"Let's begin to relax the toes, relax the feet, soften the ankles," Shauna Frantz told her students in a calming, almost hypnotic voice.

The students, some with autism, others with developmental disabilities, obeyed her instructions as best they could, stretching their limbs on their yoga mats, their heads on colorful pillows they'd brought from home.

	Post-Gazette Yoga instructor/social worker Shauna Frantz leads a yoga class in Murrysville for children with disabilities on Saturday mornings during the winter. Click photo for larger image.

It was the beginning of Ms. Frantz's Saturday "gentle" yoga class at the Murrysville Community Center. The lighting was low and the music soft.

Parents of the students are invited to participate.

Only one, Marci Laskey, of Jeannette, joined in, in part to help her 10-year-old son, Darius, with his stretches. She said she also enjoys the sessions herself.

"[The students] tend to be very tight," Ms. Frantz, 47, explained to a visitor in the same calming voice she uses to give exercise instructions. Her eyes were on her students as she looked out over the class while seated on her own mat. People with some emotional or developmental disabilities tend to be oversensitive to light and sound or anything going on in their environment, she said.

Three years ago the social worker, who works at Allegheny Children's Initiative in Pittsburgh providing wrap-around services for disabled youngsters, thought yoga would work for them since the practice relieves tensions and helps relax muscles.

At the time, she had been teaching yoga for six years, mostly to adults, so a class for children and young people, who might benefit from some yoga instruction, wasn't a big leap for her.

Sensory and motor issues are worse in people with special needs, Ms. Frantz said. She felt yoga could help.

It appears to have been successful. She has offered the class every winter since, and she's seen what it can do for her students.

Ms. Laskey said Darius has responded well, even though she and her son started the class just last month,

"It does help him focus a little and calm down," she said. Outbursts of frustration are common with Darius, who has autism, and helping him to remember exercises for breathing and toning -- humming in a monotone voice -- calms him if she intervenes in time.

Diana Steele is new to the class, too.

Her parents, Sandy and John Steele, of Penn Township, said the socialization with others seems to be as important to their 21-year-old daughter, who has attention deficit disorder, as the calming exercises.

"There aren't a lot of classes for people with special needs," Mrs. Steele said. Diana also participates in a music and dance program sponsored by the Civic Light Opera when the Steeles can make the trip into the city.

The relaxation techniques, though, are something Mr. Steele wants to encourage in his daughter. Sleeping can be problematic to people with special needs, too

These techniques are something the students and their parents can take with them, Ms. Frantz said. She instructed her students, who were winding down after some standing and kneeling exercises, to "see yourself smiling. See yourself getting rid of anger."

She noticed the difference in the students after only a couple of the hour-long classes.

"I could see the calmness in their faces."

The classes are offered in the winter because, like almost any other school-age youngsters, their schedule of activities pick up in spring and summer. Time becomes an issue.

She will offer another five-week session on Saturdays in March beginning March 3. Parents, coaches and aides are welcome to attend at no cost.

Diana likes the class and volunteers her opinion to the visitor. The presence of strangers in her class distracted her somewhat.

But after class, she wanted to know why the strangers were there and when she was told there would be a newspaper story about the class she was puzzled. She asked some questions, then dismissed the whole matter.

"That's not interesting," she said, moving toward the door. It was time for her to get on with her day.