The goal of Jewish Disability Awareness Month is to unite communities and organizations for the purpose of raising awareness and supporting meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life.
Keshet, the premier provider of educational, recreational, vocational and social programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities operates according to traditional Jewish values and accomplishes this through their specialized yoga program, created and run by Keshet parent, Randi Heichman.
Heichman received her 200-hour yoga instructor certification from Blue Sun Yoga, and certificate from the Special Child program at the Taste of Yogakids. "I started this program because I had been practicing yoga for ten years and was able to see how much yoga helped me relax during stressful times," says Heichman. "I knew that yoga was a natural way for children with special needs to also receive those benefits. You don't need to use or understand language - you can't do yoga incorrectly."
Yoga sessions can be tailored to incorporate student's Individualized Education Plans, and the benefits of yoga for children with special needs include allowing the student to follow a schedule, enhance posture and muscle tone, use eye contact and language, aid in speech development by using breath work, help develop motor planning skills, and so much more.
To learn more about Keshet's specialized yoga program, visit www.keshet.org.