• Date: Mon 27th Jan 2020
• Price: £60.00
• 10am – 5pm

Book through Beacon House
Gain a good understanding of the therapeutic practice of yoga to support children with sensory processing difficulties and sensory attachment, and how this can support self-regulation, body awareness and motor skills with simple routines and practical techniques to use at home and in school. We will combine theory and practice, engaging in various forms of yoga through the practice of postures, breathing techniques and relaxation.

Who this course is for

No previous knowledge required. Aimed at teachers, SENCOs, parents, teaching assistants and therapists (18+).  Please feel free to bring your own yoga mat however mats will be provided if needed. Please wear loose comfortable clothes e.g. t-shirt & joggers. Refreshments are provided, please bring a light lunch.

Learning outcomes

• Understanding the effects on the nervous system on self-regulation
• Sensory integration and neuroplasticity and how yoga fits
• How poses, breath work, meditation, and relaxation have an impact on the nervous system.
• Develop tools to support sensory motor disorders – Dyspraxia, Postural Motor Disorder
• Sensory Modulation – How to balance and support the nervous system with yoga

About the trainer

Mel Campbell is an Occupational Therapist advanced sensory integration practitioner working with children with developmental trauma using the principles of sensory attachment. She has been teaching yoga for over 15 years and brings to her practice the understanding of how yoga can support young people to develop resilience and self-awareness and self-regulation.

Children need strategies for their autism. This video demonstrates the use of an expandable ball & the cobra pose to help with their breathing.
Children with Sensory Processing Difficulties will benefit from this practice.

As part of my MSc. in Occupational Therapy (in Sensory Integration) I wrote a systematic literature review paper on

“Exploring yoga as a sensory based intervention for children with sensory processing difficulties”.

Occupational Therapists frequently use complementary and alternative interventions to complement the work they do with children with sensory processing difficulties.

Although some of them may differ from sensory integration in terms of their application, many align with the theory of sensory integration.

One of the key features of Occupational Therapy is about occupation and the under pinning components to support individuals to develop skills in order for them to perform everyday tasks and assume daily roles in their lives and sensory integration is considered to be a factor in performance.

From the literature analysed it is evident yoga provides sensory motor experience and supports the integration of mind and body connection through the central nervous system to support cognitive function, emotional and self-regulation, behaviour and motor skills.

It provides a purposeful and meaningful activity which not only supports the underlying foundations to develop skills through a fun based and playful activity for children but also their overall mental and emotional well-being.

Yoga is embodied practice attuning an individual’s to sensations outside of their body through the muscles, joints and sense of where the body is in space to the interceptive sensations connecting the mind and body providing individuals with tools to support self management and self-regulation.

A full copy of my paper can be found here and on Ulster University’s website.

If you are interested in learning more about Yoga and Sensory Processing please sign up here.