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Moderator: JoAnna Ross
Founder - Yoga By The Dozen
JoAnna Ross is the founder of www.YogaByTheDozen.com, an online company which promotes a healthy lifestyle for kids through their highly acclaimed "Yoga By The Dozen" DVD and their complete line of...
Recent articles by JoAnna Ross

Yoga Benefits for Autistic Children
Yoga is becoming one of the newest techniques to help an autistic child develop his or her cognitive and motor skills, along with fostering self-confidence and respect. The classic definition of an autistic child would be having problems interacting socially and verbally, as well as having limited activities and interests. A yoga class is a calm place for an autistic child to feel safe in. With the structure of a yoga class, an autistic child starts to develop his or her coordination and learns how to focus. I had the privilege of teaching an autistic child named Samson. Over the six weeks of class and additional private sessions, I noticed that his motor skills were changing. But the big questions are: "Why yoga? And why pick yoga over other activities like gymnastics or other sports?" The answer is simple. The repetition of doing yoga weekly, plus the calm atmosphere that surrounds yoga, add to the discipline of the yoga practice itself. Samson's motor skills developed gre... read more »
Over the past few years, many moms have expressed their love for yoga and its many health benefits. With breathing techniques and poses that have been designed to promote good health and longevity, the prospect of involving children in yoga classes seemed like a great idea to me. JoAnna Ross, who teaches yoga to children ages 2-6, shares her insights on the positive effects that yoga training has on young children, including lessons in discipline and concentration.




