“Finding Your Dharma ~ Yoga for Children
with Special Needs”
Shawnee Thornton
Hardy is a special education teacher, author and graduate of our 300hr
Professional Yogaworks Program. Her book Asanas
for Autism and Special Needs has just been released and she will be
teaching a workshop on this topic at Prana on
May 30.
“When I began my 300-hour YogaWorks teacher training at Prana
Yoga Center,I had no idea
that it would be the start of something incredibly big in my life. When I made
the decision to further pursue my studies in yoga, I did a tremendous amount of
research as to which teacher training would suit me best. I came across the 300-Hour Professional YogaWorks TeacherTraining and immediately connected to their philosophy, focus on
alignment and diversity of workshops.
At the time I was very
passionate about therapeutic yoga
and learning how to work with clients on a therapeutic level. I
have worked with children with autism and special needs for 16 years,
specializing in working with children who have significant cognitive and
language delays, sensory processing deficits, as well as severe behavior problems.
I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits yoga can provide to health and overall
well-being.
What I found to be
of most value in the 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training was the mentorship
program. I was fortunate to have Rachel Krentzman, owner of Embody
Physical Therapy & Yoga, as my mentor. Rachel’s knowledge and application of yoga
therapeutics surpassed my expectations. I wanted to absorb every bit of
information I could learn from her and the other teachers. Gerhard, the lead
teacher and owner of Prana Yoga was supportive, incredibly knowledgeable and
created a safe and comfortable space for us to learn.
Through this
experience, I was able to manifest my greatest desires in life: To write a book, to teach and bring yoga to children with
special needs, to build a private therapeutic yoga business and to share my
passion with others by leading my own workshops and trainings. When I
presented my final thesis project in the training, I knew that I had found my dharma, my life calling, and it truly was from
that moment on that my dreams began to unfold.
I don’t believe in
magic or events happening simply because we wish them to, but I do believe in
the power of thought, putting our desires out there, telling the world our
passions, goals and dreams. When we decide what we want, say what we want and
work hard for what we want, the universe opens up and the opportunities are
more visible.
The knowledge and
experience I acquired through the YogaWorks Teacher Training gave me the vision
to see the opportunities available to me and the confidence to pursue my
dreams. Not only did the training help propel me forward towards my goals but
it also brought beautiful people into my life with whom I will have ever
lasting connections and friendships. I’m a strong believer that
everything we do, every person we meet, every decision we make leads us to
greater meaning, joy and purpose in life. Every day I feel grateful for
listening to my heart and allowing it to lead me to Prana, to the training, to
the teachers, to the people, to the experience and to my dharma.”
About
Shawnee
Shawnee Thornton Hardy is a 500 RYT, E-RYT, RCYT (Registered
Children’s Yoga Teacher), Yoga Therapist and M.Ed. Her goal is to bring the
experience of yoga to all individuals no matter their differences or
challenges. Shawnee has presented workshops on Yoga to Reduce Stress and Increase
Relaxation for teachers and other professionals who work in education
and youth programs, Yoga for Children with Autism and Special Needs
and Yoga for Teens facing the challenges of mental illness. She published
a book, Asanas for Autism and Special Needs – Yoga to Help Children with
Their Emotions, Self-Regulation and Body Awareness. Shawnee started a Yoga School through Yoga
Alliance in order to train others in yoga approaches to support children with
autism and special needs. Shawnee is dedicated to helping support youth in
developing strategies to cope with stress in order to live happier, healthier
more peaceful lives.
