How Yoga Helped My Child in Managing Sensory Overload
As a parent of a child with autism, watching them become overwhelmed by everyday sounds, textures, and environments can be incredibly tough. You might see them spiral into a meltdown, withdraw, or become anxious, and you feel powerless to stop it. It’s heartbreaking when your child seems trapped in their own sensory world.
What if there was a way to help them regain control and find relief? Yoga can be that solution. By introducing gentle, predictable movements and breathing techniques, yoga has allowed the thousands of children I work with to manage sensory overload and find calm in the chaos.
In this post, I’ll share how yoga helped the children I work with—and how it can help the children you support too.
Why Yoga Works for Children with Autism
Yoga can be incredibly helpful for children with autism, as it provides predictable, rhythmic movement and breath that speaks directly to the nervous system. When practiced gently and regularly, yoga helps children to:
Feel more grounded in their bodies
Learn to self-regulate their emotions
Improve coordination and spatial awareness
Reduce anxiety and build trust
These benefits are not just theoretical. Yoga helps children build body awareness, reduce sensory overload, and develop the ability to manage their emotions in a way that feels safe and accessible to them.
The Story of Sam
One parent shared a heartfelt experience of how yoga transformed their child’s connection to their body:
“Before yoga, my son wouldn’t let anyone touch him. He would pull away if anyone got too close, even during times when physical connection was needed. But after we started yoga, something amazing happened. He started to trust the space his body was in. Now, when we practice Tree Pose together, he allows me to hold his hand as he balances on one foot. It’s such a simple act, but for him, it’s a big deal. Yoga has given him a sense of safety that he never had before.”
This success story isn’t an isolated case. Yoga can help children feel more in control of their movements and sensations, slowly overcoming their fear or discomfort around touch, proximity, and proprioceptive input.
Try This at Home: Weighted Child’s Pose
One easy and soothing yoga practice to try at home is Weighted Child’s Pose. This pose is particularly calming for children who may feel overwhelmed or disconnected from their bodies. It involves gentle pressure on the back, which can be very grounding and soothing.
Here’s how to do it:
Have your child kneel on the floor and sit back on their heels, bringing their forehead to the floor in a relaxed Child’s Pose.
Place a soft pillow or blanket on their back. The gentle weight can help them feel more connected to their body.
Encourage your child to take slow, deep breaths while staying in the pose for 1-2 minutes.
Why it helps: The added weight provides proprioceptive input, helping children feel more grounded and safe in their bodies. It’s a simple, low-pressure way to calm the nervous system and encourage body awareness.
Backed by Research
The benefits of yoga for children with autism are increasingly backed by research. A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy showed that children who participated in daily yoga sessions had fewer aggressive and self-stimulatory behaviours. This aligns with what many parents report: that yoga provides a natural, effective way to reduce anxiety, build focus, and improve coordination in children with autism.
The After-School Reset: A Routine for Calming Overload
This short, fun routine is perfect for moments when your child is feeling overstimulated and you need a refocus and rest.
1. Seated Rainbow Arms (1–2 minutes)
Start position: Sitting cross-legged or on knees.
How to do it:
Inhale and sweep both arms out and up like a rainbow.
Exhale and bring them back down.
Repeat slowly 6–8 times, linking breath with movement.
For variety, you can sway the upper body gently from side to side as if painting rainbows with the hands.
Why it helps: Encourages body awareness, expands the breath, and brings a calming rhythmic flow to the upper body.
2. Seated Twist (1 minute each side)
Start position: Sitting cross-legged or on knees.
How to do it:
Place one hand on the opposite knee, the other behind the body.
Inhale to lengthen the spine, exhale to gently twist.
Hold for 3–5 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Keep the breath slow and gentle—no force or pushing into the twist.
Why it helps: Twisting motions support digestion, body awareness, and midline integration. Great for releasing tension through the spine.
3. Cat-Cow Flow (2 minutes)
Start position: On all fours, hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
How to do it:
Inhale, arch the back (cow), look up.
Exhale, round the spine (cat), look to the belly.
Continue at a slow, steady rhythm for 1–2 minutes.
Add in “meow” and “moo” sounds if your child enjoys imaginative play.
Why it helps: Provides rhythmic movement for the spine, releases nervous energy, and improves focus and motor planning.
4. Rock and Roll Hug (1–2 minutes)
Start position: Sitting on the mat with knees hugged into the chest.
How to do it:
Hug knees and gently rock back and forth along the spine.
Keep it slow and gentle—like a massage for the back.
Option to roll side to side like a happy egg.
Why it helps: This deep-pressure movement calms the nervous system and brings awareness to the whole back body. Kids usually love the soothing, cocoon-like feel.
5. Knee-to-Chest & Toe Circles (2 minutes)
Start position: Lying on the back.
How to do it:
Hug both knees into the chest.
Slowly circle the ankles and wiggle toes.
Then, stretch legs to the sky and gently shake them (like “happy feet”).
Finish by returning to a hug and holding for a few deep breaths.
Why it helps: Grounding, regulates the vestibular system, and provides proprioceptive feedback. The toe and ankle movement adds a fine motor focus too.
What the OTs Say:
Occupational therapists, who specialise in sensory processing, often recommend yoga to help address issues like proprioception and sensory defensiveness. Studies have shown that yoga can significantly reduce hyperactivity and improve focus, which are common challenges for children with autism. The physical poses encourage coordination and balance, while the deep breathing techniques help regulate the nervous system and manage anxiety.
In fact, therapists have found that children who practice yoga show improvements in social interaction, attention span, and emotional regulation. By using yoga to support sensory integration, children can feel more in control of their bodies, less overwhelmed by their environment, and better equipped to handle daily challenges.
Ready to Try?
Yoga isn’t about performance—it’s about connection. It’s about helping your child feel safe in their own body, offering them tools that they can use to build trust, confidence, and emotional regulation.
If you’re ready to take the next step, our 10-week Yoga Solution for Autism programme is designed specifically for children on the spectrum. It includes step-by-step routines, videos, and expert guidance to help you use yoga as a powerful tool for your child's well-being.