Triangle Pose to Braille

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This week one of my students who is learning Braille on refreshable Braille display learned that triangle pose can help focus, calm and open his mind to the new things he needs to learn to meet the challenges of being visually impaired in a sighted world. 

Other benefits to triangle pose:

-Increases energy, stamina and focus

-Helps with digestion

-strengthens legs, knees and ankles

I am grateful for being here

We are grateful for our Uber Driver Anthony who lives near the school who continually picks up our call for a ride at the same time every week to take one of our students home.

One of our student’s wrote on his gratitude chain this week that he is: “grateful for being here”

Energetic Play

Today at Fit Abilities we lightened up a bit, let some energy out and made shapes out of our yoga poses with our yoga mats.

Below is a photo of Bonnie, one of our program coordinators and one of our little yogi’s making himself into a yoga S’more. 

Bringing Yoga and Braille Together

This week I began integrating yoga into my Braille teaching sessions with my students.

During the week that Natasha came to teach yoga, I took notes on what yoga practices she focused on that I could easily integrate into this student’s educational lessons with me. Last week Natasha focused on mudras, down dog, and breathing techniques. This is a full week of Braille instruction with this particular student so my goal was to integrate the yoga moves she taught into our Braille lesson. It went like this:

1. I began the session asking my student how his day was going and what he was most proud of about himself. Then I asked him what yoga activity he wanted to do before we began Brailling. I gave him the options of mudras, breathing or the yoga poses that Natasha taught him the week before. He chose mudras and yoga breathing.  Another benefit to learning mudras for Braille students is that it increases finger dexterity and strength to type on the Brailler and read Braille.

2. Then we reviewed our Braille letters we have been learning the past few weeks. See the video below of my student Brailling the letter “A”

If the video below is not working, please find a link to this same video on the following

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTmdkJ5HsUQ

 

3. Then we use the iPad App “Exploring Braille” to further explore Braille letters.

Here is the basic lesson template of how I am integrating yoga into my student’s braille and technology 30-60 minute technology lessons:
1. Inquire about their day/what they value

2. Ask which yoga practice they want to do

3. Work on targeted IEP goal/assigment

4. Finish with a yoga intention/ something they hope for the rest of their day