68 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No.

14 (2004)

Creative RelaxationSM : A Yoga-Based

Program for Regular and Exceptional
Student Education
Louise Goldberg, M.A., R.Y.T., L.M.T.

Abstract Introduction

School is a stressful place, especially for those with When I first began teaching Yoga in the physical
special needs. Sitting still, paying attention, staying on education department at a southern Florida community
task are not skills that come easily to anxious learners, college in 1980, I was concurrently teaching freshman
yet classroom learning is very difficult without these English composition. In my English classes, my students
constraints. There are few opportunities in most educa- strived to complete the perfect sentence, to distinguish
tional curricula to train students in the skills required for between subject and object pronouns, and to eliminate
self-control and focusing the mind. Any Yoga teacher passive voice from their writing. Across campus in the
knows, however, that control of the body and mind are gymnasium, my Yoga students perfected their breathing,
skills that one can learn with instruction and practice. distinguished between downward and upward facing
SM
Creative Relaxation is a Yoga-based program dog, and worked to quiet their minds. My Yoga students
designed to teach students to strengthen, stretch, and left class humming and serene; my English students
calm the body, quiet the mind, and control the breathing. were drenched in sweat and growing increasingly tense.
The teaching principles of Creative Relaxation are as It did not seem fair. There had to be some way to make
follows: make a sacred space, engage the student, pro- English composition, a subject nearly as dear to my heart
vide tools for success, and create opportunities for inde- as Yoga, less painful. One test day, I began class by guid-
pendence. This article will demonstrate ways to apply ing my students through simple neck rotations, shoulder
these principles in an educational setting for regular and shrugs, and abdominal breathing exercises. The students
exceptional student education, based on the experience looked at one another in bewilderment, but I noticed a
of the author as a consultant in the public school system slight lessening of the tension level in the room. I began
since 1981. Anecdotal data and examples will be given teaching abdominal breathing and progressive muscle
from the author’s work with children in regular educa- relaxation before writing assignments, and I watched my
tion, as well as with those with autism and related dis- students’ faces relax as their breathing deepened. In time,
abilities, emotional handicaps, ADHD, and learning my students regularly began to request these relaxation
disabilities, and with anxious learners. In addition, the techniques at the beginning of class. Bringing Yoga into
author collaborated with school professionals in a study a conventional classroom was the beginning of my work
to evaluate the effectiveness of a Yoga-based relaxation in Creative Relaxation.
program for six children with autism over an eight-week Since that time, I have taught Yoga-based exercise in
period. A summary of the group’s findings is presented. scores of classrooms and provided trainings to hundreds
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004) 69

of teachers, therapists, and other might otherwise not have been so likely to produce disease, whereas
school staff in varying forms of disposed. The components of Cre- the exertion of physical exercise
Yoga-based therapies. ative Relaxation include creating can “relax and help us withstand
Yoga is a complex and magnifi- a sacred space, engaging the stu- mental frustration.”2
cent life study. Its rich and varied dent, providing tools for success,
postures, philosophic depths, and and providing opportunities for Learning, Stress, and
codes of conduct make it an art, a independence.
science, a way of being. Just as Most schools are noisy, busy,
the Brain
teaching Yoga to special needs chil- demanding places—bells ring, Research shows that stimulation
walkie-talkies squawk, kids and and exercise enhance learning. Adult
teachers yell. There is always some- mice that are moved from a sterile,
I watched my students’ where one is expected to be and simple cage to a larger one with
faces relax as their breath- something one is expected to do. running wheels and toys, for exam-
ing deepened. There is little time that belongs to the ple, will experience a “significant
student—the adults around him increase in neurogenesis,” the pro-
determine his activities. The student duction of new brain cells.3 Experi-
dren does not make one an expert on is continually challenged, both intel- ments show that this type of increase
exceptional children, teaching Yoga- lectually and socially. As observed “gave rise to enhanced memory and
based exercise to children does not by one school social worker, “All of motor coordination.”4
make a classroom teacher into a the rules that are necessary to main- Learning, exercise, and environ-
Yoga teacher. Teaching Yoga re- tain order in a classroom are contrary mental enrichment can all stimulate
quires a lifetime commitment to to the instincts of children. Kids are an increase in brain cells in the hip-
practice and study. Nonetheless, not designed to sit quietly. They pocampus, where the brain stores
most of us who do practice and teach jump and scream and dance and information.5 However, “stress is
Yoga while living in this demanding kick.” Yet there is scarcely a place known to restrict the number of
world have improvised ways to inside a school where such activities newly generated neurons in the hip-
incorporate our practice into unlikely are acceptable or even tolerated. pocampus.”6 This helps explain why
settings. My teacher recommends School imposes restraints on chil- anxious individuals have such
practicing balance poses while dren that are contrary to their nature. difficulty learning and retaining
standing in line at the grocery store. The physical environment, lack of information.
Breathing practices anchor us while control, and continual demands cre- Individuals under extreme stress
waiting in a hospital for news about ate stress. often become physically aggressive.
a loved one. Finding a way to liber- “Anxiety seems to wreak havoc in
ate one’s spine on an airplane is a What is Stress? the limbic system, the brain region
lesson in adaptability. A yogin can- concerned with emotion,” explains
not always assume sarvângâsana, Hans Selye described stress as Robert Sapolsky. The amygdala, the
(shoulder stand), even when he the “non-specific response of the portion of the brain that responds to
knows it is the posture most needed body to any demand made upon it.” fear, “is also central to aggression,
at a given moment. Instead we find There are certain alarms that most underlying the fact that aggression
shortcuts and variations that suit the humans respond to consistently, yet can be rooted in fear.”7
immediate demands of the moment. we are all subject to unexpected Making sense of the world is
Similarly, Creative Relaxation reactions that upset the internal often challenging to those with spe-
adapts Yoga exercises, including the equilibrium. “Stress is caused by cial needs. Anxious learners are
elements of body awareness and many things, both pleasant and extremely vulnerable to stress, and
control, strength, flexibility, balance, unpleasant . . . [Even] such essen- the sources of their stress may be
breathing, and relaxation, for use in tially different things as cold, heat . . less predictable and less consistent
public school education. Training . sorrow and joy . . . provoke an iden- than those of others. Children with
classroom teachers who are gener- tical biochemical reaction in the ADHD are characterized as im-
ally not Yoga teachers to implement body.”1 Yet not all stress impacts pulsive, inattentive, and hyperactive8
this program has brought the princi- equally on the body: Mental frustra- in varying combinations. According
ples of Yoga into a large sector that tion can be destructive and far more to the National Institute of Mental
70 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004)

Health (NIMH), they may be “easily tense muscles and . . . make an effort
distracted, have difficulties with 3. BUTTERFLY HANDS: Shake to change the posture and relax the
concentration . . . [and] have out- arms and wiggle hands muscles by taking deep controlled
bursts of temper . . . due to anxiety or all around your body as if they breaths, tensing and relaxing neck,
depression.”9 Those with emotional were butterflies. (Good alter- arm and back muscles, stretch, bend
handicaps often exhibit “hostile native to hand flapping or forward, backward, sideways . . .”17
aggressiveness” and have “short straying hands.)
attention spans and unrealistic Why Yoga?
4. SILENT SCREAM: Open
fears.”10 Children with learning dis-
mouth, yawn, and stretch eyes
abilities are often distractible11 and
open wide. Exhale with gush. Yoga Calms the Body
“may vent their frustration by acting
out.”12 They often have perceptual 5. NECK ROLLS: Sitting straight, “Science shows that meditation,
problems, making it difficult to learn lower chin to chest. Inhale. massage, yoga—even laughter—can
by visual and auditory means.13 Chil- With exhalation, roll head change bad habits in the brain.”
dren within the autism spectrum14 right, keeping chin low. Methods such as Herbert Benson’s
may exhibit aggressive and/or self- Inhale. With exhalation, roll “relaxation response” for controlling
injurious behavior, resistance to head left. Repeat. the breath and focusing the mind
change, anxiety . . . and over- or lower blood pressure, slow breathing,
under-sensitivity.15 “Most people 6. SEATED FOLD: Hang forward and create an overall calm. However,
automatically know when their in chair. Drop arms toward the “if sitting in one position for more
stress is so high that they must get floor. Roll up slowly. than five minutes sounds impossible,
out of a situation quickly, . . . but you might try yoga,” suggests
those with autism must be taught . . . 7. SUPPORTED BACKBEND: Newsweek. One anxious individual
Reach each arm around back
ways to escape overwhelming stress describes the stretching and deep
of chair. Lean back and stretch
before they lose control.”16 breathing of Yoga as her “tranquilizer.”18
chest.
As varied as children with spe- I have observed Yoga’s calming
cial needs are, they may share com- 8. TWIST: Reach across right side effects on hundreds of children with
mon responses to stress. “Symptoms of your body with both hands. severe emotional disturbances. Kids
exhibited by an anxious learner Hold onto back or sides of who were so guarded that they wore
include bodily sensations such as chair and twist upper body heavy down vests and flannel shirts
irregular breathing, churning stom- toward the right, keeping your even in the south Florida tropical
ach, sweating, trembling, racing seat. Reverse. heat would begin to soften. They
heart, nervousness, sweaty palms, would open themselves in mat-
nausea . . . etc.” Anxious learners are 9. PUMPING BREATH: Interlace syâsana (fish pose) and even allow
encouraged to “[Do] something fingers. Bend elbows and me, after I asked and they had
physical . . . notice body posture and place palms behind head. learned to trust me, to lift them by
With inhalation, open elbows. the torso, to open them more. They
With exhalation, close elbows. would peel off their jackets during
CHAIR SERIES balâsana (child’s pose) so they
10. SEATED RELAXATION: Tense
could feel a caring hand on their
1. CHECK SEATED POSTURE: and relax hands, arms.Tense
Form as many right angles back, and as soon as that was
and relax feet and legs. Tense
as possible. Breathe softly and relax face. Yawn, stretch
over, they would put back on all the
through the nose, keeping face, soften face. Take slow, layers they had been wearing. This
belly relaxed. soft breaths. Feel the abdomen willingness by children—some of
inflate with inhalation, deflate whom had lived with abuse, and
2. 3 HUH BREATHS: Shrug with exhalation. some of whom had in many cases
shoulders (both or one at a perpetrated abuse—to be touched, to
time) up to ears with inhala- 11. 3 HUH BREATHS connect with another human in
tion; release with exhalation. a way that could not be miscon-
© 2004 Louise Goldberg strued, was a vivid lesson in Yoga’s
relaxing properties.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004) 71

Yoga Quiets the Mind inversions “simultaneously calm and room. The author has conducted
stimulate the brain . . . activate trainings for hundreds of educators
Drugs such as tranquilizers work glands and vital organs for supplying since 1981, helping them implement
in part by relaxing muscles, as well fresh blood to the brain, making these techniques into their own lives
as by curbing the stress reactions of it alert but calm.”29 and their curricula. The teaching
the brain. “The result is a calm body— principles of Creative Relaxation are
and a less anxious body means a less Yoga Breathing Fosters as follows: create a sacred space,
anxious brain.” The challenge is to engage the student, provide tools for
Self-Control
achieve this state of release without success, and provide opportunities
risking the “sedating and addictive” Anxious students often breathe for independence.
properties of medications.19 Since shallowly, heaving the chest. This is
ancient times, Yoga scholars have functional for short-term responses Soft music, soft lights,
been keenly aware of the intercon- to stress, but habitually breathing in
nection of body and mind. Patanjali, this manner predisposes the body
quiet voices can change
the sage who is believed to have cod- toward an activated sympathetic the atmosphere of even
ified the system of Yoga in the second nervous system. In fact, chest (tho- the most ordinary room.
century20 identified this corollary: racic) breathing is directly related to
“(Mental) pain, despair, nervous- the activation of the fight or flight Creating Sacred Space
ness, and hard breathing are the syndrome. However, “the workload
symptoms of a distracted condition of the cardio-respiratory system may Feeling safe is essential to relax-
of mind.” 21 Patanjali’s instructions be reduced by as much as 50% by ation. Rules must be clear and
for stilling the mind include âsana changing from thoracic to diaphrag- enforced without judgment. Mats,
(Yoga posture) and prânâyâma matic breathing.”30 With coaching, carpet samples, or masking tape help
(breath control).22 This is the reason students can learn to observe and children identify their personal
yogins and yoginîs work so hard to gradually deepen their breathing. space. Start with individual students
hone the body, making it pliable and As one is able to change the or small groups of two or three in
strong, to do the more demanding breath, often the mind will follow brief sessions to assure safety and
work of sitting and quieting the mind.23 into a more relaxed state. quiet. To make Creative Relaxation a
Early in my teaching career, I quiet time, ask students to hold ques-
Yoga Increases Strength, Flex- had a Yoga student who had severe tions and comments until a desig-
ibility, Balance asthma. At the end of the semester, nated time in the session; let them
she approached me nearly in tears. speak with permission before they
B. K. S. Iyengar reports, “Yoga, All her life, she explained, people lose control. By carefully observing
unlike other forms of exercise, had been telling her to relax. “Try to the students, the teacher can extend
keeps the nervous system elastic and relax when you can’t breathe,” she the periods between talk at a pace
capable of bearing stress . . . Yoga laughed. “And the more I panicked that is tolerable for them.
involves the equal exertion of all because I couldn’t calm down, the Soft music, soft lights, quiet
parts of the body and does not over- more breathless I became. In my 19 voices can change the atmosphere of
strain any one part.” 24 According to years of struggling with this condi- even the most ordinary room. An
The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, “Stand- tion, it wasn’t until now, through attitude of ahimsâ (do no harm) on
ing postures develop overall strength Yoga, that anyone ever taught me the part of the teacher creates a mood
and flexibility . . .”25 Backbending is how to relax.” within the classroom as well. As
“invigorating . . . stimulating the long as a child is not hurting himself
sympathetic nervous system . . .”26 Creative Relaxation: or another, his efforts are acceptable.
“Forward bending . . . tends to quiet Bringing Yoga into the Creative Relaxation is NEVER a
rather than stimulate . . . enhancing punishment. If a child is noncompli-
digestion . . . [and providing] train-
School Setting ant, he may be asked to sit out so that
ing for meditation.”27 Twisting helps Creative Relaxation adapts Yoga his actions do not prevent others
in “improving circulation in the âsanas and prânâyama to suit the from participating. Praise quiet in
great supportive systems of the special needs of children and the the room, and include those who
body . . .”28 Iyengar believes that physical environment of the class- appear not to be participating when
72 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004)

began pacing, but could usually be

coaxed into sitting again. This
student, a heavy mouth breather,
CREATE A SACRED SPACE
• Soften the lights (provide a lamp if needed) Yoga is ideal for visual
• Play relaxing music learners.
• Shoes off, comfortable clothing
• Extra towels if needed for warmth frequently panted with mounting
• Use your quiet voice
frustration throughout the day.
I noticed that while I guided the
RULES FOR CLASS other students through shavâsana,
his breathing became slower and qui-
• Stay in your personal space—on your own mat or towel eter. Although it might appear that he
or at your seat was not participating in the activity,
• Keep your arms and legs within your personal space the audible change in his breathing
• Listen to and watch your teacher suggested otherwise.
• Notice how you are breathing
• Notice your body Engaging the Student

Providing motivation
RELAXATION BREATHING
Noting improved flexibility can
Inhalation be motivating for some. High school
• Breathe in quietly through the nose aged students at a center for severely
• Feel the belly inflate like a balloon filling with air
emotionally disturbed children were
sometimes reluctant to participate in
Exhalation
• Breathe out quietly through the nose Yoga practice.31 My colleague and I
• Feel the belly deflate like a balloon letting the air out engaged them by measuring where
their hands touched their bodies in
uttanâsana (“weeping willow” pose)
TEACHER GUIDELINES or pascimottânâsana (“folded leaf”
pose) on the first day of class. Wait-
• Keep it safe: use exercises you are comfortable doing ing for us to come around the room,
and teaching students held this stretch and their
• Keep it positive: allow students to feel successful by starting hamstrings lengthened. As they
with the simplest routines became more comfortable in the
• Keep it brief: gradually lengthen sessions if desirable pose, the hold became self-reward-
• Model: let students see you using relaxation techniques ing. Periodically, we would remea-
during stressful moments in the classroom sure, especially when we noted
significant increases in flexibility
among reluctant participants. Soon
students began to point out and share
they are quiet too. his mat and within his personal their own “landmarks” of progress in
While working with a class of space. The other students in the class their postures.
middle school children with varying were able to enjoy a five-minute
exceptionalities, I noticed a subtle shavâsana (corpse pose), but this Multi-modal learning
form of participation among one of student never actually lay down.
the children with autism. He had During this portion of class, he was Engaging students is facilitated
very limited oral language and welcome to sit in a chair close to me, by speaking the language of the
needed lots of coaching to stay on as long as he was quiet. He often child—adapting the teaching style to
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004) 73

that which most closely matches the a motivating factor” in early child- every class with the HUH breath
child’s learning style. In schools, hood development. He believes that (inhale, raise shoulders; exhale, drop
most information is presented orally. this skill can be taught through shoulders). Simple, systematic repe-
Children with autism, however, tend “experience sharing.” 35 In marjar- tition enables students to feel suc-
to be visual learners,32 and those iâsana (cat pose), for example, move cessful and comfortable.
with learning disabilities and at- from happy cat—look up, smile, and
tention deficits are often kines- say “meow”—to angry cat—look Simplify steps
thetic/tactile learners.33 In Creative down, round up your back, and don’t
Relaxation, as in Yoga, we combine say a word. By switching from noisy Providing students with tools for
learning modes. to quiet and back, the teacher main- success requires simplifying the
Yoga is ideal for visual learners tains control, yet students still have process so that they lose neither
because the teacher positions herself a chance to play. Simhâsana (lion enthusiasm nor self-esteem during
“on the student’s eye level,” using pose, or facial stretch) can be the learning process. Break each
the “body as a visual tool.” 34 Visual done with a roar or silently. In posture into its smallest steps, and
aids such as drawings of poses are sarvângâsana (shoulder stand or provide practice until each step is
especially helpful for children with candle), the teacher “lights” each mastered. Coordinating the motion
autism. candle and then gently blows them of the eyes and head as in neck rota-
By breaking the process into out. Children may do the candle by tion provides practice with maintain-
steps that address each modality, the lying on their backs, raising one leg ing equilibrium during slow, steady
teacher engages diverse learners. In at a time. All effort is praised—as the motion. Before balancing, practice
teaching pascimottânâsana (“folded Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2:50) says, “The training the eyes to stay focused on
leaf” pose), for example, the student wise man lets go of all results, an object such as a focus circle39 or
first learns to sweep the arms up and whether good or bad, and is focused colored paper on the floor. Before
down while sitting in dandâsana on the action alone . . .”36 raising the foot even an inch off the
(staff pose). The teacher may tap the ground, help the children identify the
hands to cue the motion or move the Providing Tools for Success correct foot by wiggling the toes on
child’s arm. This kinesthetic/tactile that side. Students may use a wall for
experience helps clarify “up” and Structure security and are encouraged to touch
“down,” challenging concepts for down at any point. Part of the
some children. To help the child Providing stimulation and chal- teacher’s ability to maintain a sacred
coordinate the upward movement lenge within the framework of the space is to inform the students that
with the inhalation and the down- familiar is helpful for anxious chi- each variation is a “correct” form of
ward with the exhalation, the teacher ldren, who often dislike change. the posture. With this sequential
sits alongside the child and breathes “Organization and structure reduce approach, students become profi-
audibly. Next add the chant “hands anxiety from distractions and cient with each phase of an âsana
go up, hands go down” in rhythm overwhelming sensory stimulation,” and have the choice to further chal-
with the motion and breath. As the writes Janice Janzen. To help learn- lenge themselves or not.
child follows the movement of his ers “gain control . . . include frequent For many children, there is a
body, the feeling of his breath, the opportunities to move about and physiological reward for further
sound of his own voice guiding him, engage in strenuous exercise” challenge. “Stress affects dopamine,
and the teacher’s visual instructions, and a “balance of activities that are the main currency of the pleasure
he is learning with all his senses. I . . . familiar and new, . . . active and pathway . . . Moderate and transient
have seen many “distracted” learners quiet.”37 Gutstein suggests working amounts of stress . . . increase
totally absorbed in this manner. “within expandable, evolving frame- dopamine release in the pleasure
works.” 38 In Yoga we build on basic pathways.”40 Finding the balance
Making it fun structures. Vîrabhadrâsana (warrior between acceptable and unaccept-
pose) is the starting point for many able amounts of stress requires vigi-
Making Yoga fun is even more standing poses, just as sukhâsana lant observation on the part of the
important than form in Creative (easy pose) is when seated. When teacher. It has been my experience
Relaxation. “Shared laughter,” ac- working with children with anxiety, that quitting while the student is feel-
cording to Steven Gutstein, “becomes keep to a routine. I begin and end ing successful increases willingness
74 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004)

to return to the activity and attempt extension in the . . . extremities,” associating an action that relieves
further challenges in the future. explains David Coulter. Thus strenu- stress with a particular signal, teach-
Robert Sapolsky’s findings offer an ous postures enhance an individual’s ers can cue students as soon as they
explanation for that pattern: “More body awareness through his or her observe their tension escalate. A
dopamine can lead to a feeling of sense of touch. Further, Yoga offers a teacher may say, “Take five slow
well-being in a situation of mod- motivation for stillness because it deep breaths,”46 for example, as soon
erate . . . stress during which a sub- may offer a respite from sensory as she sees a student exhibiting signs
ject is challenged briefly and not too input. “Touch receptors adapt even of frustration. In that way, the stu-
severely . . .” When the challenge more rapidly than receptors in the dent begins the process of releasing
becomes too taxing, however, there tension rather than increasing it. By
is an excess of the stress hormone. giving the student a picture descrip-
Then “dopamine production is curb-
Strenuous postures en- tive of those directions, combining
ed and the feelings of pleasure fade.” 41 hance an individual’s visual and verbal cues, and lots of
body awareness through practice in the stress relieving activ-
Opportunities his or her sense of touch. ity when the student is comfortable,
for Independence the teacher begins to create an asso-
ciation for the child between the
vestibular system, which means that prompt and the calming feelings. In
Relief through touch they stop sending signals to the CNS 1978, Cautela and Groden “devel-
pressure after a few seconds of stillness . . . If oped a relaxation program for per-
your posture is stable, the receptors sons with special needs” to be used
The “modality of touch, . . . for touch stop sending signals back at the Groden Center. Their goal was
along with . . . vision and the to the brain . . .”44 to increase “self-control” by substi-
vestibular sense, make it possible for I have observed that some of the tuting a “relaxation response in place
us to maintain our balance and equi- students with autism prefer to do of the typical maladaptive behav-
librium.”42 As mentioned, children adho-mukha-shvanâsana (downward iors” exhibited during high stress,
with special needs often have sen- facing dog pose) with their head on such as acting out or aggressiveness.
sory challenges, including extremes the floor, in a variation of sha- In 1988 Groden and Prince reported
in their sensitivity to touch and shankâsana (hare pose) with the legs “44% of the clients are able to relax
poor body awareness. Interestingly, extended and significant weight when given a verbal cue by their
“the autistic child senses input placed on the top of the head, and I teacher . . ., and another 31% were able
from his muscles and joints better encourage teachers to cue their stu- to use the procedure independently.” 47
than he does through his eyes and dents to assume this pose as an alter-
ears . . .,” according to Jane Ayres. native to head banging. Perhaps Training for the Special
“Very heavy touch-pressure is the self-injury is the only method some Needs of Children
kind of tactile stimulation that children have to distract themselves
often produces a positive response from their constant state of hyper- The following pilot project was
in the autistic child . . . He wants to sensitivity. Yoga postures could pro- conducted in spring 2001 by Louise
feel something, but perhaps only vide an independent opportunity for Goldberg, Sally Miller, Debra Col-
very strong sensations register children with extreme tactile sensi- lins, and Daniela Morales.
in his brain. Some of these children tivity to experience a reprieve, even The purpose was to teach relax-
act as though their . . . [body] felt if just for a moment. ation skills to students with autism
uncomfortable much of the time, so that they could function more pro-
and the hard pressure made them Sense of control ductively in stressful situations.
feel better.”43 Participants were upper elemen-
This characteristic may suit Early researchers discovered tary school children with autism
them to Hatha-Yoga. In shalab- that “stress is exacerbated if there is from self-contained classes and reg-
hâsana (locust pose or “prone boat” no outlet for frustration, no sense of ular education with support. The six
pose), one can “feel the contact of control . . .”45 Among the aims of students were chosen because their
the skin on the floor, deep pressure Creative Relaxation is to give chil- teachers and parents documented
in the abdomen, and awareness of dren some experience of control. By overt signs of anxiety and dysfunc-
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004) 75

tion under stress. They would soon

make the transition to middle school,
and they lacked some or many of
the skills needed to cope with
changes in their routine. One or
S.T.O.P.
more of them were prone to violent
outbursts. Students were divided S - Soft face, soft shoulders
into two groups, and they partici-
pated in 30-minute sessions three
times a week for approximately
eight weeks. T- Take 5 deep
The relaxation program48 in-
cluded Yoga exercises and breathing,
Slow Breaths
role-playing, guided imagery, dis-
cussion, visual aids, music and soft
lighting, stories, and mnemonics. I
O- Open my chest
taught each class with the assistance
of at least one of the pro-
fessional team. Each class consisted P- Posture check
of exercises to 1) strengthen postural
muscles, 2) increase flexibility, 3)
improve balance, 4) practice abdom-
inal breathing, and 5) quiet the mind GRAPHS OF STUDENTS’ PULSE RATES: PILOT PROGRAM, 2001
through progressive muscle relax- The left axis of each graph shows the number of pulses counted per 10 seconds.
ation, imagery, and periods of The bottom axis shows the sessions attended.
silence, as well as 6) generaliza- The diamond-marked line indicates the pulse count on entry to the session.
The square-marked line indicates the pulse count at the end of the session.
tion—learning to use these skills in
other settings, including the class-
room and home.
The school staff and I made pre-
sentations to parents and teachers so
they would be able to reinforce the
relaxation skills the children were
learning. I taught a relaxation ses-
sion comparable to the ones the chil-
dren did in school to interested
parents in an evening presentation,
and also held trainings for teachers
and support staff. I instructed mem-
bers of the research team in hands-on
correction techniques and suitable
Yoga exercises. They coached me in
approaches specific to the needs of
children with autism.
We developed stories based on
the concept by Carol Gray49 to help
ease anxiety by preparing children
for a change in the curriculum
or any unfamiliar event. We devised
visual cues with words like
QUIET ZONE and S.T.O.P.50 (see
76 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004)

diagram) to help create an atmos- Table 1: Pulse Counts for Relaxation Pilot Study
phere conducive to relaxation.
Evaluation was by pre- and post-
rating scales from teachers and par-
ents; measurement of pulse rates
before and after sessions; observa-
tion of students’ breathing patterns
and muscle tone before, during, and
after exercises; teachers’ observa-
tions of overt signs of stress vs.
relaxation in target situations; and
anecdotal reports from teachers, par-
ents, and children who participated.
Students were videotaped early and
late in the training.
Evaluation results: Rating scales
completed by parents and teachers
demonstrated lower stress levels. In
almost every session, pulse rates
taken at the end of relaxation class
were lower than they were at the
beginning of the sessions. 51 The mean
pulse rate (based on a 10-second
reading) before class was 17.577,
and the mean pulse rate after class
was 14.954. Using the two-sample-
t-test, the difference was found to
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004) 77

be statistically significant (p < 0.01) recently, the autism specialists and Text revision. Washington, D.C.: Ameri-
(see Table 1). I have led higher-level trainings, can Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 78.
In addition, students demonstrated preparing autism coaches to train 9. Neuwirth, Sharyn. Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. National Institute
deeper breathing and increased still- one another. Relaxation programs
of Mental Health, 1996. URL:
ness, as evidenced by video clips are taking place in dozens of centers http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm.
from early and late in the training. and schools, and S.T.O.P. posters 10. Seefeldt, Carol, and Nita Barbour.
Improved muscle tone enabled stu- are used in classrooms across the Early Childhood Education. New York:
dents to do more challenging pos- county at students’ desks and on Macmillan, 1990, p. 91.
their schedules. 11. Ibid., pp. 84–85.
Students were success- 12. Gorman, Christine. The new science
ful at following more com- Conclusion of dyslexia. Time Magazine, 28 Jul 2003,
p. 54.
plex instructions. School is a demanding place, 13. Hall, Nancy. RESCUE, a Handbook of
and learning is stressful, especially Remedial Reading Techniques. Steven-
shill, Mich.: Educational Services, 1969, p. 4.
tures and sit straighter. They were for anxious learners or students with
14. For more information, see Molly
successful at following more com- special needs. Yoga enhances learn- Kenny, “Integrated Movement TherapyTM:
plex instructions. Students demon- ing and self-control by strengthen- Yoga-based therapy as a viable and effec-
strated increased awareness of the ing, stretching, and calming the tive intervention for autism spectrum and
parts of their body and how to move body, quieting the mind, and control- related disorders,” International Journal
them. Their ability to fix the eyes on ling the breath. The principles of of Yoga Therapy, 2002, no. 12, pp. 71–72.
one point and balance on one foot Creative Relaxation enable class- 15. Autism Society of America.
Common characteristics of autism.
increased significantly. Students room teachers to implement aspects URL: http://www.autismsocieyt.org/site/
learned to respond to verbal cues of Yoga into their students’ day and PageServer.
such as “relax” and “breathe.” Class- turn the classroom into a quiet, 16. Janzen, Janice. Understanding the
room teachers reported increased |safe place, if even just for a few Nature of Autism. San Antonio, Tex.:
alertness after sessions and more moments. By engaging students, Therapy Skill Builders, 1996, pp.
self-monitoring; teachers were able providing tools for success, and cre- 358–359.
to use the relaxation cues to help ating opportunities for independ- 17. Child Guidance Clinic, School Based
Support Services, Winnepeg, Manitoba,
children de-escalate in volatile situations. ence, teachers help students lessen
Canada. URL: http://www.childguidance-
Parents observed children using their stress levels. Including Yoga- clinic.ca/parents_anxiety.htm.
relaxation techniques during stress- based Creative Relaxation in school 18. Kalb, Claudia. Coping with anxiety.
ful situations and before bed. Stu- curricula offers students proven Newsweek, 24 Feb 2002, p. 54.
dents shared scenarios of using techniques to calm down, focus, 19. Sapolsky, op. cit., p. 91.
relaxation techniques and mnemon- attend, and experience self-control. 20. Feuerstein, Georg. The Yoga
ics to help calm themselves. One Tradition. Prescott, Ariz.: Hohm Press,
parent reported that her daughter was Endnotes 1998, p. 284.
having a very difficult time when 21. Taimni, I. K. The Science of Breath.
her dentist attempted to take impres- 1. Selye, Hans. Stress Without Distress. Wheaton, Ill.: The Theosophical Publish-
sions of her teeth. After several New York: New American Library, 1974, p. 16. ing House, 1975, p. 82.
unsuccessful tries, she independ- 2. Ibid., pp. 73–74. 22. Feuerstein, op. cit., p. 299.
ently went through the S.T.O.P. 3. Gage, Fred. Brain, repair yourself. 23. Taimni, op. cit., pp. 252–253.
mnemonic; she was then able to sit Scientific American, Sep 2003, p. 52. 24. Iyengar, B. K. S. Yoga: The Path to
calmly while the dentist completed 4. Halloway, Marguerite. The mutable Holistic Health. London: Dorling
brain. Scientific American, Sep 2003, p. 81. Kindersley, 2001, p. 19.
the impressions.
5. Sapolsky, Robert. Taming stress. 25. Coulter, H. David. The Anatomy
Scientific American, Sep 2003, p. 93. of Hatha Yoga. Honesdale, Pa.: Body and
What’s Happening Today Breath, 2001, p. 272.
6. Gage, op. cit., p. 50.
26. Ibid., p. 324.
In schools I have conducted 7. Sapolsky, op. cit., pp. 87–90.
training programs for over one hun- 8. American Psychiatric Association. 27. Ibid., p. 381.
dred staff members that include a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 28. Ibid., p. 435.
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). 4th ed.
video for classroom use. Most
78 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGA THERAPY — No. 14 (2004)

29. Iyengar, op. cit., p. 11. 37. Janzen, op. cit., p. 152. and G. B. Mesibov, eds., Behavioral
30. Nuernberger, Phil. Freedom from 38. Gutstein, op. cit. Issues in Autism (New York: Plenum
Stress: A Holistic Approach. Honesdale, Press, 1994), p. 186.
39. Goldberg, L., S. Miller, D. Collins,
Pa.: The Himalayan International Insti- and D. Morales. S.T.O.P. and RELAX, 48. Goldberg, Miller, Collins, and
tute, 1981, pp. 173–178. a Visual Curriculum. Shawnee Mission, Morales, op. cit.
31. For more information, see Libby Kan.: Autism Asperger Publishing Com- 49. Gray, Carol. The Gray Center for
Robold, “Yoga and emotional healing for pany, 2004. Social Learning and Understanding. URL:
aggressive youth,” International Journal 40. Sapolsky, op. cit., p. 93. http://www.thegraycenter.
of Yoga Therapy, 2002, no. 12, p. 83. 50. Goldberg, Miller, Collins, and
41. Ibid.
32. Hodgdon, Linda. Ten Keys to Morales, op. cit.
Becoming a Better Educator: Solving 42. Coulter, op. cit., p. 51.
51. Ibid.
Behavioral Problems in Autism. Troy, 43. Ayres, A. J. Sensory Integration
Mich.: QuickRoberts Publishing, 1999, and the Child. Los Angeles: Western
pp. 8–9. Psychological Services, 1995, p. 125. © Louise Goldberg 2004
33. Hall, op. cit. pp. 9–10. 44. Coulter, op. cit., p. 51.
Louise Goldberg, M.A.
34. Hodgdon, op. cit., pp. 8–9. 45. Sapolsky, op. cit., p. 88.
Relaxation Now LLC
35. Gutstein, Steve, and Rachelle Sheely. 46. Goldberg, Miller, Collins and
Relationship Development Intervention. Morales, op. cit.
P.O. Box 93-6123
URL: http://www.connectionscenter.com. Margate, FL 33093
47. Groden, J., J. R. Cautela, S. Prince,
36. Mitchell, Stephen. Bhagavad Gita, and J. Berryman. The impact of stress and Email: louise@relaxationnow.net
a New Translation. New York: Three anxiety on individuals with autism and
Rivers Press, 2000, p. 55. developmental disabilities. In E. Schopler