide parent support groups at the centre, as well as regular drop-in yoga classes that they can take whilst their child is receiving treatment.

Parent-Child Yoga
Where appropriate we help parents with a specifically tailored yoga practice to support their children.

Group Classes
The centre holds monthly group classes for children with cerebral palsy and other physical difficulties. Parents accompany the children in their practice. Meeting with other families in this way also provides an opportunity for them to share the challenges of living with special needs which can often be an isolating experience.

Our yoga therapists hold regular weekly group yoga classes for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). We have found that children on the autistic spectrum experience the following significant therapeutic benefits by practicing yoga regularly:

• improved sleep
• improved ability to self-regulate
• improved concentration
• improved ability to transition between activities
• improved behaviour
• improved eating
• improved speech and communication
• improved toileting
• improved awareness
• improved general well-being

We also provide extra group cerebral palsy and ASD classes at the centre and through Playschemes during the half term and school holidays.