On Friday, I taught two yoga classes at the local senior center.  First, a mat class, then a chair class.  Students range in age from 59 - 87.  Some have practiced yoga for more than 10 years, others are new this year.  These one hour classes are so popular, registration is limited to 20 students. 18 students attended the mat class and 19 to the chair class. 

 

Why are these classes so popular?  Because they are adapted to the needs and abilities of the students.  Chair yoga (sitting and standing using chair for balance) provides safety while offering a full range of movement for joints and muscles.  Chairs are also used in the mat class to assist with balance for standing poses.  Students look forward to these classes because they feel better - stronger, looser, more flexible - and they have fun meeting old friends and new ones too.

 

In 1996, when I started teaching yoga, it was community classes for beginners and experienced students.  Even then, many retired and older adults populated the classes, especially beginner classes.  When I began teaching more classes in 2001 (laid off from my day job), I noticed that more than half my evening students were seniors.  Even though I never set out to teach seniors, it's become a significant opportunity for service, personal growth and steady income. 

 

If you have students who need help with balance, strength and flexibility I hope that you'll consider taking a chair yoga workshop with me.  If you have taken a chair yoga workshop with me in the past, this workshop offers new postures, variations and tools for your toolbox.

 

I have come to love the chair as a means for practicing asana just about anywhere.  Since we are mainly a sitting culture, chair yoga also informs posture, core strength and breathing as well as offering support for better alignment. 

 

Please consider forwarding this email to yoga teachers who may be interested.  Better yet, come with a friend.  Southeastern Connecticut is beautiful this time of year.  There are some great sights and dinner restaurants along the shoreline.  (Preston is very close to Mystic, New London and Westerly, Rhode Island - Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, too.)

 

In yoga, Karen

 

The student on the left is Georgiana, age 87.  She began taking yoga lessons in 1970 when she was 48 and I was 14.  Georgiana and I were in the same yoga class.  At that time we both could do headstands!  She's made yoga a part of her life ever since.  She's my teacher as well as my student.

Saturday, May 1, 2010
 

Chair Yoga can be fun and challenging.  Chair Yoga offers an alternative to mat yoga that can be just as challenging.  Let's face it, not everyone feels comfortable sitting on the floor.  That alone can make yoga inaccessible.  However, many postures that are done sitting on the floor can also be done sitting in a chair with better alignment, less pain and discomfort.  Chair Yoga also uses chairs for standing.  Using a chair for standing poses offers increased stability and often results in better alignment for students who have joint and muscle stiffness.

 

In this 2 - part, workshop we'll explore Chair Yoga basics in the  morning and Chair Yoga flows in the afternoon, including the Sun and Moon salutations.  Sign up for morning or afternoon or both.  Many of these modifications can be brought into mainstream classes for students who have specific limitations.  Teachers who develop skill with asana modification and adaptive poses are in high demand for teaching special needs populations including a growing segment of the population - seniors and retirees. 

This workshop, or part of it, will be offered at:

Karen O'Donnell Clarke, ERYT 500

Kripalu and Integrative Yoga Therapy

860.204.0797