Date TBD

It’s hard to define “senior” these days. Often we think of seniors as being of a certain age or age range. But today, a senior person cannot be defined by his or her chronological age. In the Senior Yoga classes I have taught, participants have ranged in age from 55 to 104. A person who is 75 can be absolutely age-defying, extremely active and physically fit, as well as able to attend a general hatha yoga mat class. Often though, people come to Senior / Chair Yoga classes because they have mobility issues, as well as other conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, joint replacements, stiffness and other often age-related medical conditions.

Working with this population is a beautiful gift and very inspiring. They are so eager to learn yoga, for so many it is new to them. Time and time again, participants are amazed at how the yoga makes them feel in their bodies – they notice more mobility and relaxation after just one session. Although, Senior Yoga is wonderful for seniors, it is an appropriate practice for anyone needing a gentle approach to yoga, as well as the support of a chair.

This training focuses on teaching chair yoga classes, as well as classes that combine both chair and mat yoga classes. You will learn how to teach people with different levels of mobility and health issues in an inclusive and safe way.

We will focus on age-appropriate movement, for the aging body, as well as taking into consideration what may be going on mentally and emotionally as we age. We will discuss in detail the most common health issues we see among students who attend senior / chair yoga classes, including high blood pressure, Parkinson’s Disease, previous stroke, joint replacement, partial hearing and sight loss, arthritis, osteoporosis and poor balance.

Additionally, there is a two-hour section dedicated specifically on how to teach yoga to people with Parkinson’s Disease.