As we age, practicing yoga becomes increasingly important for maintaining strength, flexibility, and balance. However, traditional mat-based/floor yoga can be challenging for many seniors and older adults who may have limited mobility, chronic pain, or balance issues. That's where therapeutic chair yoga comes in as a wonderful option to provide the benefits of yoga in a safe and accessible way.
Contact me for a free 30-minute phone or video consultation
to see if my chair yoga therapy services are right for you.
805.234.7089 anewearth4all@gmail.com
For my chair yoga therapy sessions, my clients use a sturdy chair as a prop to support their body throughout the practice. This allows older adult clients to participate in yoga poses and sequences while seated or using the chair for stability. By modifying classic yoga postures, chair yoga enables my clients to build strength, improve circulation, increase range of motion, and enhance overall wellbeing – all while remaining safely anchored in their chair.
Meeting My Clients Where They Are
My chair yoga sessions begin with very gentle, small movements that gradually warm up the body. I avoid anything too strenuous or fast-paced and modify the practice based on my clients abilities and progress. Further, I incorporate breathwork and mindfulness while encouraging my clients to tune into sensations in their body and cultivate present-moment awareness.
I creatively adapt yoga poses while allowing my clients to become familiar with classic yoga poses and pose names. I also incorporate props, such as blocks, straps, and blankets to make poses more accessible for my clients who may have limited mobility, flexibility, or strength.
Chair Yoga Therapy for Strength, Mobility & Confidence
As part of my practice, I prioritize my clients’ safety and stability while gradually helping them build greater strength, mobility, and overall confidence. Further, I am able to collaborate with other professionals, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare providers to understand each client's unique needs and limitations. By tailoring my yoga sessions to the specific needs of my senior and older adult clients, they are able to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and overall quality of life – while maintaining their independence and even thriving!
" Yoga therapy with Madeline has made a big difference in my mother's health in the several months since Madeline has been working with her. When I returned to CA for a visit after not seeing my mother for several months, my mother had gone from needing assistance getting up from a seated position to being able to pull herself up out of a seated position with hands on her walker without any assistance. Additionally, her mobility getting in and out of the car has improved greatly. The shoulder pain she experienced after a serious fall seems to have improved. Also, again, her mobility has improved and her balance, overall, seems better. Though my mother has done physical therapy for a few years now, yoga has helped more in the short amount of time that Madeline has been working with my mother. Madeline’s character, as much as the yoga, contributes to my mother’s progress. My mother can be very combative and stubborn, and when she says no, almost nothing one says or does can change her mind. Her dementia exacerbates this behavior. Madeline sees and embraces my mother for who she is as a human being. This is the most essential component of being an effective therapist/instructor. " -Kati W.
Madeline Medeiros Taylor Yoga Therapy
Serving the Central Coast
Contact me today for a free 30-minute phone or video consultation
to see if my chair yoga therapy services are right for you.