Selective Mutism
It is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school. These children are able to speak and communicate in settings where they are comfortable, secure, and relaxed.
Christina Tsartsaraki – fouder of Dramastic Way – yoga instructor and children’s well-being mentor. Have been awarded a Drama certificate by “Tabula rasa” Drama Academy in Greece, specialized in creative writing and theatrical play.
She believes that the best way for children to expand their imagination and creativity and develop their personal, social, emotional and physical skills is through the arts and playing.
She wrote about How to calm down your child – “time in” and her personal story about Selective Mutism of her son.
The true story about dramartistic.
Behind every fairytale there is always a true story. And behind every single smile there are tears hidden. But those tears are the ones which make us better.
Those tears and those smiles on my face brought in my life the “dramartistic way.”
Only few years ago, coming in UK, facing with my child the challenge to be a single parent in another country far away from our family, gave us lots of stress to deal with. One of the biggest affect of stress on children’s mental health is muteness. Selective muteness knocked our door and my son opened this door, and simple as that, he was dealing with selective muteness! No words, No voice and a silent smile on his lovely face.
I wiped my tears away because parents know in an emergency you don’t cry! You act!.. and I did! I helped my child to find his voice through art therapy, through drama and yoga. Using them all in once and this was so powerful! I created my own yoga stories, games and activities and wrote a guided meditation to reduce the stress and increase the confidence and self-esteem. I am blessed I have found the dramartistic way and helped my son’s voice to come back again, and I am able to see and hear the best thing in the world, my child’s laugh.
I continued my studies in children’s well-being and mental health, and I am now blessed to practice the dramatistic way and watch the children I am teaching, express themselves through arts. I am willing to continue practising the dramartistic way to help more children to find their confidence. I believe children have a lot to teach us and we, as parents and carers, have a lot to learn …
The benefits
Drama: instils creativity and self expression as well as nourishing the imagination. It can teach a child to ‘think outside the box’, which is a great skill for success in their future. Drama helps children to think or their feet and helps them to both stand out from the crowd and to work within a group. Perhaps one of the most important skill it brings is an increased level of self confidence, plus the opportunity to make friends outside their usual circuit.
Art: Children often use art to help them process their experiences and deal with overwhelming emotions. Art provides kids with critical sensory input and can help children express their feelings in a multidimensional way even if they lack the vocabulary to describe their feelings with words.
Yoga: Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behaviour, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children. The breathing exercises and relaxation techniques learned from practicing yoga can help children with stress management. Teaching children how to reduce stress in a healthy way is an important life skill that will help them as children and as adults.
Dramatistic Yoga specialized and created for young children in order to achieve a variety of techniques to encourage children express themselves. The Dramartistic yoga stories helps them to copy easy yoga poses and balance. They use their imagination in order to continue the role play and the story. The breathing techniques are connected with the stories and the children find it easy and fun way to follow. The meditation time it is also connected with the story and it encourages them to use their breath in order to relax their bodies and mind. The children also learn simple affirmations to repeat that boost their confidence and self esteem. At last, we are using art therapy to let them express with colors what the body and mind experienced during the session.
Free Taster Session
Group session ages: 4-9 years old Get to know us. Join the dramartistic yoga group and have fun with our unique practice. We provide bespoke yoga classes for kids in North London, Muswell Hill. We practice easy yoga poses, do mindfulness activities and have fun in a way to encourage children to use their imagination and learn how to create their own yoga stories. We focus on body movements, making shapes and finding our balance. Practicing yoga helps children to develop good posture and coordination, increase concentration, self-awareness and self-esteem. Is the best way to strengthen personal foundations for happy and meaningful lives.
Contact Christina Tsartsaraki: https://dramartisticyoga.com/
