The honest truth about living with an illness or disability
September 5th, 2019
I write this blog because not only is it a topic close to my heart but also something that I too am struggling with.
I was in a psychology appointment the other day and we started by talking about what I do for work. I told her about my WHY for Let’s Yoga – for people with additional needs to feel empowered, accepted, included and have inner calm. Throughout the session she highlighted how it seems I am helping the people around me to accept themselves, but I don’t actually accept myself and my illness. This hit me hard, because it is true. The last few months I have felt disempowered, excluded, anxious and not accepting of myself. I have let my illness take over who I am.
The truth about my illness
It was in June last year when I experienced my first episode of aching and stiff joints, chest pains, coughing up blood, migraines and chronic infections. After an intense & invasive investigation I was put on a strong immune suppressant medication. Every Friday night I stay home and to inject this medication because it takes me Saturday and Sunday to get over the side effects before a work week starts (this is exactly what a 26-year-old wants to do on a Friday night right?).
I have had episodes where I could not walk around the house without my legs giving way, constant nose bleeds, light sensitivity and ongoing nausea and fatigue. I used to love going to a strong vinyasa yoga class, going for hikes, having a dance and doing all the things a typical 26-year-old would do. My symptoms make doing these hobbies challenging and not enjoyable for me. If I do decide to take the risk of doing them, it often involves me resting in bed from being in so much pain for a few days after.
Did I mention that the specialists still don’t know 100% what it is? My specialist is treating me for Lupus but I have recently seen another for a second opinion who believes it is something else. I know the body is complicated but I just want to scream “I JUST WANT ANSWERS”. Why do I want answers?
Because the unknown is scary. Not knowing what is happening to your body and what your future will look like, the uncertainty, its frightening.
This is what I am trying to accept. That we do not have control of what happens to us but we do have control on how we perceive it. And I choose to see my illness as something that has brought me to fully realise my passion for helping others who are also going through the difficulties of not being able to use their bodies to full capacity, and helping them (and myself) to still have mindfulness & calm when the physical world can often be too painful.
Acceptance
I know how hard it is to accept an illness or disability. I know the fear for the unknown future. I understand what you’re feeling & I too feel it on an intimate level.
I want to share with you my practises for accepting & finding peace with your situation:
Tip 1 - Meditate
(My favourite acceptance meditation and ones that kids love too!)
1. Create space to sit in silence, start focusing on your breathing and bring your awareness to your heart space. Start to notice how you are feeling. How you are really feeling when stillness is created in the mind.
2. Visualise where the feeling is in your body. How big is it? What colour is it? What features does it have?
3. Make room to feel this feeling. Let it be and begin to visualise the feeling slowly sinking into your body.
4. Breathe. Your breathing connects you to your true self. Its grounds you and gets you out of the busy mind (which is often filled with negative thoughts) and into your body.
Tip 2 - Affirmations
1. Get a piece of paper and cut it into small squares.
2. Write down your favourite inspiration quotes & your positive personal strengths,
3. Read them to yourself on a daily basis.
Tip 3 - Journaling or drawing
1. When we write or draw how we feel and why, we put things into perspective and see a different point of view. We see that maybe we are being too harsh on ourselves, we have a valid reason to be upset and surrender and we begin to find inner peace in our experience. It is also a great form of self-expression.
Tip 4 - Talking to someone
1. Whether that be a friend, partner or professional. It always helps to get your thoughts and feelings off your chest and out into the open. Hearing someone else’s perspective can also be helpful in getting you out of the emotional brain and into the present of recognising how amazing you truly are, right now. Seeing someone professional can also teach you new coping skills and views to understanding what is happening.
Tip 5 - Gratitude
1. When you wake up and when you go to sleep. What are three things you are grateful for, what will you give thanks to, what’s going well right now?
2. Writing this down or telling someone can bring you back into your heart space and out of your emotional brain. When we are thankful for even the simplest things like getting out of bed, we instantly feel a sense of serenity and contentment in our life. This takes practise. Start with the little things and eventually you will start to recognise more things to be grateful for.
In saying all of this, as an adult who did not practise acceptance when I was younger, getting into these habits can sometimes be tricky. So why not start early and begin to teach your child or teen the art of surrendering to what is and acceptance. If we have these go to strategies when we are younger, we are more likely to quickly return back to them as an adult when challenges arise.
I would love to know your thoughts on the above strategies & hear about your personal journey with disability or illness. You’re not alone.
With love,
Maddie xo
How can yoga and mindfulness help my child living with additional needs and/or disabilities?
August 15th, 2019
This is a common question that I am asked when working with families. I LOVE sharing my passion for Occupational Therapy and Yoga, so I thought I would list some of the many reasons here.
Yoga is becoming more popular within the general community and the number of kid’s yoga workshops are increasing in Perth. Maybe this is because of today’s fast paced and busy society where most of us rush around from one place to another, the daily stressors have increased and the ability to have stillness and connect to ourselves and each other has reduced.
Evidence is reporting that our kids experience these overwhelming feelings as well. Especially, our children living with additional needs and/or disabilities who potentially experience other challenges in motor, cognitive, and sensory development.
Think about how empowered, calm and accepted you feel after attending a yoga class. Our children can experience this too!
Here are some of my favourite benefits mindfulness and yoga have for children with additional needs and/or disabilities.
- Yoga increases flexibility and strengthens muscles. Children who have tight muscle tone and tension respond well to stretching and lengthening their muscles to allow access to movement. Children with low muscle tone and joint hypermobility will build strength in their muscles and around their joints for increased stamina and stability.
- Yoga assists in developing motor skills and coordination. Yoga consists of transitioning in and out of postures and repetition of movements. This allows children to practise their motor skills and coordination of different body parts.
- Yoga develops body awareness. By engaging in postures and being in the present, awareness of what is happening inside and outside of the body is developed.
- Yoga regulates the nervous system by providing movement, deep pressure and vestibular sensory input. For our sensory seekers, this can have a calming effect and for our low sensory processing kids it can be alerting. Either way, yoga brings children to a regulated and just right state.
- Yoga breathing, affirmations and guided relaxations help to reduce worry, fear and stress in our children’s minds and bodies. Allowing them to feel more confident, in control and grounded.
My ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE benefit that I love seeing my clients gain, are feelings of empowerment to identify and control their own emotions. Followed by engaging in postures, mindful games and breathing exercises to feel inner calm.
Okay, another ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE benefit that I love sharing with families is parent and child bonding. Parents and their child or children, taking time to be present, have mindful fun, express themselves and appreciate each other. At Let’s Yoga we LOVE family involvement and seeing the positive interactions when daily stressors are left at the front door.
Let’s Yoga is having two upcoming workshops in August. It would be wonderful to see you and your family there so we can experience some of the many benefits of accessible and inclusive yoga.
Click the tab for access to our upcoming workshops or join our mailing list for a discounted ticket.
We only have four spots left! xx
The Power of Inclusion in Community Activities
July 26th, 2019
How good do you or your child feel engaging in inclusive community activities?
When the activity is made accessible to fit yours or child’s needs/disability rather than having to fit in?
I personally know that this leaves me feeling confident, accepted and not alone.
Since being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that involves arthritis, chronic fatigue and muscle pain, my ability to engage in community based activities has reduced. Especially during a flare up.
There have been many times when I have attended a typical community yoga class and have walked out the door feeling excluded and ‘different’ for not being able to access postures like downward dog or any wrist weight-bearing posture. Last night I attended a new yoga studio and at the end the instructor laughed followed by saying I couldn’t do any of the postures and should strengthen my wrists (I had informed her of my condition before class). Yes, I know that I can’t do weight-bearing postures that involve my wrists and actually weight-bearing on them will not strengthen them, it will only cause pain.
I know that this instructor did not mean harm, but this is how I felt. I also know the empowering feeling I get after attending a class where the instructor has taken time to listen to my needs, followed by showing me postures I can access to fully participate with the rest of the class.
I have heard many similar stories from my clients. They have said previous instructors have not allowed their child to attend the class because they are “too disabled” or will be a distraction. The only thing that is “too disabled” is the ability for the instructor to think of how they can make this child included. By thinking how they can modify their practise and meeting the child’s needs. Not expecting them to meet the needs of the class.
I understand that this exclusive behaviour is most likely due to lack of understanding and awareness, which is why I love finding instructors who have experience in accessible yoga and why I also offer it.
Let’s Yoga meets yours or your child’s needs.
Let’s Yoga offers a service where I already know about yours or child’s condition and goals before attending a workshop.
I then offer ways to make the entire class accessible.
Let’s Yoga aims to leave everyone feeling accepted, empowered and included.
Sign up to our mailing list as Let’s Yoga will be offering more workshops soon and I would love to see you there. xx
Why I love teaching accessible yoga to people with additional needs (disabilities).
June 24th, 2019
I am writing this blog as I really wanted to share with you my experience of seeing how accessible and inclusive yoga has had a positive impact on children and adults with additional needs (disabilities).
Seeing the holistic benefits that yoga has had on these individuals’ wellbeing drives my passion to keep pursuing Let’s Yoga.
I truly believe that people living with additional needs (disabilities) deserve to feel a sense of connection, inner peace and empowerment.
Before Let’s Yoga became a business, I volunteered as a yoga instructor during my yoga teacher training and a short time after. I really wanted to see if my idea of offering people with additional needs (disabilities) yoga and combining core aspects of Occupational Therapy had a significant impact on these individuals’ lives.
I volunteered at a homeless shelter for teenagers who experienced feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, disempowerment and reduced physical activity; a kindergarten with children experiencing developmental delays/disabilities, attention and sensory regulation difficulties; and at a not for profit organisation for adults who experienced intellectual disabilities, reduced movement and para/quadriplegic.
I knew that these communities would benefit from yoga’s mindful movement and breath regulation, in addition to learning everyday strategies to assist with their sensory or emotional wellbeing. However, I was still amazed at how much these people gained from an eight-week course based on seeing their progress each week and hearing them say how much they have gained from attending.
Common themes amongst all eight-week courses were feelings of increased calmness, improvement in the quality of movement and learning to use breath regulation strategies at home and in the community.
I remember one of the teenage girls I was teaching told me that she is becoming aware of her breath when she is feeling overwhelmed, for instance waiting for her specialist appointments. She said she then uses the ‘equal inhale and exhale’ breath technique to stop her mind racing with thoughts and to remain calm. The teacher of the kindergarten class said that she observes the kids using the yoga postures and breath regulation games in the playground. She noted they were playing a lot nicer towards each other and using their imaginations more. A lady who could only move her arms and hands and would initially spend the entire class laughing (involuntary), said she felt connected to the body parts she could not feel and that she was getting to sleep quicker as she counted each exhale. Towards the end of the eight-week course, this lady was able to connect within, her involuntary laughing stopped, and she felt confident in performing all the yoga poses with her arms. A gentleman who experienced high muscle tone in his arms and hands recognised that each week he could straighten his elbow and fingers that bit more as he visualised the movement in his mind and used his breath with the movement.
Hearing this feedback reinforced that I needed to delve into truly accessible and inclusive yoga for people with additional needs (disabilities). After hearing and seeing the benefits these people experienced, it was obvious that Let’s Yoga would provide a valuable service to the community that was not already available.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to connect to themselves and the people around them, to feel empowered and confident to manage their everyday challenges, and everyone deserve to feel calm through mindfulness, movement and breath. That’s why I want further expand Let’s Yoga, so more people living with additional needs (disabilities) can feel this way in and outside of a yoga class.
Do you know someone with additional needs (disabilities) who would benefit from accessible mindfulness and movement?
I would love to hear from them. xx