Yoga for Children

Educational Kinesiology, a science based system as well that utilizes the brain, combined with the healing power of yoga can heighten your child’s awareness, concentration and ability to learn.

For Children and Children with Special Needs.

In 2001, Candace Morano combined her degree as a social worker with yoga and educationalkinesiology. Her specialized kinesthetic knowledge of how the brain and body move together combinedwith her Social Work degree and yoga training make her an excellent teacher to help children with specialneeds. While teaching classes at Next Generation Yoga, The Cooke Center for Learning and NYU ChildStudy Center High School for Children on the Spectrum, Candace helped stimulate her student's growth and development.

Knowing the benefits of movement herself, Candace struggled with hyperactivity and focus as a child. Her favorites times were those when she is dancing, figure skating and using her mind and body creatively. Her mind was easily distracted and it was difficult to sit still. In her own processes, she found ways to channel all the energy that was bubbling inside her. Now there is increased interest in understanding how the body and brain are connected. Science shows that we are wired much like that of a computer. Faciliated movement patterns and touch can stimulate and awaken our body and brain connection. Nerve endings send signals to the brain and callon new neural networks to be formed to support the new learning taking place. This is a huge field beingexplored by scientists and doctors. Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. states, "The wondrous flexibility of our nervous system accomodates a large diversity of skills." Depending on our innate gifts and likes, westrengthen certain molecular communications that can be restructured, depending on usage, and changeas new learning occurs. "They act as superhighways to development," according to biologist, Hannaford, Ph.D.

There seems to be a flood of challenges we are now paying attention to in children today andwithin the last 20 years. We have learned that the body is as important as the brain in learning,adaptation, and overall well being. This means that movement is essential in creating harmony and balance in all systems within our complex makeup.

Explore Vidya Yoga was created to bring complimentary therapies together to enhance, encourage and support children to embrace life where they are.

As we approach any challengingsituation with acceptance, we find freedom and from there we can creatively use the many tools that areinherent within us.

Learning happens best when all of our senses are engaged, we find connection to ourself andothers, and when it's creative and fun. For children, working with Candace feels like a simple day of play filled with motion, sound, color, scents and excitement. Children are encouraged to try movement and positions without expectation. You can be assured that each child's progress is observed and a plan is always in mind. Being sensitive to where they are each session and what they need most that day oftenproduces the most profound results. Children quickly respond to this kind of sensitivity and guidance.Every process is designed to enhance the natural progress of your child's development. Education of any kind at it's best, brings out the wholeness and perfection that is already within the seed. Teaching brings forth what already lies within from a state of love and acceptance and the teacher acknowledges thatteaching others is a gift as what we teach, teaches us.

As improved development in one area affects other areas of the body and brain, children experience arange of benefits:-as your child's flexibility, coordination and range of motion reaches new potential, their focus and attention span increase allowing them to enjoy new activities, games and tasks and for a longer period of time.

• self-confidence improves and children explore more honest self-expression and challenge themselves totry more new things.
• with yoga postures, breathing and other yogic and movement techniques, spatial awareness improves and learning takes a new direction as the brain translates these new movement patterns into new neuralpathways that can lead to more abstract thinking.
• yoga techniques can bring structural cognitive modifications for the child leading to optimism, sense ofwell-being, self confidence, and trust.
• exercises are used such as Brain Gym techniques to switch on brain functioning accessing front, back and limbic region located in center. This means a child can experience greater sense of freedom in thought, interaction, and response.

Read what parents have said about Candace's work with children.

Medical professionals support and advocate the many benefits of yoga too. Educational Kinesiology is a science based system that utilizes the brain/ body connection to faciliate greater ease inlearning and overall well being. As children, we are all faced with some inherent gifts and challenges.Allowing our processes to inform wisdom from learning is the gift of life itself. With complimentary therapies and creative modalities, every child wins because somewhere along the path, they find successand that translates into other areas of their lives. A child that finds success in his/ her physicalenvironment or masters a fine motor skill, will have a new found motivation to strive at competency inother areas as well.

Candace has worked with children both privately and in schools with needs ranging from, but not limited to:

In addition, Candace teaches programs for teachers and parents of children with special needs. She has led trainings at the Learning Spring School and the Rebecca School in NYC. These trainings includedlearning the integration of yoga and educational kinesiology for teachers and staff and training parents to use these techniques at home with their children through an experiential method that aids in stress reduction and a deeper understanding of themselves in the process .