by Julie Peoples-Clark, RYT
Seven years ago, I gave birth to my daughter Ella. My husband and I were so excited to be having a baby. I had a wonderful full-term pregnancy. I ate right, exercised everyday, didn’t drink alcohol, and stayed away from anyone who was smoking. My due date came and went and I was two weeks overdue when I finally went into labor. It was a very hard, long labor, pushing for four and a half hours. Ella went into distress and was not breathing when she was born. She was taken away from me, and the next time I saw her she was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
On the third day after her birth, I was finally able to hold her. It was a wonderful moment, then the doctors told us she was having seizures and had severe brain damage. We took Ella home at three weeks not really knowing what to make of the doctor’s gloomy predictions.
A couple of months later, she was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and we were told she would never walk or talk.
I fell into a deep depression that lasted for three years. The depth of my depression was so extreme that I shudder to think of the dangerous thoughts I had during this time. Despite my depression, I managed to do a lot of research on alternative therapies for brain injury. We tried a lot of them, some worked and many didn’t. With the therapies that worked, Ella improved. She has gone from a screaming baby to a happy little girl who smiles all of the time.
One of the therapies that I researched was Yoga for the Special Child® developed by Sonia Sumar. I had practiced yoga for many years before Ella was born so I was drawn to this program. In the workshop, I was introduced to a step-by-step integrated system of yoga asanas designed to increase cognitive and motor skills. Sonia also encouraged me to practice yoga again and read many of the ancient yoga texts. One of the lessons that I learned from my readings was that in order for me to take care of Ella I had to take care of myself.
I began practicing yoga everyday by myself and with Ella. I woke each morning, washed my face, brushed my teeth, read from the yoga texts, meditated and practiced yoga asanas. My depression began to lift and Ella continued to improve. By practicing with Ella everyday, I gained a sense of power over her recovery, finally feeling like I could help her. Sharing our yoga practice gives us a chance to connect in a loving and gentle way. As we go through our practice, I think about the important lesson of non-attachment that yoga teaches: letting go of any expectations. I live in the present moment finding joy each day and marveling at my incredible daughter and all she has overcome. By learning and living the lessons of yoga each day I have come to peace with the tragedy of Ella’s birth and I have moved on. Ella is the greatest gift I could have ever received. She has taught me more about the person I hope to become than anyone else could. Ella is my guru!
Julie Peoples-Clark, RYT, is certified in the Yoga for the Special Child® and a Registered Svadhyaya Yoga Teacher with the National Yoga Alliance. She is a former professional modern dancer and teacher of professional and college level modern dance. She stopped dancing when her daughter Ella was born. Ella is an amazing five-year-old little girl with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy.
Julie’s search to help Ella lead her to Sonia Sumar and the Yoga for the Special Child training program. Attending the yoga training program was Julie’s first step in recovery from severe postpartum depression. Julie continues her study of movement and is training to be a Pilates instructor. She teaches yoga and dance classes to adults and children with disabilities at Natural Bodies Pilates in Burlington, VT. Learn more about Julie and follow her journey at JuliePeoplesClark.wordpress.com »
wow. what a powerful story. thank you so much for sharing. You and your Ella look simply radiant!
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I’ve heard many parts of this story, but not the integral importance of yoga as a means through the depression – and as a healing power for Ella, too. Wonderful to read, thanks! I love this picture too, you both do look radiant, so connected to each other.
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How brave and strong and true you have all been, mama and papa and beauty girl! It’s an honor to have met you all, and a joy to see you finding your way back into dance. You’re so right about yoga helping with letting go–and in that relinquishing comes new and wondrous discovery. Peace.
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Wow! Really, what a touching, heartfelt story you’ve wonderfully shared with us all!!! Thank you so much for your amazing inspiration and insights discovered through the practice and important lessons of yoga. Yes, both you and Ella look so uniquely connected! May your uplifting journey continue on in peace, joy and happiness always. Stay remarkably strong as you are!!!
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Just beautiful and very inspiring – thank you so much for sharing. I am a huge fan of Sonia Sumar and her program. ChildLight Yoga instructors are often also OTs, PTs, speech therapists and the like and I’ve sent several to the Yoga for the Special Child Trainings as a follow up to our trainings for the well child. The healing power of yoga is incredible and the lessons therein change our perspectives/our reality for the better in so many ways. (I wrote a similar article about my journey with my son who has Sensory Integration Disorder and ADD here: http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/2009/08/yoga-and-parenting—part-i-my-son-has-add.html ). You and Ella are beautiful examples of that. I love this photo. Blessings to you both on your continued journey together. And, thanks to Athleta for providing a sharing space for personal journeys with fitness, life and love.
Lisa Flynn
ChildLight Yoga: http://www.childlightyoga.com
Yoga 4 Classrooms: http://www.yoga4classrooms.com
The Kids Yoga Resource: http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com
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I share your story! My son was born “normal” in 1993, but just as he was learning to walk and talk at nine months old (amazed the Ped.), he developed Lenox-Gastaut Syndrome–a very, very difficult to treat seizure disorder that left him profoundly retarded, unable to care for himself whatsoever and with hundreds of seizures every day. He never said “mama or dada” after that month, ever again. What a journey we have made to today!
In spite of his major limitations, he is always sweet, loving, compassionate (in his affections), enjoys very simple joys, could LIVE in water(!), lives ONLY in the moment, sits quietly in meditation (he even pulls himself into half lotus!), always leaves “one bite” of whatever it is he is eating, no matter how much he is eating (for me?) and communicates his joy with he sound Auuuuummmmmm! excitedly–his only vocalization. He is fearless and completely open to anyone who comes near him and is happy to share love.
So, you can imagine my awe when I too, discovered as I journeyed through Yoga Teacher Training last year, that my sixteen year-old son is my guru! I tell everyone this, “He is my guru!” Sometimes, there are no “conventional” ways to communicate. It must be with and from the heart. Until last year, I had LONGED for him to speak more than anything and all along, I discovered, he had been waiting patiently for me to understand the language of the heart!
What I came to understand, too, that in this life, my son chose to only be capable of love to BE THAT and to not generate any more Karma. What a courageous choice! Our children are truly enlightened! How blessed we are to be their keepers!
Love and Light to you and your Blessed Ella and your career serving these highly-evolved souls! I welcome further communication (heatherbnnc@yahoo.com, Asheville, NC) as I too, wish to serve them and their parents through Yoga (both physically and spiritually) and have not found my path there yet.
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Dear Julie,
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing story. The energy of the photo is amazing, so full of radiant love and unity! What a gift the universe gave to a special woman. You are experiencing depths other human beings will never ever experience…
Although I’m a yoga teacher myself and my husband is working with young autistic men who struggle also with cerebral palsy, I had never heard of Yoga for the special child. What a wonderful way of learning and connecting.
At my daytime job I work alongside a young woman with Down Syndrome. The amount of affection she’s able to give is a wonder in itself. She picks up energies in the team in an instant and can get very irritated by negative ones. I feel blessed to learn from her every day.
Heather,
Your story made me cry. How wonderful you put your life with your guru in words. May the universe guide you to find your very own future path. I’d love to hear from both of you – if you’d like – about your continuing journeys. My email address is padmaomara@yahoo.com.
Blessings to you and your angels,
Padma
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Love your story! Thank you for sharing.
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julie, what a beautiful story on so many different levels. I can’t really say much more than what you’ve said…I just appreciate your post and think you’re amazing! give your daughter a hug for me :)
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Thank you Julie for sharing. Too many days I go to that place that says, “I used to be able to do……” but you have shown that true happiness is in the present moment. Love to you both!
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Julie (and Heather too) – Thanks for sharing your journies- I will be glad to offer Yoga for the Special Child to the many families I care for who have children with speclal needs.
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You are the epitome of “LIVESTRONG!” Thank you so much for sharing Ella and yourself with us!
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful story and photo. Your light shines!
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