iRest for Kids Fact Sheet

Who is being served?

The iRest For Kids program is suitable for children ages 5-18 years. The iRest protocol can be utilized in either group presentations or when working with individuals.

What are the needs that iRest addresses?

• iRest helps kids develop emotional and cognitive intelligence by familiarizing them with the entire range of emotions and cognitions that they encounter within themselves and with others on a daily basis.
• iRest helps kids gain sensitivity to, and familiarity with their body as a rich kaleidoscope of information and how to recognize and work with the various challenges they face when interacting intra-psychically as well as interpersonally in the world.
• iRest fosters self-esteem by showing kids that they have the ability to discover within themselves solutions to the various emotional, intellectual and interpersonal challenges they face on a daily basis.
• iRest supports the inherent joy that we are each born with and carry into the world. iRest teaches children that joy is their birthright and is independent of objects, situation or circumstance.
• iRest supports children to experience within themselves a firm foundation of stability with which they can meet the world around them.

What makes iRest appropriate and effective for this population?
iRest supports children to welcome and fully experience their emotions, thoughts and inherent joy of living. The iRest program can be integrated into a daily curriculum so that children learn these skills in the midst of their regular activities. iRest teaches the skill of how to relax in the midst of stressful situations, which is an important skill for all to know as they go out into the larger world.

Where has iRest for kids been offered?
Kindergarten
iRest has been incorporated into a Kindergarten class in CA as an ongoing yearlong program integrated into the daily classroom.

Homeless
iRest has been presented to children and adolescents at the COTS homeless shelter for families in Petaluma, CA. The class consisted of four, 1-hour sessions taught weekly. Children were divided by age into 2 groups ages 9 -12 and 13 -15. The kids found BodySensing an interesting new way of experiencing their body. They also liked discovering their Inner Resource, or Safe Place. One girl stated that she recovered from hurt feelings more quickly when she visited her Safe Place. Both groups enjoyed exploring emotions and beliefs using the Smiley Faces Poster.
iRest has also been presented at the Alpha Home in San Antonio, TX.

Individuals
iRest is being interwoven into individual sessions by professionals who are working with children and adolescents.
The advantage to working with children individually is that the protocol can be fine tuned and tailored to complement the learning style and temperament of each child. The resulting learning curve can be astonishing.

Parents Education
iRest is designed to be taught to parents so that they can utilize the program with their children at home.
What iRest research is being conducted regarding impact with kids?

Research is currently being developed to study the effectiveness of the iRest for Kids program.
What have kids said about their experience?
“Great!”
“That felt really good. I think I am going to do this when I can’t sleep at night”.