Coles' Experience with Holistic Wellness:

Cole does yoga through the Holistic Wellness Program. No one was sure how he would take to the practice of yoga, but it has been received very well. Cole does have some difficulty doing some of the positions in the class, but he is happy to lay comfortably listening to the guide prompts and experience what yoga has to offer.

During a recent soccer game Cole appeared to be getting frustrated. Holistic Wellness Director, Erica Tortorella, approached him with hands at heart center and the om sound, to remind him of the energy practiced in their yoga sessions. Cole took her hand and led her to a spot away from the crowd, where he expressed his need in that moment for calm energy to rebalance himself.

Cole continues to practice and enjoy yoga and mindfulness. During Yoga sessions Erica, often notices Cole deeply in-tune watching a bird gently glide across the sky and the entire class can just be there with him experiencing it. It is like an invitation into his world, giving us all the opportunity to just be there with him in that energy.

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People with developmental disabilities and other complex conditions, such as Autism, can often have heightened anxiety related to their conditions that can result in behavioral issues. These behaviors can include a lack of impulse control, self-injurious behaviors and aggressive tendencies. When provided with tools for self-regulation, research shows that people exhibiting these behaviors can reduce their anxiety level and the resulting behavioral issues that stem from anxiety.

At New Hope Community, holistic wellness gives people the opportunity to heal from the inside out. Working with modalities such as meditation, breathwork, yoga, and sound healing helps provide people the opportunity to find peace in various moments and focus on what they are feeling. Working to assist people with their psychological well-being improves mood, increases positive emotions, along with decreasing anxiety and emotional reactivity. Physical benefits of breathwork and meditation include decreased blood pressure, improved cardiac function, improved cognition, reduction in gastrointestinal distress, reduction in cognitive decline among dementia patients, reduced psychological pain and improved immune response. This program recognizes that a person is made up of many different components. It ensures that activities become inclusive for all with adaptive tools and a personalized plan.

We are actively seeking funds to further enhance and expand New Hope's Holistic Wellness Program. With your generous donation, we will purchase items to make this program accessible to everyone here at New Hope. Equipment like yoga mats, various adaptive bolsters, meditation cushions, and yoga blankets help create an individualized environment for each person that we support. Additionally, as sound healing is incorporated into these practices, we will purchase singing bowls and a gong to enhance yoga and meditation experiences. The tones of these items will allow for different exercises to be performed externally with the body as well as internally within a persons thoughts.

These tools allow us to make movements easier for each persons body and opens them up to greater wellness opportunities through this practice. When combined, these techniques and equipment will be used to create an individualized healing experience for everyone.