About Voice Colors Yoga for Autism
Voice Colors Yoga is a non-profit founded by Eve and Matt Megargel. We are dedicated to providing top-quality yoga instruction, professional development and yoga teacher training specifically designed for students with autism.
Voice Colors Yoga is a dynamic interactive educational practice grounded in empathy, compassion and respect.
The Voice Colors Yoga teaching methodology utilizes a variety of visual communication supports to ensure that all students with autism are able to access the benefits of yoga and make meaningful progress in their yoga practice.
Core Beliefs
We believe that all individuals on the autism spectrum:
- Are communicators capable of independent self-expression grounded in social relationships
- Are life-long learners who strive to meet new challenges and cultivate an array of new insights and skill sets.
- Require access to visuals, vocabulary and concepts that enhance their understanding of yoga and support their ability to participate as independently as possible
Yoga and Autism: A Natural Fit
- Yoga addresses many aspects of autism as a systems disorder: Individuals with autism tend to experience some degree of imbalance and sensitivity across physical systems (gastro-intestinal, seizure, emotional, sensory etc...). This makes it imperative to support optimal balance in their minds, bodies and nervous systems.
- Yoga can be taught visually rather than verbally, playing to the strengths of students with communication challenges.
- Yoga is an effective way to manage stress and develop self-awareness and self-regulation skills.
- Yoga provides physical exercise with benefits such as strength, flexibility and overall physical well-being essential to maintaining good health
- Yoga provides a way to connect with others through meaningful shared social experience in community.
- Yoga can be adapted to meet the needs of individuals at any level of physical fitness or ability, and the level of challenge progresses at an appropriate pace for each individual.