| Learning disabilities are a common cause of | | | | From increasing circulation to providing oxidation, |
| frustration for children and adults. It is estimated | | | | from ridding the body of stagnant energy to |
| that as high as 15 percent of Americans have | | | | bringing in fresh forces, breathing helps people to |
| some sort of learning disability. By definition, they | | | | be more in tune, more empowered, and more |
| are defined as the psychological or neurological | | | | ready to learn. |
| conditions that influence a person's ability to | | | | Breathing can also help thwart a major element |
| communicate and learn efficiently. | | | | of learning disabilities: frustration.. Because |
| While people who have disorders such as ADHD | | | | frustration comes along with nearly every learning |
| and autism may very well also possess learning | | | | disability, with some people succumbing to |
| disabilities, these types of disorders don't belong in | | | | aggravation and hindering their ability to learn even |
| the learning disability category. Diagnoses that do | | | | more, the breathing techniques taught in yoga can |
| belong, however, can greatly vary, ranging from | | | | help people to relax, rejuvenate, and try again. |
| reading disorders, such as dyslexia, to disorders | | | | Concentration: The ability to concentrate is a |
| that disallow for the comprehension of | | | | major factor in the ability to learn. Oftentimes, |
| mathematics, such as dyscalculia. | | | | those with learning disabilities have an impaired |
| Those who are plagued with learning disabilities are | | | | ability to concentrate. Yoga, however, facilitates |
| not always of high or low intelligence, though | | | | concentration.. Not only does the actual practice |
| presence on both ends of the spectrum are | | | | of it require students to focus on their breathing |
| possible. Likewise, a person born with a learning | | | | as it weaves through the poses, but yoga also |
| disability wasn't necessarily born with an inability to | | | | gives people the ability to focus when away from |
| learn. Instead, the individual simply possesses a | | | | the studio. |
| processing impairment, such as an auditory | | | | Yoga increases the circulation of oxygen and |
| impairment or visual impairment, that makes their | | | | blood to the brain, allowing people to focus, to |
| ability to learn from routine ways of teaching | | | | concentrate, and to remember things with |
| particularly difficult. | | | | greater clarity. It also stimulates the Central |
| While learning disabilities can weaken a person's | | | | Nervous system, the system that serves as the |
| ability to learn, the damage they do often falls | | | | messenger between the brain and the rest of the |
| into deeper crevices. Some people, particularly | | | | body. Through the meditation and mindful |
| children, with learning disabilities may have severe | | | | practices of yoga, people become more centered |
| self esteem issues, anger problems, behavioral | | | | and balanced, allowing them to focus on tasks at |
| problems, and a desire to quit things like school or | | | | hand with greater attentiveness. |
| extracurricular activities. | | | | Eye Movements: People who have dyslexia, a |
| How Yoga Helps | | | | learning disability that affects reading and writing, |
| The treatment of a learning disability can vary | | | | may particularly benefit from practicing yoga. This |
| from person to person. Different disabilities require | | | | is because parts of yoga involve eye exercises, |
| different treatment options and even then, | | | | with students forming poses and focusing on a |
| therapy must be determined on an individual basis: | | | | certain spot for an extended period of time. |
| what works for one person with dyslexia may | | | | These eye exercises can increase the efficiency |
| not work for another. However, yoga, because it | | | | of the optic nerve, relax the muscles of the face, |
| does not focus on the disability but the person, | | | | and increase the functionality of certain areas of |
| can benefit a variety of people with a variety of | | | | the brain. These benefits all work together to |
| learning problems. | | | | improve a person's ability to focus visually, helping |
| Self Esteem: Self esteem can be a hard thing for | | | | them to correctly recognize words in the process. |
| some people to obtain, particularly when that | | | | People with learning disabilities may need a wide |
| person feels as though they have something | | | | range of therapies. Children, in particular, may |
| wrong with them. Yoga is a vehicle of | | | | require more one on one attention during class or |
| self-awareness, self-realization, and | | | | tutoring. Even with therapy, however, learning |
| self-acceptance, three things that work together | | | | disabilities might not go away entirely. Because |
| to increase a person's sense of self, ultimately | | | | many are biological or genetic, some people are |
| solidifying their self esteem. | | | | just programmed to learn differently than others. |
| People who do yoga feel better about themselves | | | | However, yoga can help those afflicted to accept |
| and the world around them. They become | | | | their impairment and gain strength by removing |
| motivated, better able to tackle the hardships a | | | | the focus from their disabilities and placing it on |
| learning disability, or any kind of disability, can bring. | | | | their abilities. |
| Yoga also helps them gain acceptance of their | | | | About us: TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at |
| disability, accepting that they have it and learning | | | | the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, |
| what can help minimize the effects of it. Yoga | | | | Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, |
| also provides time for self-reflection, helping | | | | Hatha yoga and mindfulness practices to teach |
| students to become less influenced by their | | | | optimal balance between physical, mental, and |
| negative capacities and more influenced by their | | | | emotional health. It aims to educate and help |
| positive ones. | | | | people to live a healthy life from the inside out. |
| Conscious Breathing: If there is one function that | | | | Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive |
| can help just about anything, it's probably the act | | | | treatment regime for the whole being, |
| of conscious breathing. Breathing helps a person | | | | empowering each person one breath at a time to |
| on innumerable levels. | | | | stimulate the body's natural healing potential. |