Mind/Body Techniques for Asperger’s syndrome

An ongoing discussion in my office relates to exercise, anxiety, self-confidence, and my insistence that my clients find balance in these areas.  I recently stumbled upon this great book: Mind/Body Techniques for Asperger’s Syndrome: The Way of the Pathfinder by Ron Rubio.  Mr. Rubio is a longtime dancer and has more than 20 years of experience with martial arts. Mr. Rubio mentors individuals with ASD (also ADHD, PTSD, and so forth), specifically males ages 8-33.

In his book, Mr. Rubio patiently explains the connection between warriors, relationships, and mentorship.  He discusses the low self-confidence experienced by individuals on the spectrum, often secondary to teasing, bullying, and lack of success in previous attempts at an activity.  Using a positive relationship based in respect, Mr. Rubio teaches breathing techniques, and then encourages his mentees to try new things.

Mind/Body Techniques offers a nice blend of philosophy, guided exercises for breathing, and outstanding pictures.  Mr. Rubio discusses posture, balance, and movement.  He uses photos to illustrate what posture can look like when struggling under the weight of a backpack filled with gaming books and computers, or what poor posture looks like when playing video games, as well as how to stand tall and firmly, with balance and stability.  He offers tips to would-be teachers, intended to gently motivate and support these teachers. He offers inspiring examples of difficulties faced by his mentees, and how they used their mentorship relationship to work through the stress, anxiety and challenges.

If you are considering how to reduce your stress and anxiety, or how to include martial arts and breathing into your everyday experience, consider reading Mr. Rubio’s book. As we know, exercise lowers stress, but not all my clients seem as excited about exercising.  I am very excited for my clients to exercise, and maybe this book will be their ticket to health!