Lessen Stress, Ease Back Pain….the secret? It’s Yoga!
Lessen Stress, Lower Blood Pressure, Better Joint Mobility, Increase Strength, Gail Flexibility, Improve Circulation, Build Bones, Ease Back Pain, Activate Core, Decrease Dementia and 100 more Health Conditions Helped by a regular Yoga practice. Contact Gail 409-727-3177 on how yoga can help YOU.
Difficult with mobility? Chair Yoga may be a good option for you!
Yoga styles like chair yoga may also be a good option for those who have difficulty with mobility. Chair yoga modifies yoga poses so that they can be safely done while seated in a chair but retains the benefits of yoga by pairing mind and body as well as breath with postures.
Call Gail on your yoga questions, please leave a voice message if I am unable to take your call. 409-727-3177
In the class at Wesley UMC, 3515 Helena Avenue, Nederland, Texas on Thursdays at 10:00 AM, we do 20-25 minutes of various seated chair yoga poses, then do 20-25 minutes of seated cardio to get our heart rate up, then end with balance poses either seated or standing using the chair for additional support. End with a guided relaxation and introduction to meditation practices. About an hour long.
Wear street clothes, option to take off your shoes, no yoga mat required. $5 for your first class, then after that if you wish to bring a specific food donation to our BackPack Food Ministry at the church, or a monetary donation would be great! Those with Multiple Sclerosis, and who accompany you to class, the class fee is waived.
Held in the foyer of the church sanctuary, it is the most northern building on the church property (closest to the street). Come a bit early to select your seat, meet the other class members, sign in, etc.
Discover how to ease back pain, lessen stress, increase strength, gain flexibility, build bones, better sleep quality and balance through chair yoga with Gail Pickens-Barger. Call Gail at 409-727-3177 on your yoga questions.
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 Lonestar National MS society sponsors the class as well as a 180-mile bike ride from Houston to Austin for cyclists living with multiple sclerosis. 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
Contact Gail at (409) 727-3177. Please leave a voice message, if I am unable to get to your phone call. I will return your call!
Come join us on Thursdays at 10 am for Beginners Chair Yoga at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3515 Helena Avenue, Nederland, Texas. Just $5, you, and a yoga mat, comfortable clothing.
Start you on your journey to less stress through gentle movement, breath work, easing of aches and pains along the way, and strengtheners for the body’s muscles and the mind.
End with a restful guided relaxation, that will make you feel rested and at ease.
Questions? Call me Gail Pickens-Barger at (409) 727-3177. I will return your call.
Chair Yoga – You Don’t Have To Get Down On The Floor To Do Yoga! Yoga with Gail, 409-727-3177
