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This evolving document is the ultimate specific needs yoga hub wish list. Feedback is sought and appreciated; please send email to information@ARedLotus.org. Note that the A Red Lotus project rapidly grew too much for a one-person endeavor. Therefore, assistance for the work is actively being sought. If you are interested in developing the project, please send email to information@ARedLotus.org.
Resources that directly serve students with specific needs, their health care providers, and their caregivers include:
- A searchable database providing lists of and information about:
- Yoga classes that are likely to be useful and/or appropriate for people with specific needs.
- Yoga workshops and events that are likely to be useful and/or appropriate for people with specific needs.
- Yoga studios, gyms, and other programs that have made a strong commitment to offering classes for people with specific needs.
- Instructors specializing in working with students with specific needs. For these, the information should include a focus on what students experience in sessions, not just qualifications, lineage, etc.
- The A Red Lotus tags program, as part of an awareness program. (See the awareness section below.)
- Assistance developing a statement for instructors to help clarify and describe how a student's needs to be accommodated as well as their strengths.
- Funding for reduced class rates, workshop attendance, and specific needs appropriate equipment.
- Library-like resources. (See the library section below.)
- Access to A Red Lotus staff who facilitate access to information about resources. (See the staff section.)
An awareness and advocacy program (not about the benefits of yoga, but about the availability of options for people with specific needs) that overlaps with the Instructors resources (see below) and includes:
- Information and support for instructors and studios newly interested in working with students with specific needs. (See the instructors section.)
- Information for studios and instructors so that they are comfortable and accurate with discussing how and if they can accommodate students with specific needs.
- Information for studios and instructors so that they are comfortable referring students to A Red Lotus, accepting that most studios do not offer classes for a particular specific need more than once a week, etc.
- Options for yoga teacher training programs to readily add specific needs content.
- Advocate for yoga teacher training programs to require specific needs awareness training.
- A newsletter/magazine with calendars and articles, etc.
- The A Red Lotus tags program, which labels classes in studio listings and schedules as useful and/or appropriate for people with specific needs.
- The involvement of yoga-advocating celebrities.
- Support and liason services for research supporting yoga as helpful for people with specific needs.
Resources that directly serve instructors who work with specific needs students and those who want to include:
- The student database resource (see the students section above) re-presented and searchable to advertise classes, workshops, and events while promoting networking.
- A searchable database of workshops, events and trainings, including the smallest local ones and large, national ones.
- A studio home for workshops/events/trainings. (See the studio section below.) A Red Lotus should be an active and continuous host.
- A studio home and sponsorship for summits in specific needs yoga topics, on site and at other locations.
- "Getting started" / "ideas to consider" information for instructors newly interested in working with specific needs students. (See the awareness section.)
- "Getting started" / "ideas to consider" information for studios newly interested in working with specific needs students. (See the awareness section.)
- Library-like resources. (See the Library section below.)
- Options for yoga teacher training programs to readily add specific needs content.
- A newsletter/magazine with calendars and articles, etc. that summarize many of the online resources. (See the awareness section.)
- Funding for workshop and training attendance.
- Access to A Red Lotus staff who facilitate access to information and promote networking. (See the staff section.)
A comprehensive yoga for specific needs library, including virtual resource listings, will:
- Provide information about books, DVDs, online resources, etc pertaining to specific needs yoga in a searchable, online database.
- Ensure access to reference materials.
- Provide DVDs and online videos for use by staff and students in the studio (with publisher and author permission) (See the studio section below.)
- Promote staff education.
A studio is essential for providing a comprehensive resource. Otherwise, A Red Lotus is a cook or selling cookbooks without a kitchen. The studio will:
- Serve as hub for community activities for students, instructors and others interested in specific needs yoga.
- Have at least two practice rooms—one for regularly scheduled classes and at least one other for workshops, meetings, private sessions, DVD use. (See the rest of this section and the library section.)
- Offer a full schedule of specific needs yoga classes. Given the diversity of these classes, an effort will be made to generate community and options for regular practice.
- Provide staff more experience with different approaches to specific needs yoga and students' experiences thereof.
- Be a continuous host for trainings and summits. (See the instructors section.)
- Be available for research purposes and assist in research upon request, with IRB approval.
- Develop and demonstrate good practices for studio maintenance for students with specific needs.
- Provide students and staff DVDs and online videos (with publisher and author permission) (See the library section.) This will allow:
- Students to work with instructors to learn DVDs for use in regular home practice.
- Students to maintain an individual practice even when classes are not available.
- Groups to form for regular practice nights regardless of instructor or class availability.
Knowledgeable staff offer information about resources such as classes, instructors, books, DVDs, online sites and videos, etc. Through immersion in the A Red Lotus project, the staff role goes beyond that of specific topic reference librarian and consultant. They promote networking and find and make connections that would not be possible without an organization. Staff do not necessarily need to be trained instructors to develop expertise. Diverse perspectives and experiences are essential for progress.
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Wish List