For young Hongkonger Ip Man-lee, moving around is more challenging than it is for others of her age.
The six-year-old has the muscle function of a two-year-old because of a genetic disease that causes global developmental delay, a term used when children are significantly delayed in two or more areas of development.
Like many children in Hong Kong, she is benefiting from the work of the Yama Foundation, a charity that helps vulnerable communities through its yoga and arts therapy programmes.
Before Yama’s yoga sessions, Man-lee had poor balance, and mobility issues. Now she can run fast and is starting to jump, says her mother, Leung Ka-yee.
“She is also using the breathing techniques that she learned at Yama to regulate her emotions and calm herself down,” says Leung.
