The Doors That Open You Up To Change

There have been a number of doors that have opened for me in my lifetime that have led me to Stretch What Matters. One of the doors that felt the heaviest was one I was required to open before beginning a college internship. I was a senior and before graduating with a degree in Psychology, I was assigned to work with adults with special needs employed with jobs entailing assembly line work (packaging products).

On the first day of my internship, I was sent into a private office with a large television set. The woman responsible for getting me started, told me that all new staff were required to watch a short video prior to working with anyone on site. Easy enough, I thought.

The woman turned on the video and kindly excused herself. She explained that she was short staffed that day and that I should come out when the video was over.

What happened next rattled me to my core. As the video unfolded, I realized it was an informational piece on the deinstitutionalization of individuals with special needs from 1960 to 1980. The long process of shutting down and releasing people from formalized institutions took well over 20 years. In this moment, I witnessed real footage of people confined to spaces unbelievable to me. Everything I viewed felt like a nightmare and my whole body felt sick. I was filled with fear, rage, grief, sadness and despair all at the same moment. The door opened.

The video ended and I felt paralyzed. I remember allowing myself to cry and hoped that the woman in charge would forget about me long enough in order to recover. Thankfully she did.

On the table in front of me was a large binder with a sticky note on top that read, "Liz Williams" (my maiden name). I pulled the binder towards me and opened it up. I quickly discovered that it was a case binder of a young man, employed at the factory. I knew in that moment that he was to be my case study over the next 3-months. The young man was 29 years of age with a diagnosis of autism. This was the first time I would come to know someone with autism. Eric was my first mentor.

In 3-months time, he showed me how to help him work without wearing a helmet (he used to hurt himself when he made a mistake on the assembly line). Instead, we made ourselves a walking path around the outside of the building which he learned to request by giving me a picture of his handsome self walking outside. We mostly walked those first 4-weeks and then, in time, Eric began to balance his work with his relaxing walk schedule.

So here we are in 2015. How are we doing? Those institutions may be gone but the impact of their chains still breathe through the many limitations placed on individuals with special needs.

The inner circuitry of peace is possible . . . you just need to open the door and begin.

Namaste,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Goranson is the President of Stretch What Matters, LLC. Known for her humor, enthusiasm and passion for her work, Elizabeth leads captivating workshops and trainings on yoga and mindfulness for individuals with special needs. Her primary focus is teaching educators and parents to use yoga as a vehicle for healing. The company’s patented visual yoga system is a critical success factor for Stretch What Matters™ program participants.

Stretch What Matters Yoga and Bangalore India

This past year, Stretch What Matters Yoga reached several children across the world with special needs. The photo above is especially dear to me - as it is a reminder that the power of peace is limitless. To think that I once struggled with the idea of sharing the gift of yoga with others because I am only one person is now a distant memory. Peace can begin with you while the power of peace will take on a life force far beyond the scope of your imagination.

Meet Hannah Weinstock (photo above), an undergraduate at the Columbia University in the City of New York. This summer, Hannah interned at the Center for Child Development and Disabilities (http://www.ccdd.in) and their accompanying school in Bangalore India. She brought with her - the Stretch What Matters Yoga System. 

The clinic focuses on early diagnosis and intervention through a comprehensive system consisting of initial assessment, and follow up therapy (occupational, physical, special education etc.). Developmental/mental disorders are still very new in India, making clinics like CCDD and special education programs very hard to find. Many of the families who came to the clinic had traveled for days from rural villages where there is a complete absence of services, having to make the difficult decision of whether or not to pack up everything and move into the city to provide their child with the appropriate care (which is usually very costly as special education is still not a part of public education as it is here in the states). The director of the clinic, Nandini Mundkur, aims to increase awareness for such disabilities through her website, pamphlets and conferences, providing parents with the necessary tools to recognize early warning signs and at-home therapy routines. 

As an intern, I observed the work being done at the clinic, comparing it to the work being done in the US, finding that it is surprisingly very similar! All the same tests are used, just with slight cultural adjustments. I found that the yoga set was extremely helpful in occupational therapy as a way of practicing direction following, color recognition, turn taking and body awareness. The kids absolutely loved it as it was a great change from the normal routine. 

Stretch What Matters is honored to be part of CCDD - an organization making a powerful difference in the lives of children with special needs and their families.

To learn more about Stretch What Matters, visit www.stretchwhatmatters.com

To learn more about CCDD in Bangalore India, visit http://www.ccdd.in