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

Teacher Spotlight: How Jessica B. Brings Stretch What Matters to Life in Her Kindergarten Classroom

What prompted you to participate in the Stretch What Matters Level 1 yoga training?

I am a Kindergarten teacher and I have a background in dance and was hoping to expand my repertoire in terms of ways of meeting the needs of the diverse population one teaches in a public school setting.  I really believe in the mind-body connection and I thought, “what better way to reach kids than yoga?!” 

What did you take away most from the level 1 training?

Well, first of all, my hopes for the training were met and surpassed!  Elizabeth had a wonderful way of imparting knowledge and empowering the participants to find and share their own unique “gift” through the vehicle of yoga.  I also felt that this approach was feasible for many ages and populations and there were so many tangible, practical applications that I enjoyed trying out with my students almost immediately!  I loved that we practiced first as students, learning both the theory and then applying the practice with each other prior to attempting with our own students;  it made for a smooth and more confident transmission of knowledge and practice.  Even the smallest moments relating to breath and mindfulness became so powerful once I saw my students practicing it themselves!

What makes bringing yoga and mindfulness strategies to children a challenge, and how have you remedied it?

The challenge for my particular situation is the sheer class size, range of abilities and time constraints.  However, Elizabeth and the other participants all had wonderful ideas about how to cater or modify the practice to suit individual needs.  For example, one such activity was to pair a student whom might have a harder time breathing slowly with two others who are able to breath slowly and hold hands as they guide each other—something so simple yet incredibly helpful!  I also shifted my approach to fit my needs time-wise in that I use bits and pieces of the training throughout the day or week for smaller chunks of time rather than a “typical” full class period. 

How have you witnessed the benefits of sharing yoga and mindfulness with the children you teach?

I took this training toward the latter part of an academic school year and even in the relatively short amount of time in which I had to implement aspects of the training, I have seen students improve in terms of coping skills, relaxation techniques, and focus and attention.  There is also a clear correlation to motivation – kids simply love yoga and ask for it because it’s fun and it feels good to them!  Some of them even wrote about it as their favorite part of their school year J

How have you witnessed the benefits of yoga and mindfulness within yourself?

My overall patience, ability to be present in the moment and put all of life’s challenges in perspective has been the most apparent shift in my day-to-day life.  Just breathe…

About Jessica 
Jessica is a creative, inclusive and passionate kindergarten teacher for the Natick Public School System. She is the loving mother of her 2-year-old yogi (on the left) and she and her husband are excitedly awaiting the birth of their second child!

Elizabeth Goranson, M.S.Ed, RYT is the President of Stretch What Matters, LLC and the creator of the first visual yoga system. Elizabeth offers yoga and mindfulness programs for those with special needs. To learn more about her teacher trainings and patented yoga system, please visit: www.StretchWhatMatters.com

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Upcoming Teacher Trainings:
October 18-20, 2014
Roots & Wings Yoga & Healing Arts Center, Natick, MA

What Does "Special" Really Mean?

I teach yoga and mindfulness to those with and without special needs. You get that, right? I thought I did too - until something that a yoga student said changed my mind.

I have been teaching and learning from children and young adults with and without special needs for over 15 years. When I left the classroom to begin Stretch What Matters, my mission seemed simple, "To enhance the quality of life, both mentally and physically, for all individuals regardless of age, ability or special needs through yoga."

Special is an interesting term and as I take a closer look at it, I begin to see how it can completely misrepresent an individual. The range of "special" is so great that instead of creating a consciousness of inclusivity, it creates one of exclusion. How does this affect what I do?  By creating classes for those with special needs and those without special needs, I strengthen the idea of separateness. When I separate students based on labels they have been given, I run into the problem of placing them into boxes with predetermined ceilings for growth. An interesting situation I have created for myself and those I teach . . . 

Recently, in a class I offer to 'mixed' teen girls, however the majority of whom are typically developing, a student's words reminded me that the time to lift the ceiling of what it means to be "special" is now.

At the start of class, I asked if anyone had any injuries I should be aware of. A few girls laughed and one of the laughing students admitted that she had injured herself right before class (she had slipped on some ice and had fallen pretty hard). As she quickly turned red, she placed a forced smile on her face, gave a thumbs up and announced to the class that she was, "special". I felt my breath stop and my throat tighten. There were girls in my class who had documentation to support just how special they were . . . did they feel those words?

After allowing what seemed like an awkward space of time pass, I found my breath, softened my gaze and listened for a loving response to reveal itself. What followed went something like this -

"You are special. I love that about you." 

I paused until I felt the student had heard my words. We made gentle eye contact and I witnessed her smile soften and her shoulders relax.

I continued to lovingly talk directly to the child although I knew our audience was much greater, in fact you could hear a pin drop. . .

"Your special decided to speak up today and share how you fell really hard in front of your friends. Your special was able laugh at yourself. Your special was able to pick yourself up in front of your friends and begin again. Your special is authentic and no one else's special looks like yours. Your special is a gift to you and to everyone around you." 

I paused.

As I scanned the room with my eyes, I saw and felt love looking back. 

Please do not misinterpret what I am saying - I understand that everyone has different abilities and that all of us sign up for classes we believe are most suitable for ourselves and our children (I take the process of grouping yoga students very seriously). For me personally, the moment in class encouraged me to examine something that has been stirring up in me for years. It is this idea that many people are unconsciously trained to place those with special needs into a "one size fits all" category. 

So what does "special" mean? At it's core, I believe special means the strength to be yourself in a world that often focuses on where you are not, special means knowing that you have something to teach the world, special means that your life has the power to transform others' lives, special means trusting that you are perfect and whole exactly as you are today and that your self growth is always - growing.

Here's to always looking under the label of "special"  and to honoring the gifts each of us are here to share. I found this video after completing this blog. Perfect timing. 

Elizabeth Goranson, M.S.Ed, RYT is the President of Stretch What Matters, LLC and the creator of the first visual yoga system. Elizabeth offers yoga and mindfulness programs for those with special needs. To learn more about her teacher trainings, patented yoga system and programs, please visit: www.StretchWhatMatters.com

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Upcoming Teacher Trainings:
March 14-16, 2014 (FULL)Yoga Dimensions
Newtown, Ct
Newtown Training funded by Yoga Reaches Out for Newtown Community Members
April 11-13, 2014
Roots & Wings Yoga & Healing Arts Center, Natick, MA