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by Sonia Sumar |
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I began to practice Yoga during my last year of college in Nilopolis, near my home town of Nova Iguaçu, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My goal was not just better health. On a deeper level, I was hoping to realize some of the mental and psychological benefits that I had read about in a book on Yoga. These benefits include mindfulness, concentration, emotional balance, and ultimately peace of mind and happiness. The results of my Yoga practice were soon forthcoming: I began to experience a heightened degree of mental clarity and a new sense of physical and emotional well-being.
In February 1972 the birth of my second daughter, Roberta, prompted me to enroll in a Yoga school and begin a course of practical instruction that would last for several years. Roberta was born with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by below-average intelligence and certain physical anomalies. I now began to practice Yoga not just for myself, but primarily for Roberta, searching for a key that would unlock the door to a condition considered incurable by medical science.
My work with Roberta began in a way quite natural for the two of us. It was partly experimental and partly intuitive. I did not deviate from traditional Yoga teachings, but utilized and adapted those practices and postures that suited Roberta's particular needs. As our rapport and mutual understanding grew, I began to see improvements in her motor coordination, physical strength, and intelligence. Inspired by my success with Roberta, I continued to work with her daily. Her personality and character were developing in a way that was nothing short of amazing. Seeing the new direction my life was taking, I decided to attend training courses to become a Yoga teacher.
Several years later, I began to teach Yoga at a special education school in Belo Horizonte and became acquainted with many of the parents and teachers there. Even before I opened my own Yoga school in January of 1980, I was already receiving telephone calls and letters from parents of learning and developmentally disabled children. Disheartened by the lack of support from doctors and other health care professionals, many parents turned to me as their only hope for an alternative, non-surgical approach to their children's problems. Since I had already experienced many of these difficulties myself, I was now in a position to help others. I decided to open my own Yoga school.
For the past seventeen years, I have continued to operate my Yoga school in Belo Horizonte, often traveling to other states in Brazil and abroad for workshops and conferences. In 1983 Ground Press of Brazil published the first edition of Yoga For The Special Child; a second edition was published in 1985, and a third in 1994. My purpose in writing this book was to share my experience as a mother and to chronicle the story of my daughter's life, as well as to provide the history and methods of my therapeutic work with other special children.
In this new English edition of Yoga for the Special Child, the text has been expanded to include additional case histories, more detailed instructions for the Yoga practitioner, and a greater number of photographs. To accommodate this added material, the book has been divided into two parts. The first part contains a detailed account of Roberta's life, followed by six case histories of my special students. The second part is a "hands-on" instruction manual for parents, teachers, therapists, and other professionals who work with the learning and developmentally disabled. The instruction manual illustrates the techniques and methods that have proven most effective in promoting the disabled child's development, from infancy through childhood, and on to adult hood. At our Yoga center, we begin working with the special child on an individual basis. In general, the younger the child, the greater the restorative effects of Yoga will be. When the special student reaches a certain degree of development, he or she is encouraged to join a children's Yoga class. As progress continues, the student may enter an adult class. The majority of my special students have Down Syndrome; however, I have also used Yoga as a therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Prader Willi Syndrome, Cat's Cry Syndrome, learning disabilities, and Attention Deficit Disorder. Our style of Yoga is extremely gentle and safe. It requires no special equipment other than a thick towel or blanket to cushion the floor during the practice of Yoga postures and relaxation techniques. Parents, teachers, physical education instructors and physical therapists can employ these methods at home, at school, or in private therapy sessions. All our remedial Yoga classes follow the same basic outline. The teacher chooses one of several different Yoga routines, depending on the age of the child and the degree of motor impairment. Each routine corresponds to a particular phase, or stage, in the child's development. A typical class for an infant begins with the practice of repetitive movements and physical postures, and ends with a session of guided relaxation. As the child progresses, breathing exercises, sound therapy, and more advanced postures are added to the routine. At our center, we mainstream all our special Yoga students into integrated Yoga classes. These classes contain children at many different levels of development, both with and without disabilities. Our teaching method is non-competitive: we encourage each child to perform his or her personal best, with the emphasis on harmony and cooperation. This approach provides a foundation for building mutual trust and self-confidence -- important qualities for the success of our program. During my twenty-two years of working with learning and developmentally disabled children, I have seen many so-called "hopeless" cases respond to the stimulus of a properly designed and executed remedial Yoga program. However, there first needs to be a strong conviction on the parents' part that their child has the potential to improve. Sometimes this may seem difficult, especially in the face of opposition and prejudice, but it is an essential ingredient to the success of the program. By letting go of our fears and negativity, and learning to see the best in ourselves and others, we can provide a powerful impetus for positive change. It is through this ability to go beyond preconceived notions and external appearances that we can transform our lives, and those of our children. May all the parents of special children develop this ability, and may they and their children experience true peace and happiness. |