Yoga Education Programs in Cambodia – Teaching Disabled People

Of the many classes and students of Yoga that this writer has taught over the last ten years or so, none have impressed him as much as those who are disabled and being taught at present in a center for training and rehabilitating disabled people in Cambodia.

These individuals are not soldiers, rebels or resistant fighters but for the most part innocent villagers who stepped on or came into contact with the numerous land mines that were put down in Cambodia during the years of civil war and fighting that took place there during the seventies and eighties.

The ignorance of mankind is shown in the production of and use of such weapons, as with all weapons of violence and war, and as is usually the case, it is innocent people who suffer the most, while politicians and government officials congratulate themselves for a job well done and feed on nationalistic, xenophobic and fearful tendencies which lead to war and violence in the first place. 

Classes for the disabled people are held in a training center that was funded by an organization in Canada. The training center is quite nice and modern and provides those disabled people who are selected to come to it training in such basic but needed skills as sewing, and bicycle and radio repair.

The Yoga education programs that this writer leads are done at no cost to the center or people living there three nights a week.

Those who are attending at present are missing one or both legs or have no use of their legs. Some are also missing part of one arm.

In these classes, learners are taught to do or attempt to do those postures and techniques that those who are not handicapped would be expected to learn and do in a regular Yoga class.

Less time is spent on doing standing postures as these can be very physically demanding on those who have only one leg.

Plastic chairs are used to assist those who have only one leg when they do the standing forward bend and standing spinal twist.

At present, the learners are taught techniques that release tension and enhance energy flow in the eyes, arms, and neck.

The major postures that are taught are the standing forward bend, the sitting forward bend and the cobra posture.

They are also taught and practice meditation, done either sitting in a wheelchair or chair, or in the easy posture. The loss of one leg makes sitting in either the easy posture or thunderbolt posture somewhat difficult, depending on how much of the leg is missing or the degree of flexibility in other parts of the body.

All of the learners are extremely hard working and diligent in their practice and those that have taken the time to chat with us have mentioned that the practice of Yoga is helping them sleep better.

The work being done with these men is extremely important and beneficial to them, as these people must deal with daily realizations about their life and current condition that can be challenging and depressing.

They also seem to find new insight about life and their situation through the lectures of this writer, which not only focus on the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism, but also make them more mindful about how they can use their life experience to guide and assist others that they come into contact with in their lives.

It is for people such as these that this writer feels the need to make a permanent commitment to living and working in Cambodia which is dependent on donations and funding from individuals who are more fortunate.

If individuals are interested in or willing to make donations that would allow him to do such a thing, they should contact him at johnckimbrough@yahoo.com

Thanks to John C. Kimbrough who lives and teaches in Bangkok, Thailand.

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©2006 John C. Kimbrough/Yoga is for Better Health and Living