Sutra 1.13: Effort toward a steady mind is practice. This sutra refers to stilling the mind in meditation. One must also cultivate a regular practice, and to develop an unwavering awareness of the mind’s activities. We must attempt to live mindfully in the moment, 24/7 to achieve a steadiness.

At the beginning of each class, using words with intention followed by a breathing practice, the student will be lead through a mindfully developed centering exercise to instill the importance of steadiness and focus. Rephrasing the meaning of Sutra 1.13 will be used to encapsulate the essential interpretation. Centering: 3-5 minutes.

The class is made up of 5 young adults between the ages of 18 & 23. They are males and females who were diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Parents shared a variety of secondary diagnoses such as ADD, ASD, seizures, tactile defensiveness, fine, gross, and speech and language delays, hypotonia.

Each class was to begin by greeting each student by name. Class was a pre-planned practice that began with finding a comfortable seated position. After checking in with one's posture, centering was to begin. I would guide the students through a breath awareness technique. Once their attention was on their breath, I would ask them to continue while introducing Sutra 1.13 in an understandable manner, using simplified language, and an intention, mantra, or sacred sound (OM Shanti), closing with Om.

Asana, Pranayam, & Raja. The comfortable seated posture 'asana' is steadiness and comfort. This describes an inner state of being as well as the experience of the physical body in an asana pose. It is a state of being “seated” in ourselves. Their bodies were comfortable with their minds and vice versa. (2.46)
Pranayam was introduced as a method for eliminating distractions. With breath practice, the flow of life energy (prana) was enhanced. By regulating their in- and exhalations in a variety of conscious and deliberate ways breath awareness was raised. (Sutra 1.34)
Per Sri Swami Satchidananda, if you can have control over the thought forms and change them as you want, you are not bound by the outside world. I used Raja yoga to teach the students that if you control your mind, you have controlled everything. (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali). When you use all three, you can control yourself.

It was a pleasure and a challenge working with this population. Personally, I have two daughters with IDD (not in class) so I have extensive experience. I relied on my personal and professional knowledge to interact and guide my students throughout the classes. Student punctuality varied but I learned that if I started class on time they became punctual.
I taught integral hatha yoga. The only substantial changes were that I spent more time teaching what it meant to hold a comfortable posture and to return to it, breath awareness, and more adjustments.
Each student was unique in their cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities. It proved more prominent than in a class with typically developing students. Each student required a different set of interventions to maintain focus and postures. One parent commented that these classes were not childish; another noted the adjustments.

After choosing a word of the day, their intention, from the short list I sent them, they were to select at least one practice from the following:
They could start with their asana. Each was gifted a wedge to assist with posture while finding a comfortable seated pose, with a tall spine, tucked chin, shoulders back and down. It was recommended that if needed, they use props like blocks or blankets under their knees for support. (practiced in class)
Second, they could practice breath awareness. The primary focus was to notice their breath, where, how deep, then practice three-part breath, inhaling deeply/exhaling slowly. When ready, they were to repeat aloud the intention they had chosen earlier, while controlling their breath; letting go of other thoughts.
Lastly, they could practice at home using the 15-minute chair or 'mat' yoga videos which I prepared for them.

I applied my intended plan with accommodations and modifications. Eventually, the goal was achieved. I hoped to teach the students how to calm their minds by first finding a comfortable asana, then bringing their awareness to their breath, and lastly focusing on one intention, mantra, positive identifier or spiritual word. I wanted them to understand that they could decide and eventually control what they thought about and whether they would allow it to bother them; or if they could let it go as it floated away on a cloud in the sky or a leaf on a stream.
By the end of the tenth session, most students were able to sit with prompts and props, apply the guided breathing, and repeat the intent out loud, at times expelling air with the negative word exiting the body. I think the students made great progress and am proud of their efforts.

Finding a comfortable seated asana proved difficult for all students. Students were given a wedge & we worked on alignment. We talked of interoception, acknowledging how one felt inside; we talked of proprioception, where they were 'in space'. Throughout class when returning to a comfortable seated pose, they were prompted to think about how they were seated, where their body was, if they were comfortable, and to adjust accordingly.
Teaching breath awareness was a challenge. Mouth breathing, apnea, nasal obstructions and discharge are common among people with learning disorders. Different methods were used to direct awareness to where air entered and exited the body. Redirecting to breathe through the nose, to feel the air on the philtrum, the chest, prompting to feel the air in the abdomen, diaphragm, and chest took time and much practice.
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol.2013;79(5):

Yoga is an effective intervention to improve functional fitness in adults with and without disabilities, but little research exists regarding yoga's impact on functional fitness for individuals with IDD. (Reina AM, Adams EV, Allison CK, et al. Yoga for Functional Fitness in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Int J Yoga. 2020;13(2):156-159. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57)

In the new year, a new set of classes will begin. I look forward to teaching what I've learned, making the necessary accommodations and modifications to meet the needs of each student. Classes are never more than 8 students due to the degree of attention needed. As noted, I would expect to spend significant time on the seated asana, intero- and proprioception, and breath awareness. I will continue to use intentions, sacred sounds, etc; and to teach raja using simplified language and interpretations.