Julio Beltrán (Inclusive Yoga)
Julio was trained in the yoga activity in the 80s with María Villanueva, at the Apas-Yoga Center, close to the approaches of Antonio Blay. He graduated in Psychology from the University of Valencia and was teaching Physical Education in EE.MM. until 1988 when he suffered a traffic accident that caused a complete spinal cord injury. Since then he has continued practicing yoga as well as many other sports among which are the Para-Equestrian Riding, obtaining the third position in the National Absolute Championship in 2012; diving, being certified as Padi Advance with more than 50 dives; the maritime kayak; instinctive bow shooting and Kyudo (traditional Japanese archery).
He is currently responsible for Adapted Yoga of the NGO ASPAYM-CV (Association of people with spinal cord injury and other physical disabilities of the Valencian Community) for whom he teaches free Inclusive Yoga classes at the Benimaclet Sports Center in Valencia.
In the creative field, like Julio Fari, he participated in the formation of Reggae valencian group Jah Macetas at the ’80s, with whom he continues to collaborate; and has published a novel about the relations between Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity entitled First Time, First Person.
Activity
- Friday 7th, from 9 am to 10:30 am, in the Sala Barraca.
Yoga & Disability: Theoretical-practical workshop. If we understand yoga as a series of beautiful gymnastic asanas, we can draw attention to linking their practice with disability. However yoga is much more than that. If we understand it as the knowledge of oneself in a real sense, physical and not philosophical; if we consider yoga as a way of learning how and when we breathe, at what rhythm our heart beats, at what moment one of our muscles is innervated and another is relaxed, as we create some images in our mind, when an emotion overwhelms us or disturbs another, etc.; If we understand yoga in this way, disability becomes an enhancer that facilitates its practice instead of making it difficult, since biology has shown that an organism limited in some of its functions is enhanced in others. Discovering disability as an advantage in the practice of yoga is the objective of this workshop.