Special populations

[Kimberly]

Share at least five “ah-ha” concepts from our special populations session. How will you apply these lessons? Also comment if you are drawn to a special population in terms of teaching.

[lisaclick48]

1) PSTD and trauma patients – I have an interest of guiding these types of people to gain perspective to when I’m teaching a regular class. I really love the idea of teaching a restorative style of yoga for this audience. The love the TLC and the calm class structure that is needed. Thinking of those details to ensure students feel safe.
2) “Is there anything that you want me to know about your body?” Stealing this as it’s a perfect way to leave the door open to those who might not want to share or don’t have anything to share when maybe I thought they did based on their attitude or lack of movement upon arrival to the studio. That was an important ah-ha point for me.
3) Kids – Such a need to teach completely different. I’ve studied and learned a lot from reading the teaching kids book but several key points and reminders was helpful during class. Kids like everything I didn’t like as a kid, so I just need to remember this when teaching…
4) Senior citizens and their mobility issues or injuries or lack of mobility. How to teach and be effective in getting the transformation of self regardless of their past exercise or yoga exposure. Poses to have them feel young, chanting may be helpful if immobility is a big issue. Figuring out what works for each individual and include it in the class. I will be joining this category soon enough, but I know I will at my most healthy and probably teaching my peers which is very appealing.
5) I love the idea of teaching prenatal women and I can see how teaching yoga to those who are bringing life into this world is so important. I realize there is such a need to change how we bring babies into this world in our country. If my daughter becomes an expert, I could work side by side with her and that’s so exciting, I can’t even imagine how amazing that would be. So, rewarding, so full of purpose. I remember being Prego and how it felt.

I will always take the time to plan and incorporate the environment setting, the poses and logistics of the class for what type of class, unexpected students that show up on their mats. Having a few different sequencing classes with extra poses on the side will safeguard myself of being unprepared.

There are so many different types of yoga and I can see how I may shift with teaching different styles based on what chapter or adventure of life I’m in… that’s very exciting to consider. Yoga is a life long journey…

[LAD92761]

I enjoyed this section. I do believe my focus will be women pms/menopause and also athletes. Here are my ah ha’s:
1. Athletes do not necessarily like the spiritual side of yoga, so Balance should be more of the focus. Balancing muscle groups, balancing work/life, balance in the body.
2. A great way to check in with students is to ask “is there anything going on in your body today that I need to know about?” This is non threading way to watch for anything specific with your students and then work through modifications if needed.
3. In working with Teens and curvy population, having them close their eyes during centering will help them relax, not compare, get into the moment. Also any seated poses like forward folds where they can close their eyes safely is another great idea. These groups can be insecure about their bodies and their abilities, so removing the obstacle of seeing what other students can do, will help them be more present in the moment.
4. For younger kids, turning the class into more of a game, like Simon Says or doing partner poses is the better approach to keep their attention. Class time should be no more than 30 minutes.
5. In teaching seniors, use of props is super important. Chairs, the wall, bolsters, etc. Seniors love and need the movement, and there does not seem to be enough classes available for them. This is a great market to tap into.

[EmilyD]

1. Teaching classes for Vets with PTSD is not going to be my calling. I just don’t know what I don’t know. It never crossed my mind about placement of doors and windows or that chanting at the end of class might cause discomfort someone in this group. I want to leave this to someone who really gets it.
2. When teaching weekend warriors, we should consider that maybe they DON’T need another workout. I always assumed I go to strong poses that have stretch – Warrior II. It may make more sense for a class of weekend warriors to be filled with yin poses – still challenging, but with the benefit of slowing down and stretching.
3. In classes with a population over 45, we should be talking more about self-care. I’m almost in this group…so why have I never made this connection? People in this age group – especially women – take care of everyone else befor they even consider taking care of themselves. If they are taking the time to come to a yoga class, that is huge. Help them find some space to relax…encourage them to take a moment to find peace each day.
4. You never ask a woman if she’s pregnant. I dont’ think I would have anyway, but I’m stealing the phrase, “Is there anything going on in your body theat I should be aware of?”
5. Corporate yoga is it’s own beast. I can’t imagine students coming to class without changing. I can imagine them coming to class looking at their watches and worrying about the time. I love the phrasing: “I’ll get you out on time” and “I’ll watch the clock for you.” It would be awesome to feel like I was able to help a group of stressed employees relax. Even if it is just for a few minutes.

I am drawn to kids – 10+. We live in a world where they need to calm the mind. There is so much stress for them at schools, with tests, in sports, with friends, social media. The list goes on and on. I wish someone had given me some tools to help calm my mind and relax my body before I became an adult. It would have had such an impact on me. I’m just getting ready to start week three of six of working with middle school athletes, and it makes me so happy when one of two things happen:
1. The see me in the hall before our class and seem excited to see me (well…as excited as a 12 year-old boy gets)
2. They really relax in savasana. There’s a happy sigh at the end. The seem relaxed as they come back into the space.

[Beth]

1. The fact that there is flexibility in time of class, and organizing of the parts of a class. I realize that seems obvious and we discussed it at the beginning of yoga teacher training, but it didn’t sink in until Emily was talking about how different a class looks for kids. I had gotten so set in my ways already in terms of how long each part of class should last, and which part happens when, and what poses are called, I had forgotten about altering whole pieces of the class for special populations. I am able to throw out a sequence when there isn’t enough time, or to adjust based on skill level, but I had truly not thought about how to reorganize a class. I had also forgotten that themes can be catered to special populations, you can change names of poses, and create centering that focuses on the population.

2. I hadn’t thought about the fact that in corporate yoga or in a business environment, particularly during a lunch session, will have a hard time being in the moment. This made complete sense once it was said by Lisa and Melanie, but I hadn’t thought about how to plan a class to work with that. They also pointed out that it is likely they will not be in yoga clothes and they may be in class with people from work that make them uncomfortable. All in all, corporate yoga seemed easy to me at first, but leading and planning a lunch session would be incredibly difficult for these reasons. I think corporate yoga looked to me more like an employee retreat or wellness activity, but business folks probably prefer to do it during their day.

3. I hadn’t thought about the difference between what I consider “senior” and “elderly” populations. When Karen and Diane were talking about building a class for this group, mobility was the key question. For the elderly, mobility is an issue and required the use of a chair. When planning for “seniors”, which would include someone my mom’s age (who I still think of as menopausal, but she’s definitely over that), you are helping build strength to help support weakening bone mass. It was assumed the senior population still has their mobility, but with either group I hadn’t thought about the way you could or would want to adjust the themes and cuing. I think a beginners hatha yoga for this population would look very different than for a studio class not listed for older adults. I also thought with this age group, mobility could vary as much as in any class and offering modifications would be an even larger priority to keep students safe.

4. I also had a moment during Meenal and Lori’s group presentation about women who are heading into or are in menopause. The types of poses should actually work to help the person’s body and mind connect. In all yoga classes this is the goal, but asanas do help different people at different stages in their lives. I started thinking of poses which would help low back pain, or help aid in the relief of cramping or indigestion. Lori reminded us that men fall into this category as well, whether or no our society recognizes it as a whole, I believe men experience physical and hormonal changes as they age. Why wouldn’t we take this into consideration when planning yoga for this age group/population?

5. Throughout the conversations about different populations, one of the things that popped into my mind was how yoga can be adapted to help each population. I think being in yoga teacher training and being in so many classes and different studios, I had lost perspective for students who fall outside what we find in a traditional “yoga studio class”. I also began to think about how to make yoga accessible in different environments, in a school, in a business, in a gym, or outside. I started to think about those who have special needs, how a class might look for varying age groups. I think this session really brought back my creativity when planning a yoga class and made it seem less intimidating to teach to special populations.

[regmarlew63]

june 24 discussion on special populations
Since I was absent for our Thursday session, I will do my best here to draw from the readings on Special Populations.
Since I have started my training program, the practice of yoga has been a topic of many conversations amongst family and friends. And from my readings I first had an “aha” moment when the topic was on athletes. I have a lot of acquaintances that are more of a hard core high intensity work out type person. One of the first things they mention is they like faster more challenges types of classes. I learned that there is probably an “ego” component mixed in here. Never saw it that way, but now makes alot of sense. One of the many reasons they choose the higher intensity training, is they have a competitive personality, and it could be a measure they have for themselves. I always felt the only reason they didn’t do yoga was they needed the sweat to feel like they worked out.

Another thing interesting in the reading was working with children. How to incorporate the age old simplest of games, that they have probably been playing and have great familiarity with , such as musical chairs and memory games, to let them feel more comfortable on the mat and find fun in yoga. And how beneficial it can be for children who are living in a world that seems to be high stress as much younger ages anymore.

I learned that when teaching seniors, not to assume the nature of and aging physcial body means they cannot keep moving. It is just the opposite. That it is instrumental in them aging more gracefully and healthier. That the use of props in almost a mandatory rule. And how to safely, more effectively get them on and off the floor.

I found the reading on menopause to be eye opening. And was glad to read that men too experience major changes with aging that could be categorized as male menopause. And how yoga is so beneficial in working through changing bodies that are inevitable.

My biggest “aha” came in reading the section on chronic pain. I have known my husband for 38 years now. He had been involved in contact sports his entire life. He suffered alot of injury. And did not take precautions to prevent further damage, but lived with the mentality to keep pushing, tape it up and pain was part of it all. Now, in his early 50’s, he suffers from pain all the time. But, what I read that made me sit back and think “WOW”, this is exactly what is happening with him, is the mind connection to this suffering he always feels. Reading the part about how the minds response that makes a person relive the injury over and over and the affect it has on the physical pain one feels was enlightening to say the least. When anyone notices the pain my husband is in, due to a grimace on his face, or his posture, and if they ask, what’s going on….his immediate reply is ALWAYS, “when I was a junior in high school, a guy came over the top the line on such and such a play and hit me head on….” I now realize, that he is remembering that past pain and not allowing himself to move his thought process about his memory of injury from the negative to the positive.

I don’t plan on teaching special populations, but the information I learned here has been enlightening, empowering, and if the situation ever presents itself, I will be better equipped to teach with a better understanding and safer technique.

Regina Lewis

[betshellhaas]

Tapestry did not have a specific segment on special populations but we have touched on the subject multiple times.
1. Before class starts, ask students (with their eyes closed) to just place a hand on a part of their body that needs special attention today. This allows people to communicate an area of trouble without saying it in front of everyone. Then as the teacher paying attention to those areas throughout class in case anyone needs assistance.
2. Curvy or heavy weighted people being more insecure about themselves in a yoga class. Instructing the whole class to close their eyes when in a resting or still pose is great. This removes the temptation of competition and comparison. Also offering modification for these people because they typically will have less range of motion and movement around the body.
3. I recently was in a yoga class and really liked the way a teacher spoke about poses. She would say “take what you want from the pose and leave the rest.” This allowed students to understand that they did not have to stay in a pose until she instructed us out. This would be beneficial to say during maybe a senior citizens or beginner class. These students are less flexible, less athletic and, therefore, may not be able to do everything the teacher offers.
4. I would love to work with athletes. Personally, I like to push myself in yoga and try new things, which I believe most athletes would too. However, it would be hard to communicate that yin yoga is just as important as the heat and muscle building classes. Just as we need to raise our heart rate and sweat, we also need relaxation, stillness and quiet.
5. A main focus or goal at Tapestry is to make sure yoga is accessible to every body. This means offering modifications, props and assists when needed. Everyone CAN do yoga. If an individual is unsure if they are able to follow a basic beginner class they may need a private session to understand their own limitations and possibilities before entering a yoga class.

[msinghal]

My top 5 aha moments from this session/reading are
1. Kimberly’s suggestion that one should minimize spirituality in a corporate setting makes perfect sense to me although I had not realized it myself. I also think that people are generally in a rush to get back to work, so savasana may seem like a waste of time. Making them aware ahead of time that I, as a yoga teacher, will get them out on time or that we will stay here for about 5 minutes and end at the sound of a dong, may make them more amenable to it.
2. For older seniors, it perfectly makes sense that their mobility and flexibility may be compromised. Using props, like chairs and wall, may be a necessary and beneficial. Transitioning from one pose to another must be gentle. Focusing on breathing and reminding them often to pull back when feeling pain is also advantageous. Additionally, using imagery in cueing like “raising the arms to the sky” may usher in the much needed lift in their spirits.
3. For kids, the following were my takeaways: keeping the class length short (30 min), using games and partner poses to engage their little minds, and keeping cueing literal, but simple.
4. For athletes, whether adults or teens, it is important to keep the pace in the poses since they are used to fast paced workouts, using metaphors related to sports can motivate them, and stay away from spirituality.
5. In order to gauge how a student is feeling when he/she first walks into class, an effective question is, “Is there anything in your body that you want to tell me about?”

[sally200]

Our group had not reviewed the section on special groups, yet. But this is the reason I took this course. I am a senior and I want to remain flexible, have balance, and have a practice that gives me joy. Brings my body, mind and soul into the light. Meditation will lengthen my life, poses will keep me strong and flexible, and community will give me support. You start identifying with “old” and it mentally wears on you.
So my goal is to continue my practice, get better, and help others do the same.

[KHuttsell]

Five A-HAs in regard to special populations:

1. There was a common thread for me in many of these populations (except kids) – and that was asking “Is there anything going on in your body that I should be aware of?” – this universal question is applicable to most of the populations we discussed – it will aid in determining where someone is in their body and potnentisl alert the instructor to pregnant your, injury or frankly apprehension on the part if the student (I.e. I am not flexible)

2. Athletes / Weekend Warriors – not into spirituality but looking for another workout – using fast paced Sun Salutations at the beginning of class may address the adrenaline but then moving into more of a stretching type class to help the athletes nurture their bodies and provide some much needed rest – use the term “dedication” in lieu of spirituality

3. Kids – I love this population since they are so creative and into discovering things! Safety and limited attention span are the two most important factors when teaching this group…. well and fun too! I loved all the game ideas which I hadn’t thought of previously – using yoga dice, Simon says, duck duck goose, and making the alphabet with your body. I also loved the idea of a multi week yoga class with a recital at the end.

4. Senior Population – After Diana and I researched this population – it really made me reframe how I define this population. I believe the key is to understand the level of mobility that this group may have. Limited mobility may be a good application for chair yoga. There are so many wonderful exercises available to be done in a chair. I actually remember my grandmother participating in classes like this well into her 80s and it made her feel confident since she had no other means to exercise.

5. PTSD / Abuse / Trama – This is a population that requires more extensive training then we will receive in our 200 hr training. Melanie gave a great overview to how this population may feel when in a class. Door/window placement and a feeling of security in relation to those spaces is extremely important. Props such as straps can instill negative responses. I recently spoke to a friend that not only served in the military but also had a tough home life growing up. He talks often about his anxiety and frankly anger. He is finding ways to deal with his feelings through relaxing activities like gardening but yoga and meditation may provide some further opportunity to rest the mind. I would love to support this teaching but I’m unsure where to start not having any experience in the area of military service or personal counseling.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by KHuttsell.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by KHuttsell.

[dooley]

This was a good lesson for me. Hearing all those thoughts and plans made me rethink how I look at each special population.

When it comes to athletes, you need to realize that they may not always be able to calm their mind changes. Some poses may be a challenging for them. Certain athletes will have better strength in different areas of their body. I also realized that their ego will play a role in how they practice.

Kids and Young adults is an area I would like to teach. The main thing to remember is to laugh at yourself so they may see you make mistakes just like everyone else. This way you keep them engaged and relaxed.

Yoga for Seniors is a broad statement. I would also like to explore teaching this area. I learned that just planning a class bases on that word Senior doesn’t me all seniors are the same level. You need be familiar with the age range, the activity, the limitations they may have.

I am always have an “ahh” moment with Yoga for chronic pain. Making sure you always greet your students every time the come to class will help me remember they have pain in their body. I also like the statement, “Is there anything in your body that I need to be aware of?”

In women’s health, listening to how most women are warm/hot, I need to pay attention to the temperature in the room. Being a person who is always cold, I need to acknowledge this when setting the temperature in the room.

When it comes to teaching or guiding your class. Greeting students when they enter your class is a good way to learn who you students are. And just saying hello to them, even if you know them or not, is not enough. Asking them questions will help build a an open teacher/student relationship.

[CindyHurst]

Most of my “ah-ha” moments came from the discussion about teaching Yoga to our warriors with PTS. Specifically, (1) student placement in the room (2) making sure the students know you are watching the door, (3) do not use straps, (4) heart openers may make students feel vulnerable, and (5) making sure students know where you are in the room so they don’t sense that someone is sneaking up on them. Teaching Yoga to this population is so needed and specialized training is definitely required. Melanie’s insight was very helpful and informative.

A huge driver for me to achieve my RYT 200 certification is to bring Yoga to a broad population of people. I’m really focusing on my words, especially when it comes to how modifications are offered. An “ah-ha” moment came to me years ago regarding blocks. I was able to do almost all the poses I practiced without any props. It wasn’t until a teacher said to me that, although it was commendable that I was practicing Ardha Chandrasana with my hand on the mat, my alignment was off due to the short length of my arms. She helped me re-learn the pose using a block to essentially lengthen my arms. Had this been handled differently, most likely my ego would not have allowed me to embrace the use of props. This moment really changed my personal practice. I heard something on a podcast featuring Amber Karnes about teaching Yoga to EVERY body — she tells her students that “you don’t have to change the body to come to the practice.” This is something that I hope I will always remember as I develop in my teaching career.

[melross1]

My ah ha moments we’re around curvy people. While I was heavy for a few years I forgot what it’s like to have a rather large chest. Laying on the stomach can be very difficult. While teaching a curvy class doesn’t have to extremely different, there also is no reason to go into the “fullest expression” of any post when one can get the same benefit from a different choice. We too often look for the tada. We need to remind our class it’s just yoga not only breath but also smile.
Using words like choices rather than modifications.
Women’s health, having women do the opposite of what we’ve always thought during menstration, instead, move and twist.

[heatherfly]

Special populations feel really important and worthy of attention. So one ah ha is special populations in general and the need to pay special attention to when special populations may be in the room. Sometimes we won’t know it.

We’ve talked a bit about PTSD among the veteran populations but I’ve also been learning about women who’ve been victims of sexual violence. Another traumatized population and one that will hide in plain sight. Perhaps in any class we may teach or attend. Certain poses are more likely to be triggering such as happy baby. I’ve always been surprised at how that one makes its way into classes so frequently around here. It’s always a pose I take with intention and choice. Other poses I just allow myself to be led into. Happy baby is something I think about, make a choice and agree to do. So I don’t think I’ll ever teach it.

Kids have been a welcomed ah ha. I want to teach kids but I haven’t before thought about how to keep them engaged. My kids love cosmickids yoga videos, my 3 year old son was doing one this morning. Tiny earnest boy in a pull up doing bow pose. Breaks your heart wide open. I recommend watching those videos on YouTube if you’re thinking about teaching kids.

Seniors are an important ah ha. This is a diverse population with varying needs. I want to get good at presenting a potentially challenging sequence for those who need strength but also that can be done safely and perhaps in chairs. Balance becomes an important focal point both in the intent to practice it and in that it may be a liability.

The ah ha about closing eyes with both adolescent and curvy populations is also something I’m hoping to remember. Close eyes to turn inward and resist the impulse to compare.

[Author]

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