The Autistic Yoga Teacher is a place for the Chicken Yogi, Kit Caelsto, to talk about their experiences with autism and being neurodivergent including its intersections with mental health and physical health. If this is a topic that interests you, either as an autistic individual or an instructor looking to bring more accessibility and inclusiveness to your classes, then I encourage you to sign up for the Chicken Yogi newsletter below. As we launch classes and resources, I’ll share them in the newsletter first.
Recent Blog Posts
Don’t Look To Yoga As A Fix
When I visit the databases at my college library looking for research on yoga and autism, what I find is study upon study about how yoga can help kids focus, do more in school, and yes, be cured of their autism. There's nothing about adults, many of whom are...
It’s Not Accessible If You Don’t Feel Like You Belong
Accessible yoga has become a buzzword lately. People talk about making their yoga accessible, trauma-informed, inclusive, and I am glad to hear these concepts being discussed. However, when the discussion is still being had in groups that center the able-bodied...
When checking in with yourself means “no one home”
A common phrase I see not just in yoga classes, but among coaches in general (especially the short social media posts designed to garner interaction and feed the algorithm) is to "check in with your body" or a various body part. This checking-in means paying attention...
Finding the Union of Autistic Liberation and Yoga Spirituality
An often quoted passage from the Bhagavad Gita states that yoga is the path to the self, through the self, and this is at the heart of yoga spirituality. When we look at Patanjali's 8-Limbs of Yoga, some of stated his goal was the absolute separation of physical...
Yoga Teachers, Are You Aware of the Stories You Tell?
Offering a trauma informed space means working to cultivate safety in all aspects of your yoga classes--on and off the mat. This includes the icebreaker games you play before classes and the stories you tell online. Recently I attended a yoga teacher seminar and the...
Watch your words. Furniture is functional; people shouldn’t have to be.
Recently I watched a yoga series for low back issues and the instructor looked at the camera, smiled, and said something to the effect of, "you really want to spend 20 minutes a day doing this so you can remain functional." My heart sank. I immediately thought of my...
Is Your Yoga Class Too Fast To Be Accessible?
Imagine your student cuing up your yoga video. You walk them through the sun salutation at a moderate speed; you think you're doing it slowly enough. Then, you tell your student you're going to do them more quickly. You might even suggest 10 sun salutations in 5...
Welcome to the Autistic Yoga Teacher
Welcome to the AYT (Autistic Yoga Teacher) blog. In this blog I'll discuss aspects of yoga which affect autistic individuals. I'll also be putting together classes for yoga teachers to bring more accessibility and inclusiveness into their studios and onto the mats....
