Yoga for all abilities

Cobra pose in nature

In the last several years, I have personally found a love for yoga. Yoga has helped me practice mindfulness through movement and it has given me a special space on the mat. Stepping on the mat has become a meaningful and safe space for me to decompress and separate myself from work. Based on personal experiences and evidence-based knowledge, I’ve learnt that everyone can benefit from yoga practice. Since entering the OT program and learning about the importance of movement and mindfulness, teaching yoga to others has become a strong interest of mine.

As we prepared for the campers to arrive at Larchwood Nature OT camp, we were fortunate to receive training in Kids Yoga for All Abilities, led by a teacher from Appleseed Yoga. Evidence suggests that yoga for children have both physical and mental benefits.

Physically: yoga can help improve balance, strength, endurance, aerobic capacity.

Mentally: yoga has the ability to improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, class behaviour and reduction of anxiety and stress. The interesting part of kids yoga is that it meets the child where they are at and trusts the child to take the lead.

Example of a Yoga card used at camp!

At Larchwood Nature OT camp, yoga is incorporated into our daily activities and provides numerous benefits. Our yoga sessions focus on 4 main components: Connection, poses, fun and games and relaxation. Over the last three weeks, we’ve seen the impact of yoga on the kiddos abilities to focus, practice mindfulness, work on creativity, gross motor movement and emotional regulation. We incorporate yoga in many fun and meaningful ways to engage our campers. Activities include: yoga dance freeze, yoga stories, yoga movement books and yoga go fish! We saw first hand the benefits of yoga for the kiddos- providing them a space to release their tension, let out their energy, practice their breathing, improve their strength and balance while playing with their friends! Movement breaks help the kiddos focus and regulate for activities afterwards. Including this in our day helped the children engage meaningfully and practice mindful movement. These mental and physical skills are transferable to school, home and overall health and wellbeing.

Learning to incorporate yoga into our daily lives has the ability to bring these skills into other activities and situations beyond our mats. I hope to continue to incorporate yoga into my practice and teach components of yoga to people of all abilities.

Combining my Passions!

Hello! My name is Jenn and I’m a second year Occupational Therapy student at the University of Toronto, completing my final fieldwork placement at Larchwood Nature OT camp. When it was time to rank our preferences for our final OT placement, Larchwood Nature OT camp was my top choice. Reading the placement description, I was highly intrigued and knew it would be a perfect fit. I am grateful for being granted this placement! Larchwood nature OT combines my lifelong passions; working with children, being in nature, mindfulness and inclusion. This camp provides the opportunity for all children to feel included in a camp setting, to create meaningful relationships, work on fine, gross motor and social skills, emotional regulation and sensory challenges. The kids participate in therapeutic nature based activities including yoga, arts and crafts, water play and emotional regulation.

So why did I select this placement!? I’d like to share a bit about myself!
I grew up and lived in the city, but have always loved and found peace in nature. My “happy place” is in the lake or by a waterfall!

Since the age of 8, overnight summer camp up north by the lake was my home away from home. I attended camp for 13 summers, as both a camper and staff eventually working as a waterski instructor. The camp I attended had a unit for children with disabilities which allowed me to create bonds and relationship with kids of all abilities from a young age. I learnt the ability of nature and the camp setting to bring kids together to foster inclusion and understanding of diversity.

I also have a passion for children. Growing up as the youngest in my family, I am fortunate to have lots of younger nieces, nephews and cousins. Watching them grow up and supporting their development has been a true highlight in my life. These aspects combined with my knowledge of OT at UofT so far, allowed me to feel like a great match for the Larchwood Farm OT camp! I am so excited to continue to learn about the benefits of nature in OT practice and how to best support all kiddos throughout my work here at the Larchwood Nature OT camp!