Dubai: A Sri Lankan expat in Dubai is out to make a difference to the loves of special needs people by teaching them yoga.
A mother of two young adults, Geetha Kanagaratnam, who was featured in Rishtey Asia’s Salaam Namaste UAE, said she was motivated to impart her yoga skills to this special category of people as it could improve the quality of their life. “Special needs children and adults have major mood swings because of the medications they take. Practising yoga can be very beneficial to them.”
But the task is not without challenges. “One needs to be very patient with them as the process of teaching them can be slow and long. They can be very co-operative. They work better with visual cues, so teaching yoga to them is a different ballgame.”
Kanagaratnam, who holds yoga sessions for special needs children at special needs centres, including Mawaheb, said she teaches them the fine art of deep breathing and simple postures. “It works well for them as it boost their energy levels and self-confidence. We try to work around their challenges.”
She said the idea of doing something for special needs people came to her when time hung heavy on her hands after her children had grown up. “I believe everyone must give back to society. I wanted to serve the community instead of wasting time at a mall.”
So she began volunteering with local charities and community groups even as she got more involved with yoga. Teaching yoga to special need children enabled her to pursue both passions together.
Kanagaratnam works for other causes too. Earlier part of Mission Green Earth, an organised community that aims at growing more Ghaf in the UAE, she helped organise camps for students to educate them about the advantages of the tree. She also works with workers in labour camps.
