By Isabelle St-Jean RSW
Having just honored the veterans of wars on Remembrance Day, we are all reminded of our individual responsibility to participate in the creation of a peaceful world. In our family homes, we, as parents, can model ways of returning to inner calm and resourceful states in times of stress or in the midst of challenging times. As we teach core values that foster a harmonious atmosphere we are also contributing to growing the seeds of a more peaceful future. In the Jewish culture, when core values such as community, friendship and hospitality are put into practice, they predispose our social environments to thrive. At the heart of each family, thriving also means that family members take action towards maintaining their wellness of body, mind and spirit according to their abilities and developmental stages.
As part of a holistic approach to health, physical activities serve many functions; they contribute to our physical and mental health and, depending on the activity, can also provide avenues to developing friendships. At this time of year – with increasingly inclement weather – most children have fewer opportunities to enjoy the calming effects of outdoor activities such as cycling or spending hours enjoying their neighborhood playground. Among children with special needs such as learning disabilities, attention deficit or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), most seem to require regular engagement in physical activities in order to improve their quality of presence and social connectivity.
Although some sports are enjoyed year-round in the general population of typical children, those with neurological and developmental disabilities such as ASD may experience difficulty enjoying and do well in organized sports. The subtle rules of conducts and expected behaviours associated with team sports may be challenging for such children to decipher and follow. Alternatively, there is an increasing awareness of other types of activities that can positively affect a child’s nervous system and provide a conduit to resourceful states and inner calm.
If you reside in the BC lower mainland, for example, Sirota’s Alchymy offers Martial Arts and Life Skills training to families and children including those with various types of physical or developmental disabilities. The website for this Centre is www.sirotasalchymy.com
In recent years, yoga is increasingly recognized as having positive benefits for children with ASD. In the Yoga Journal magazine, a recent article features yoga as a therapeutic intervention that helps such children to “relate better to themselves and the world.” To read the article entitled Breaking Barriers, click on, or copy and paste the link below.
http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/780
In my own family home, I have observed the benefits of yoga in my son who has Asperger’s syndrome. From the age of 10 to his late teens, he has enjoyed doing yoga on a weekly basis as part of stress and anger management strategies. Increasingly, yoga is also being taught in a few public schools of the BC lower mainland.
Beyond November and throughout the year, let us remember in each and every moment, that we can choose a peaceful way to respond to any given situation thereby helping our children to embrace the enduring values of community and wellness of body, mind and spirit.
Please feel free to respond to this article – we would like to hear back from you.
Jewelles Smith, MA
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