Sensory sensation with Seated Yoga
When you picture people practicing yoga, do you imagine impossibly supple, people bent into all sorts of shapes no human should be able to get themselves into?
If so, then you’d be surprised to hear that yoga can be incredibly beneficial for people with mobility issues, including those with disabilities. What’s more, yoga can be practiced not just from the comfort of your own home, but even from the comfort of your own chair!
Bertie has been the visiting Yoga teacher at Station Road in Kettering, for nearly two years. Leading the sessions once a fortnight, he encourages the individuals to come together and enjoy the relaxation and sensory experience. He uses scents, meditation and movement to increase their overall wellbeing. Colleagues support individuals during the session to participate as much or as little as they wish. All are able to express their enjoyment of the experience, with a great many colleagues also benefiting from the sessions too!
Yoga has been shown to improve overall health. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that it can therefore lend its benefits to those with mobility issues. Here are just some of them:
- Improved strength
- Improved flexibility
- Improved coordination
- Improved ability to manage pain
- Reduced stress levels
- An opportunity to socialise.
Chair yoga (and yoga in general, really) includes breath work, which can help not only with stress management but also with coping and managing pain. The great thing with yoga is that it can be adapted to suit anyone’s needs. Individuals and colleagues alike are finding it’s an effective and gentle way to improve their strength and flexibility in a way that compliments any current medical interventions, therapies and exercises.