‘Zen with Jen’ proving popular with children in Cork 

A CORK woman has launched yoga classes especially for children with additional needs after being inspired by the kids in the ASD unit where she teaches.

Jennifer Ormond, who works as a tutor, discovered the positive impact of mindfulness on children through her work with kids in the Shine Centre for Autism in Carrigaline.

After completing a course with Yoga Therapy Ireland, she is now providing classes to kids with special needs ranging from ADHD to Down syndrome.

Aptly named, Zen with Jen, the practise combines sensory play with yoga therapy.

High demand 

Ms Ormond said there has been a lot of demand for yoga therapy from ASD units.

“This is a lovely niche and there has been such an opening for it,” she said.

“I had a teacher contact me from a unit to ask if I would offer it in schools.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t possible at the moment because I work full-time but it’s great to see the demand growing.

“I would love to give a workshop to teachers in the future to show them how to incorporate yoga into their lessons.”

Early years practitioners and the parents of children with special needs form a core portion of Jennifer’s social media following.

“I set up the Instagram during lockdown for primary school teachers and people in early years settings.

“It was something I was very passionate about because it’s so important for kids to have mindfulness and yoga in their daily routines. I’ve posted the work I do with the kids during the day and the sensory play visuals as well as the positions I use.”

Jennifer spoke of how she has managed to incorporate yoga therapy into her students’ daily routine.

“A lot of them might have been stuck in the car or sitting in traffic for long periods when you meet them in the mornings. They may have issues self-regulating or with noise. Some might come in feeling frustrated or sad as a result of this and yoga sets them up for the day.

"It’s very much child-led and I’m always conscious that something that might work for one child may not work for another.

"I have a box of sensory toys that children can choose from. We lay everything out.

"Some children might be looking for the slime theraputty while others find that a squeezy toy has a more calming effect. It’s like satisfying an itch that is there all the time but is impossible to get to.”

Many benefits 

She listed the benefits of introducing a child with ASD to yoga.

“Yoga has a number of benefits for children with special needs and improves issues like sleep quality for the child. Many are sensitive to noise or touch.

“They may be averse to specific textures such as rice or pasta, which I will then integrate into the lessons.

“These are the little things that wouldn’t affect our minds that can seriously impact a child in this way. Yoga therapy is particularly useful for head and neck control and helps develop the ability to self-regulate.”

The Kinsale woman enjoys working with children on a one-to-one basis.

“I also tutor families and incorporate yoga sessions into home tuition.

“My role is to help improve the child’s academic, social and communications skills.

“I find that yoga is very effective for the kids I work with.”

To find out more about Jen’s yoga therapy, visit @zenwithjen on Instagram.