Wed May 27 2020

Nizha Periaswamy
Autism is a condition that involves communication and behaviour. An austistic child faces issues with communicating with others, and have difficulties in understanding what others think and feel.
Austistic people often have internal struggles, especially in expressing themselves, via words or body language, facial expressions, and even touch. According to a local data, 1 in 68 children have autism, with the gender ratio being four boys to one girl.
Apart from medical care and therapies, yoga has also been found to calm an autistic child's emotions and give them the ability to self-regulate.
A study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2012 that showed that austistic children who practised yoga consistently over a 16-week period showed signifant improvement in their behaviour.
Researches have also shown that autistic children who practised yoga have increased eye contact, tolerance to sitting, better non-verbal communication and receptive communication skills.
If you are a parent looking to give a "yogic" approach to your autistic child, consider these three yoga poses and breathing techniques, and perhaps, look for yoga instructors who teach children with special needs.
Cat-Cow Pose
These two poses, done together, helps calm the body and release tension. In the cat-pose, tuck your chin towards your chest, and let your neck release. On your inhale, arch your back, let your belly relax and go loose. On the cow portion of the pose, lift your head and tailbone up towards the sky, without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck.Tree Pose
This pose requires a lot of patience and concentration as it involves standing in one leg. Your child can pick whichever leg they have the best balance with, to stand on the mat. The other leg must be placed on the side of the knee, or above the thigh of the standing leg. Once this pose is assumed, the practitioner must place their hands together in a Namaskar-like position on top of their head, and breathe in and breathe out.
It is best if your kids do not close their eyes during the pose, instead keep their eyes wide open, with the vision focused on any object. If they find it difficult to stand on one leg, the wall can be used for support.Child Pose
This is a calming posture by itself. Allow their kids to sit on their knees, and place their forehead on the floor, with their arms stretched out beyond their head. Let them hum the "Aum" sound as long as possible. This sound and the posture generate soothing effect to the nervous system.
When these are done in an orderly and consistent manner, autistic children can see improvement, especially on the emotional aspecy. Do not rush the results as every child is different and need differing methods and approaches to see improvement. Try to include fun and joyful activities with yoga so that your children don't get bored and anxious during the session.
Nizha Periaswamy is a yoga instructor and freelance writer.
Photo source: Yoginizha Yatra
The Five Don'ts After a Rigorous Workout Session
While a rigorous workout session can leave us refreshed afterwards, these are the five Don'ts that you should observe after you are done.

Five Most Haunted Places in Malaysia!
Humans are frightened, yet fascinated with the supernatural. If you like living life on the edge, here are the FIVE most haunted places in the country you should consider paying a visit...

The Yogic Diet To Boost Your Immunity
A strong immune system is crucial to fight off illnesses. Here are some good food habits that help boost your immunity...
.png?ext=.png)
Tasty Maracurry Mess Recipes Fresh from The Pot!
Maracurry Mess is a show airing on Astro Vaanavil (Ch201), featuring renowned local chef Rajesh Subramaniam whipping up delicious vegetarian dishes.

Five Vital Numbers to Determine Heart Health
These five numbers are crucial to determine good heart health...

Oh My Gadget: 10 Most Expensive Items Ever Made!
If you think the prices of gadgets nowadays are expensive, check out the price tags of these items!

Five Ways you Can Generate Side Income
Here are five ways you can earn some side income without quitting your main job.

Five Things You May Not Know Were Invented by Malaysians
Do you know that these widely used things were invented by Malaysians?

WWW Day: 10 Facts About the Web For You to Know
In conjunction with the World Wide Web (WWW) day today, here are 10 quicks about the web that you should know...

Tips To Prepare Your Children For Meditation
It is never too early or too late to get started on meditation. These tips may help you get your young ones started on this yogic practice...

Watch BollyOne HD and Stand a Chance to Win Tickets to Jubin Nautiyal Live in Malaysia!
All you have to do is answer five questions asked on the Astro Ulagam website and submit the passcode displayed on the channel.

Five Kollywood Actors Who Have The Biggest Instagram Fan Base!
These are the top five Kollywood actors who have the most number of Instagram followers...

Meet The Selfless Woman Who Raised 45 Children As Her Own
Jasmine Selvarani Emmanuel has 45 children calling her mother, but none of them came from her womb. She and her late husband dedicated their lives to adopting children who needed love. This is their selfless story...

The Five Don'ts After a Rigorous Workout Session
While a rigorous workout session can leave us refreshed afterwards, these are the five Don'ts that you should observe after you are done.

Five Serene Islands That Could Disappear In The Next 80 To 100 Years!
Many low-lying islands have disappeared without a trace in the past decades, and these Islands are in line to vanish into the deep blue sea in the next 80 to 100 years...

Five Epic Adventures To Add In Your 'Post-Pandemic' Bucket List!
Let's plan for an engaging travel bucket list that will let us feel the essence of traveling once again post pandemic...

Five Memorable Kollywood Cameos Of All Time!
These are some of the most memorable special appearances in Tamil cinema...

Food Going To Waste? Call the Food Rangers!
What do you do when you don't want excess food from your function to go to waste? Call the Food Rangers of course!

Eight Tamil Movies Adapted from Novels
Do you know that these eight movies were among many other Tamil films adapted from novels?

Five Most Haunted Places in Malaysia!
Humans are frightened, yet fascinated with the supernatural. If you like living life on the edge, here are the FIVE most haunted places in the country you should consider paying a visit...