Summer Celebrations

Interestingly, this summer I have had unexpected contact from students who I originally taught mainstream yoga in my Grove Park Yoga Centre some 42 years ago. As well as hearing from some YOU & ME Yoga Trainers, including Jo Osbourne who has given permission for her email to be shared on this blog:

'Hi Maria, I thought it was about time I let you know how much your work continues to help the children of New Zealand.

'I trained with you in London many years ago and have been living in New Zealand for the past 14 years. I just wanted to let you know that I continue to use YOU & ME Yoga with my paediatric physio clients on a regular basis (one-to-one usually) with great success. I still use the resources you provided and continue to enjoy teaching yoga to my clients and their siblings as an activity they can often do together. 

'Well done on keeping it going
Jo Osbourne'

Children’s Physiotherapist, YOU & ME Yoga Trainer, NZ International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM).

This article ‘London school sees positive effects in 10 months’ sums up Jo’s first yoga group that was published by British Wheel of Yoga, SE Newsletter, 2008

Mandy ffrench

Earlier this summer I met up with Mandy ffrench who first attended my Grove Park Yoga Centre in 1976 and soon after became the student’s registrar. Then she became a reflexologist with her own training school and 15 years ago moved to Australia. During Mandy’s visit to her family, her daughter Paula Lloyd organised healing camps at two music festivals in Kent, The Food Fest and the auspicious Black Deer Festival.

Paula invited three other healer friends to offer a variety of massage, Mandy and Paula offered reflexology, and I taught chair yoga. Our healing camp (as seen here with Paula) was very popular at these festivals. People were able to chill-out in a serene, comfortable area and it was very therapeutic for us six to spend two weekends together in such a special way!

Then during Mandy’s last weekend in England, her, Paula and I attended a Massage and Meditation Retreat at Osho Leela in Dorset which was such a lot of fun. The weekend course reminded me of the benefits of massage and of living in a well-organised commune, meditating, eating and sharing with many others.

Rosie and Nick met at Grove Park Yoga Centre and ended up getting married 37 years ago. I was invited to their wedding reception, where they hired a double-decker red bus to drive their family and friends to Brighton beach for their reception on the promenade grass area. 

This summer, I was invited to their big family party with 26 members. We had a glorious time in a beautiful spot with scrumptious food and delightful people.

How blessed I am to have made such wonderful friends to share and to have fun with since teaching them yoga. And to learn that YOU & ME Yoga continues to benefit Jo’s paediatric physio clients on the opposite side of the world.

Travel Grant

Application for this year’s ten categories for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust travel grants is now available. The Trust is offering 150 grants in 2019 to individuals who are passionate about making a real difference with new ideas and projects from overseas. Closing date for applications is 18 September 2018. To find out more contact: www.wcmt.org.uk

The Trust works closely with The Mental Health Foundation and historically has funded a lot of mental health fellowships. Although this year’s categories do not specifically include mental health, there is an Open category that it could be applied for. Here are some examples of Fellows who have looked at issues related to mental health, to mark Mental Health Awareness week:

https://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/news/blog-modern-solutions-modern-stress

The scoop of the WCMT categories for approx. £6,000 grant for an overseas travel grant is broad and diverse. There are ten categories each year and this year as well as the Open category there are three other categories that may suit therapists and trainers involving: 
Suicide Prevention, Healthcare, Nursing and Allied Health Professions, re. www.wcmt.org.uk

Finally, I would like to share a link to the highlight of my Churchill Fellowship in India, where I Investigated the therapeutic value of Yoga for disabled people:  

https://youmeyoga.blogspot.com/2013/09/yoga-and-special-education-in-india.html 

Maria Gunstone, YOU & ME Yoga, maria@youandmeyoga.com

The Whole-Body Joint Looseners PhysioTool

Explanation of the Colour Code

We use colour because it is one of the best mediums through which people can be motivated to learn. The use of colour in the YOU & ME Yoga system helps special clients understand that Yoga is a meaningful experience for the whole of their body.

Hence, the legs are coloured red, hips and lower back orange, waist and mid-back yellow, chest and upper back green, and the arms blue. Indigo and violet colours represent the mindful aspect of the movements: Indigo deals with coordination and violet the concept of whole body awareness.

Colour assists with the learning process and the selection of a sequence of movement for the whole body organised to suit the client's needs and abilities. 

Variations of the Looseners

If there is restriction in performing any particular Loosener in the usual way, a variation can be used instead. For example, if the client has restricted leg movement, a red variation technique can be selected for the client’s ability. 

It is necessary to include one of each of the coloured Looseners for a carefully selected and arranged sequence of Whole-Body Joint Looseners. 

Health and Safety

Before planning a Joint Looseners programme for clients, it is necessary to be aware of any client’s health condition that could cause any of the Joint Looseners to be contraindicative. This information is available in the Whole-Body Joint Looseners and Variations for Special Needs’ PhysioTool. 

PhysioTools
Provides and develops software to produce lesson plans and personalised exercise handouts, at the click of a button. PhysioTools is the world’s largest exercise library with 20,000+ techniques, which can be installed on the computer or use online. It is used by healthcare and fitness professionals around the world.

Select. Edit. Print. Email.

Simply select the techniques, edit the text to customize, then print or email the handout, as appropriate. Whether you choose to install the DVD or prefer using the software online, PhysioTools has the right exercise product for your clients.

Voucher 

By using this voucher code: MGPX66 you can get 10% discount off any PhysioTools product, including the colour-coded Whole-Body Joint Looseners and Variations for Special Needs module with 706 line drawings:  Go to Link: http://eepurl.com/bfG6Yb

Yoga in the Curriculum

This topic web shows how YOU & ME Yoga is cross-curricular, by contributing and complimenting various subject areas in the curriculum:

To see an example of this in action, please watch this 2-minute video demonstrating YOU & ME Yoga fitting into the Special Needs Curriculum.

Inclusive Technology

I recently attended an information day with Inclusive Technology Ltd. to learn about how computers and software have been developed to support people with special needs in learning, reading and writing. This day showed us how IT is developing beyond what most of us ever thought possible. It also gave me a greater insight to the e-book world for special learners and its potential for my YOU & ME Yoga Publications.

To wet your appetite, this video shows what we can expect in the future before tackling what equipment is already available.

Inclusive Technology is assistive technology with use of equipment, hardware, software, product systems and services. Specifically designed to help maintain and improve the functional capabilities of individuals, and provide easier ways for individuals to communicate, learn, enjoy life and be more independent.

Watch this space

Coming soon:

• Masterclasses in teaching YOU & ME Yoga to people with learning disabilities
• Forum for practitioners to share learning and experience
• Community network of yoga teachers and allied therapists interested in this area of work.

Indian inspiration

Revisiting Chennai (previously called Madras) and meeting up again with Professor Jeyachandran after two decades was a sheer delight. I can honestly say this second visit was even more satisfying than my first. He took me to several places and introduced me to various colleagues, parents and children at university - specialising in disability and yoga - two special schools, two teacher training colleges, special olympics sports and a national institute for multiply disabled people. To everyone he praised me for developing the YOU & ME Yoga system, which after all was mainly inspired by him during my first visit. (You may have read about this in The Origin of the YOU & ME Yoga System, chapter 9 The Highlight of my Fellowship.) Making contact with such people was so meaningful. I witnessed excellent management of model centres with remarkable services provided by all concerned for the children that was exceptional! I was so pleased to see how dedicated the yoga is still being taught to special educator trainees and in the schools everyday for 20 - 30 minutes to groups of children from 3 years onwards accompanied by their parent/carer.

Generally, the education for children with special needs is very thorough and family orientated. Of course there is a lot of IT development, equal to here in the West. Children are also taught appropriate skills to help with their particular family line of work, e.g. cooking, farming, sewing, machining, laundry etc. Such vocational training is in addition to the national curriculum. However, the Professor told me that if he had his way, the children would mainly be taught yoga rather than the curriculum because he has seen how helpful yoga can be for their special needs. My return visit was most heartwarming and reassuring.While in Chennai, Jeychandran also took me with his PA, Kuluusha to visit two ancient Hindu temples. The first was The Venkateshwara Temple at Tirumala to make cosmic union with Vishnu and make one’s wishes come true. This temple is open all day. It is the most attended temple in India. There is never less than 5,000 visitors at anyone time and up to 100,000 on weekends and holiday periods. It’s annual income of 5 billion rupees is ploughed back into hundreds of choutries and charities. It holds a staff of 6,000, including 500 barbers who continually shave off heads of hair of the young and older Hindus - called tonsuring - to act as an offering to Vishnu, the protector. I think I was the only white person there and one of the minority left unshaven! Jeyachandran’s contacts meant we only had to queue for 2 hours (rather than at least 4) to arrive to see the image of Vishnu. When all at once, I was standing in front of a bright light experiencing the overwhelming divine force inviting me to make a wish come true. I made my wish for YOU & ME Yoga practice to benefit as many people as possible.

Two days later we visited Mahabalipuram with his 20 teacher trainees, which was such fun. Here we saw gigantic monolithic and granite temples, caves and statues, built 600 A.D., depicting the Hindu Gods, myths and legends. My early study of the Bhavagad Gita became an awesome reality!

After an incredible time with Professor Jeyachandran experiencing his compelling work and Indian culture. I decide to share my YOU & ME Yoga system with others who wish to benefit from it in whatever way they need. And I am ready to share my system with everyone I can because YOU & ME Yoga is as versatile as those who use it.

Coming soon

Watch this space for:

• Masterclasses in teaching YOU & ME Yoga to people with learning disabilities including practical teaching tips, therapy, case studies and opportunity to ask questions
• Live interviews with specialists working in the field 
• Online communication forums for practitioners to share learning
• Community network of yoga teachers (and trainees) and allied teachers/therapists interested in yoga for people with learning difficulties/disabilities