sions have the potential to connect you and your children to the bounty of your new hometown and hold the capacity for creating a substantial network of inspiration and application to be drawn upon today and stored for use in tomorrow's endeavors. This practice can often turn challenging situations into confidence building teachable moments, causing transitions to be positive events replete with learning opportunities. •
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela Shaw is a retired special educator with dual Master's degrees in special education and school counseling. Her son-in-law is active-duty military. Angela and her husband spend their time enjoying their military family and exploring the scenery along the way. With a writing focus upon special education topics, Angela synthesizes her teaching experiences and education to support and encourage families and educators navigating the diverse learning needs of the children in their care across a changing educational landscape.
- Yoga: For kids who seek a physical activity without the competitive component, yoga might be an option of interest. Reanna Shaw, certified yoga instructor and military spouse, shares that some kids may enjoy practicing yoga as a physical outlet on their own, rather than coordinating with a team or a group after a long day of socializing at school. In a recent interview, Reanna shared a wide range of valuable incidental opportunities:
- Increased balance to support daily living is a physical and emotional need that benefits people of all ages. The balance of mind/body connections is realized through yoga practice. Through poses that require balance strength and stability are gained, affording safety and improved physical movement. As an outcome of performing balancing poses that require different parts of the body working together, improved concentration, focus and memory are nurtured.
- Body awareness which generalizes increased conceptual awareness of where one's body is in space, in order to better control movement is supported through yoga. In many aspects of life, knowing where your body is located in space can be helpful for safety, socialization and daily tasks of living. Body awareness serves to create more efficient movement patterns. Reanna, suggests initially providing the visual support of a mirror along with auditory cues, as your child practices their yoga poses. Eventually fading the mirror support and suggesting to your child to visualize what their body looks like while they are in the pose will begin to increase body awareness. This visualization exercise can be done with eyes
closed, if your child has the balance to support that practice. Otherwise, just have them keep their eyes open and visualize in their mind's eye what the pose looks and feels like. You can also try a seated pose with this exercise, if your child is working toward balance. Through modifications and practice your child potentiates their ability to feel what their body is doing. For example, with arms extended outwards to either side of their body, your child may be able to picture in their mind's eye the distance of their hand from the trunk of their own body and the distance from their hand to the wall next to them. They can imagine how far their arm would reach from the wall. This awareness is vital to children, in order to increase motor planning, understand how their bodies move and coordinate their body through space and around objects in their environment.
- Self-soothing, mindfulness, and relaxation can be potentiated. Through yoga practice one is encouraged to slow down enough to observe their mind in a way that is gentle and without judgement, comparison or expectation. For example, when feeling frustrated for a moment during the day, one may internalize the ability to pause without reacting emotionally; then reflect and realize the meaning behind whatever is causing that thought or feeling minus a big emotional reaction, which supports getting through the day without emotional blow-ups.
Parents can help kids grow in their yoga practice while supporting learning and development through yoga games and yoga stories. Reanna pointed out
that yoga instructors focus upon positive intentions and positive words. She left me with what she considers a vital social/emotional piece of what yoga incidentally provides children through instructional guidance, "Yoga focuses upon positivity and gratitude, which fosters optimistic outlooks through gratitude and noticing the positiveness of the world around them."
- Gardening: Digging in the soil, feeling the sun and fresh air and caring for nature's bounty is a relaxing pastime for many kids. In addition to lowering stress, kids are exposed to and navigate plant life cycles, soil types and insects or worms. Many enjoy increased strength and physical mobility, small motor control and motor skills, as well as incorporation of sensory play through gardening.
- Performing Arts: For youth who find joy in music, dance and theater, a wealth of side benefits is extended. Performance-based hobbies offer exciting activities for the family to enjoy through active or passive interaction, in addition to enhancing physical remuneration.
- Singing has the potential to enhance respiratory and cardiac function.
- Dancing can nurture joy in spirit and maintain physical health.
- Theater and acting may hone your child's expressive and/or receptive communication skills, perspective-taking and problem-solving skills. Actors are provided a channel for self-expression and emotional exploration. o Playing a musical instrument derives multiple brain benefits. This includes regions that process fine and gross motor skills, executive functions of planning and decision making, and regions that process vision, sound, movement and memory.