Sylvia Valverde, founder of Yoga 4 Special Needs in Lima, Peru, and Vania Castellano, accessible yoga instructor, shared their experiences as part of an inclusive project aimed at children, young people, and adults.
By Nicole Vicente
Yoga instructor for people with special abilities, Valverde recalls that this ancient practice came into her life by chance in 2000. That year her son Alexander, who has Down’s syndrome, was born and began to undergo different therapies. However, these therapies were insufficient, and she looked for activities that would generate well-being for her son.
Valverde began exploring the practice of yoga for people with disabilities in 2003. At the time, she was living in the United States. Although there was not enough information about yoga for children, let alone people with disabilities, she found an asana program for autistic people and people with special needs. She began her training through workshops. She also worked at Memorial Regional Hospital in Florida together with her son’s physical therapist, with whom she started to promote yoga.
Valverde worked at the Children Treatment Center for Special Needs and also served on the board of the Broward Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organisation, where she started a Hispanic group and created Family and Yoga Saturdays. From her earliest contact to today, she has trained in yoga for people with autism and special needs, wheelchair yoga, yoga for children and family, mindfulness, and currently continues to train in yoga and meditation for people with autism.
She founded Yoga 4 Special Needs in Peru in 2014, a project that promotes accessible and inclusive yoga. She currently works on the project together with her three assistants, including her son Alexander. Her main goal is to promote not only the practice of yoga but also the training of instructors with intellectual disabilities.
Over the years, the project has received support from organizations such as the Down Peru Collective and the Peruvian Down Syndrome Society, allowing it to grow and spread. During the covid-19 pandemic, Valverde and his team faced a great challenge, but they managed to adapt and continue offering their yoga classes to children, young people, and adults. They also had the opportunity to work with the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima in programs such as Lima Learns to Include and Inclu-Lima.
Valverde explains that each yoga class is focused on the abilities and needs of the participants. This way, it combines postures, breathing techniques, sequences, guided meditation, and relaxation techniques. “I have seen great progress in the students, not only physically, because we also teach self-respect and self-love,” she adds.
For Valverde, as the mother of a person with a disability, it’s important to create spaces where people can share their experiences to help others going through a similar situation. Now, she is happy to be part of this project and to continue spreading this ancient practice. “It has changed my life a lot, I feel stronger and more confident. It’s something I love to do,” she says.
As a yoga instructor, Vania seeks to bring well-being through yoga. She loves teaching and participating in the programs of the Municipality of Lima, which, she believes, were great experiences. “I could do it because I am capable,” she says. Vania works as a teacher in the yoga workshops offered by the Peruvian Down Syndrome Society. For her, an important part of her classes is the support and encouragement she gives her students through words.
Vania says she feels fortunate to be an accessible and inclusive yoga instructor. She explains that this practice means accepting all people equally, regardless of their physical, social, or mental condition. “I invite everyone to join my yoga practice to enjoy the classes together,” she concludes.
This story was originally published in Convoca (Peru) and is republished within the Human Journalism Network program, supported by the ICFJ, International Center for Journalists.