The experiences of interacting with a child with autism, getting the rest of the class involved in helping the child become more socialized, translated…
I Knew, that If I’d Followed Him in Behaviors, Being Led Away Completely by the Emotions, Then, I Would’ve, Lost the Opportunities to Help Him………
I’m a yoga teacher who loved children, and, I am more than blessed, to have a group of young fans who loved yoga as much as I. The children are both angels and demons, and, as the “monkey instructor” who’d led them, I’d often stumbled between heaven and hell, but, I never get tired of it for one minute.
And still, the role of the “classroom teacher” doesn’t always land on me, the kids often acted like my teachers, with their own innocent behaviors and freeness in their natures, teaching the adults to let go of their stubborn beliefs.
a class that looks like this, perhaps??? Not my photograph…
The Yoga Instructor & Students Who Melted in the Love & Hugs
There was a boy, who’d, “graduated” from the parent-child course that I’d taught, Danny, was one of the “teachers” who’d, influenced me, very deeply.
Danny has a pair of eyes with so much clarity reflected, long lashes, very cute looking. But, the very first time he’d come to class, he’d given me a difficult lesson to learn.
The moment that Danny walked in, being nervous and unsettled, he couldn’t calm down at all, run around the class like crazy, and kept spitting at me, mixed with his screeching screams, destroying the order of the class.
As I was taking the kids on their yoga poses, I’d, observed Danny at the same time, and, I’d, kept constant check on my own emotions. For I knew, that if I got led away like he was, by his emotions, then, I would’ve, lost the chance, to help this child. “What’s that? I need, to take a closer look at it.”, I’d, told myself.
Not long thereafter, I’d, slowly, gotten a closer look, of how Danny was, actually, expressing his fears and anxieties, toward being in a new environment, which was covered over by his anger and anxieties, his lack of self-confidences to cope with strangers and new things, his struggling heart, that just, wants to, make ITS escape.
As the lights turned off for the resting time, Dan, who was afraid of the dark started screeching loudly again. Gazing at his face that showed of a meltdown, I’d, taken his hand, took him toward me. Waiting until he’d, calmed himself down, held him, and, whispered into his ears, “This, is Danny’s first time here, so, he’s scared, isn’t he?” He’d, blinked toward me, and nodded.
“Teacher Monkey knows you’re very scared, but, I love you, oh, so very much, and I won’t hurt you, do you, believe me?”, he’d, nodded again.
I’d, closed my eyes, and, held him in my arms, with my mind, I’d, sent him, ALL the love I have. After a very long time of sitting with him in my lap, holding him in silence, the child’s body finally, relaxed, and, the knots of conflict inside of him had slowly, untangled too.
After I’d opened my eyes, I’d asked him in a light voice, “I love you so, and, will you be willing to, love me, and be my best friend too?”, the child looked at me, without any hint of hesitation, nodded his head.
At that very moment, we’d, let go of the fears we’d felt toward one another, pinky swore, and said, that we were going to, have a better, happier class next time he’d come.
The Child Who Learned with Only His Eyes in the Class
After the first class was over, I continually, thought about how I can, improve my methods of teaching, to help this special child, Danny, I was, still filled with doubts and worries.
And finally, the second time of the class came, Danny pushed open the door, and, ran with the speed of a sprinter, toward my arms, his force was so strong, it’d almost, made the both of us, fall backwards.
His mom followed in, smiled and said, that she’d asked Danny if he wanted to come to Yoga class, he’d said to her, “of course” because Teacher Monkey is his friend, and, he wanted to, come and visit with his friend.
I’d smiled, and, I’d, let go of my own worries and expectations, along with my thoughts of keeping EVERYTHING in control. Turns out, what connected the two of us, student and instructor, was this warmth, and trust that we’d come to share, along with my unconditional love toward him, my acceptance of him, my respect for him. He is, a unique entity all his own, so long as he is able to be allowed, to express himself fully, flow along using his own pace, then, that, was his good day’s of performances.
Because Danny can’t take the class like the rest of the children, so, I’d allowed him, to build a castle out of the yoga mats, and, I’d constantly, called out his name, so he can feel, that he’s a part of the group, although he was, doing his own things, that he’d not needed, to interfere, or act up, to show me, that he, is a part of the group too. That the teacher will always, have an eye on him, and, how I’d, welcomed him, to join in with the rest of my students anytime he’d wanted to join in.
After a few more sessions, Danny started feeling more willing, to return to his yoga mat, to do a couple of his favorite moves, then, return to his own little corner, to start, building up the mats again. As everybody gave encouragements for Danny’s improvements, his mother said, that although Danny was playing during class, but he can, remember ALL the moves I’d taught the rest of the kids in the class, and had, given mom her “yoga lesson” with his young big sister at home, continually, work on the animal poses, having, tons of fun.
In the class, watching everything that’s happening, and, as he’d returned home, he’d, used his body, to practice what he’d learned that day, this was, Danny’s way of learning.
The Most Creative Demon Child of the Class
About a month later, Danny can, finally, join the rest of the group of children in lass. But, he’d had a different way of “how to” practice the moves. He’d taught me, that I’d, needed, to let go of my own persistence constantly, to remain flexible in thought, to use a more creative way to change up certain rigid rules I’d set up.
One time in class, we’d used our toes to pass a colorful ribbon around the class, sitting in a huge circle. Every other child were, working really hard, to receive the ribbon, passed by their neighbor to them by foot, but, Danny didn’t want to play the games this way, and so, he’d, gotten up, and, grabbed at the ribbon from the other kids’ toes.
At first, Danny’s mom and I kept attempted to stop him, but, there was a parent close by, who’d smiled and stated, “Now, Danny will be the Demon Master, everybody, clamp on to the ribbons tighter, don’t let Danny pry it away from you!”
As the kids heard, they’d all, started, laughing out loud, because we had this, acting up “demon” in our class, the entire activity session became filled up with more excitement. And, Danny was, NO longer a “child who’d misbehaved”, and because this new way of playing the games, he was able to, be including in with the rest of the students in the room. At which time, Danny’s mom smiled that smile of relief.
And, there were, many MORE instances of how near-conflicts became, opportunities in my class. And, every student in the classroom all, learned to let go of their own stubborn belief of how Danny should be, and not carried the critical ways of judging his behaviors, and, opened up their hearts, accepted one another, so everybody gets the opportunities, to practice what I’d taught, using her/his own paces and her/his own ways.
Danny, by now, had, moved abroad with his family to live. But, I will NEVER forget, how that evening after class, he’d wanted me, to hold him tight, and, as we’d held on to one another, walking out of the classroom, into the darkened alleys. I’d, told him in a whisper, “Teacher Monkey will cherish you forever. Even after I’m old, and you’re, grown up, I will still, love you so.”
I saw Danny’s eyes, shining out that light, with his thin arms, around me. As we’d walked to the side of the streets, I’d, put him down, the moment that his mom led him across the streets, he’d turned his head around constantly, to wave goodbye to me, I watched him off, farther, and farther, until, we can, no longer see one another anymore.
So, this, is how a classroom of children, along with a teacher, interacted with a child with autistic symptoms, and, this young child has a different way of taking things in, and, the teacher, unlike those regular school teachers, who have to deal with the progresses of the majority population of children, she’d, allowed this young boy, to do his own thing, and, encouraged him, to participate with the rest of his yoga classmates, and, slowly, this young boy felt safe, and, became, a little BIT more social than when he’d first arrived.
This just shows, that all it takes, is a little patience from the individual’s external environments, and, the person will, surely, surprise you, but most of the times, we just, don’t give enough time, to those who are needing it, we’d, rushed everybody along, because, we have a schedule, deadline, to keep!