Benefits? ==>
Lower blood pressure, Better Joint Mobility, Build Bones, Ease Back Pain, Better Sleep, plus: Improve: Circulation, Strength, Flexibility, and the Breath!
Take a look at some of my other articlesChair Yoga Does That?
Is it for frail seniors?
Well, Yes and No.
Chair yoga is for anyone who cannot or wishes not to get down on the floor.
Chair yoga is used in the classroom at schools for helping with focus and attention!
Chair Yoga is used for getting all the benefits of a regular yoga practice!
Chair Yoga is used as a tool for helping with balance, when one is doing standing yoga poses.
And yes, chair yoga is used for seniors, residential life, nursing homes, senior centers and more.
Great article on 12 Reasons Why Chair Yoga is Great for Seniors over at Matthew Cranfield’s Getting Old and Fit Site is worth reading!
Try this video too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm6g96lFNTE
#chairyogafitness
#yogaforbeginners
#beginnersyoga
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#yogakiddos
NEDERLAND — At the end of her class, Nederland yoga instructor Gail Pickens-Barger asks her students to meditate on how they are unique and “there is nobody like you in the universe.”
Her students suffer from multiple sclerosis, a chronic, unpredictable disease that affects the central nervous system, and none of their symptoms are exactly the same.
Some of her students experience episodes of extreme numbness in their limbs.
“It is as if you put a giant foam block around your leg or foot,” Pickens-Barger said.
For some, the disease affects their balance or, in Crystal Chauvin’s case, a day-long jolt of electric pain down her cheek.
All of the students seem to share in one thing: The relief and relaxation of yoga.
“It helps me move better, helps me balance,” said Becky Dry, who has dealt with the disease for much of her life.
“The class helps us get through the day,” added Dry. “I’m ok now but tomorrow I may not.”
Approximately 400,000 Americans suffer from multiple sclerosis and every week 200 more people are diagnosed with the disease, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
There is no known cause or cure for MS. It is only fatal in extreme cases.
MS adaptive yoga is done in chairs for safety but, as Pickens-Barger points out, it can still make you sweat.
“Keep it between easy and ouch,” Pickens-Barger said during one of the stretches. “Far, far away from ouch.”
Pickens-Barger just got back from a two week long chair-yoga training in New York City, where she learned new techniques to allow her students to access the benefits of yoga without completely exhausting their bodies.
One of the biggest problems for people who suffer from MS is balance. Most of the students use a cane or a walker to get from one place to another.
The yoga techniques are designed to strengthen a person’s core muscles which help them balance whether they are sitting down or standing up.
Just as important as the benefits of the exercise and strength-building, is the sense of community and friendship the class brings to each other’s lives.
“It’s a support group also,” said Pickens-Barger.
The yoga classes take place every Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Nederland, and the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis society meets the first Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. at the Medical Center in Port Arthur
bjanes@panews.com
Chair Yoga Fitness - Gail Pickens-Barger 
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