Special Yoga

Sonia Sumar began teaching Yoga for children with special needs after her daughter Roberta was born with Down Syndrome in 1972. Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by mental retardation and other developmental delays. Sonia noticed many positive changes in Roberta from using Yoga, so in 1975 she became a Certified Yoga Teacher. At that time, she dreamed of visiting India to find a living Guru to help her deepen her Sadhana, her spiritual practice. However, she was unable to afford it. Her favorite Yoga teacher was Sri Swami Sivananda. Much of his work was already available in Brazil where she lived, so Sonia followed his teachings through his books.