Yoga Therapy for Children and Teens with Complex Needs: A Somatosensory Approach to Mental, Emotional and Physical Wellbeing

Shawnee Thornton Hardy offers her wisdom and expertise with heart and clarity in this much needed and important resource to support children and teens. This book provides the reader with an accessible and comprehensive guide for assessment and program development strategies informed by yoga philosophy and practices, integrated with neurophysiology and psychology frameworks. Marlysa Sullivan DPT, C-IAYT, E-RYT, Author of Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Well-being

With tender and compassionate zeal, Shawnee Thornton Hardy embraces the complex needs of our children, those often misunderstood, unseen or held at a distance by our society. Shawnee's approach, caring, curious and creative, lays down a somatic and yogic path, offering responsive, inclusive and accessible practices, a gateway to holistic health and a feeling of belonging and enduring self-respect. Sometimes a book comes along that helps you remember the goodness in humanity - this is it! Anne Pitman, MSc., C-IAYT, Clinical Yoga Therapist, Director of the School of Embodied Yoga Therapy, Co-Author of Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum

As a Yoga therapist and parent of two older children with complex needs, I only wish that I had access to Shawnee Thornton Hardy's wise counsel many years ago. Her book, Yoga Therapy for Children and Teens with Complex Needs, isn't just a compilation of tools. It is a beacon of hope for those of us struggling to connect with our children. And best of all, it offers our kids a pathway back home to themselves.
With clear examples, practices, and scientific evidence, Hardy shows us there is a path forward, even when we feel lost and confused. She explains, "The practice of yoga is a practice of coming home to ourselves. The intuitive, curious, joyful and present nature of who we truly are beyond our experiences in life. A coming home to our innate wholeness, wellness and interconnectedness with the world." Thank you Shawnee for shining a light in the dark, and helping us all find our way home.

Jivana Heyman C-IAYT, E-RYT500, Founder and Director of the Accessible Yoga Association and Author of 'Accessible Yoga' and 'Yoga Revolution'