The Attraction of Chair Yoga

Yoga for plus-sized students a growing market

Have you ever walked into a traditional yoga class and found a plus-size woman trying to fit in? Her mat is usually set up in the back of the room where she won’t draw attention to herself, embarrassed by her voluptuousness and extra pounds. Yet she deserves to be there just like everyone else. Unfortunately, the problems faced by plus-sized women in traditional yoga settings aren’t addressed in a class full of 20-something skinnies able to swing their legs into downward facing dog or bend forward without breaking out in a sweat. And there are many yoga teachers out there who just won’t give the plus-size woman the time of day, unfortunately, and continue to teach class as if she doesn’t exist. Yes, this happens.

Enter the new yoga class for the plus-sized woman, a growing market that needs more and more teachers. And the time is right, because over 60% of women in the United States are overweight, and it would be a sad thing if they weren’t allowed to embrace the practice of yoga, where they could tap into their inner consciousness and learn new ways to love their bodies and embrace their uniqueness.

This past weekend I attended a 10-hour teacher training workshop in Scottsdale, Arizona geared toward adapting yoga and modifications for the plus- and super-sized woman taught by Lanita Varshell, owner and founder of A Gentle Way Yoga Center in San Diego, California, the oldest and most respected yoga therapist and hatha yoga instructor for the plus-sized population. While Lanita is also an expert in stress management and an inspiring speaker and yoga teacher, she is also known for her Gentle Yoga Meditation in Movement Style, working primarily with people who are overstressed, in chronic pain, or who are seniors, plus- and super-sized looking for a way to change their lives for the better in a safe and nurturing environment.

Thirteen yoga teachers at various stages of their careers gathered together in a room for two full days at the Hilton Garden Inn and shared their stories, soaked in knowledge and filled notebooks with helpful tidbits about how to teach and modify poses for plus-sized women. We learned how to use chairs, blankets, bolsters and straps to make yoga more accessible to someone who has just a bit more rolls than the average yogi to someone who’s extremely obese. Lesson plans included sun salutation modifications to deep relaxation sequencing on the floor covered with cozy blankets and bolsters to rest weary oversized legs. The second day rewarded us with actual students who graced us with their large presence while Lanita guided them through some relaxation poses that gently moved their bodies in ways they never thought possible, opening up channels in their minds that will hopefully send signals that tell them to keep coming back for more.

Although I’m not a plus-sized woman myself, I went to this training because I want to help plus-size women practice yoga in a safe and comfortable environment. More studios need to open classes specially targeted to the plus-sized women, because they need their own space and their own modifications to enjoy the practice without fear of being made fun of or not being able to reach their goals effectively. Yoga for plus-sized women is a very focused niche, and someone who aspires to teach plus-sized women must have a specialness about her that demonstrates caring and understanding uncommonly found in traditional yoga classes where the focus is mainly on the perfect pose and the perfect body. Understanding how to modify to certain poses and what props are essential for a safe and effective practice is paramount to its success, and Lanita’s style of teaching is something that should be broadcast all over so that more and more studios offer classes geared toward the plus-size woman.

Lanita Varshell offers a 200-hour teacher training at her studio in December and July of every year, as well as various workshops and retreats throughout the year. If you’re interested in breaking out of the traditional style of yoga and advancing toward a more rewarding and specialized niche, consider teaching yoga for the plus-sized woman and let your heart sing with joy as you share your wisdom and love with women who are just a little plumper and who need a little extra dose of tender loving care while they explore their own unique yoga journey.

Office Yoga: Poses to do at your desk

If you’re a slave to your desk, clicking your mouse, staring at your computer screen, and sitting for long periods of time, then you need some relief for the tension and stress you’re building up in your shoulders, neck and back.  Most likely, when you get up to fill your coffee cup, your back, neck and shoulders feel stiff and sore, and you’d rather take a walk around the block and get some fresh air than head back to the same old desk to get more of the same old upper body discomfort.

Doing yoga poses at your desk can help.  Sitting at your desk all day can get mighty uncomfortable, and there’s nothing you’d rather do than take to your yoga mat in the middle of the day. But, if you’re stuck in an office, that may not be an option.  But, you need to move around a little (well, I like to move around a lot!) to instill more balance in your workday and to ward off more serious health problems. Here are some yoga poses that you can do at your desk:

Shoulder Rolls

Sit upright in your chair. Inhale, and lift your right shoulder to your ear.  Exhale, and slowly roll your shoulder around and back, dropping it away from your ear.  Repeat on the left shoulder.  Do these three more times on both sides.  Then, inhale and lift both shoulders to the ears, hold, exhale and release.  Ahhhh.

Neck Stretch

Sit upright without letting your back touch the back of the chair. Your head should be aligned directly over your spine and the crown of your head should be lifted. If you need more stability, you can hold onto the side of the chair with your left hand.  Inhale, then exhale and drop your right ear to the right shoulder.  Be careful not to turn your head or lift your shoulder.  Take several breaths and feel the stretch on the left side of your neck.  For a deeper stretch, place your right hand over the left side of your head and gently pull your neck away from the shoulders.  Hold this pose for five breaths. Repeat on the other side.  This pose lengthens and stretches the neck, and creates space between the vertebrae in the cervical spine.

Chair Twist

Sit on the edge of your chair, with your left side facing the back of the chair. Keep your knees and feet together.  Place your hands on the back of the chair, elbows extending out to the side.  Inhale, straighten your spine, and twist toward the back of the chair from the bottom of your spine. Push with your left hand and pull with your right.  Breathe deeply, then release and switch sides.  Twists are perfect for unlocking tension from sitting for long periods, especially at a desk!

Arm Stretch

Stand and clasp your hands behind you.  If you can’t clasp your hands together, hold on to a scarf or a belt.  Lift your arms as high as you can, and lift your sternum.  Hold this pose for 30 to 45 seconds and then relax.

If you’d like to get a good book about desk yoga, may I suggest “Office Yoga, Simple Stretches for Busy People,” by Darrin Zeer.  It’s the perfect companion for those days when yoga at your desk will just have to do until you can get to your mat!

Namaste!

Yoga for the Rest of Us

Yoga for the Rest of Us

As I write this post I have Peggy Cappy’s Yoga for the Rest of Us playing in my DVD player.  I like to  listen to yoga DVD’s while I’m typing or cooking, because as a yoga teacher myself I like to listen and learn, even if I’m not practicing along, because there’s always room for growth.  Listening to Peggy Cappy is like accepting advice from a trusted mentor. She knows how to ease anyone into their own yoga program and invites you into her world, where yoga exercise is possible, despite age, ability or medical conditions.

Peggy Cappy’s Yoga for the Rest of Us 60-minute DVD is a must for beginners and seasoned yoga practitioners alike.  Peggy leads with knowledge and guides with gentleness while her students ease themselves into gentle yet effective poses.  She also suggests modifications where needed, and offers the use of a chair for extra stability.

“You don’t need to be thin, young, and a contortionist to do this program, ” says Peggy Cappy.  It’s a gentle yet effective chair yoga practice for people who are inflexible, out of shape, or who are suffering from aches and pains to do in the comfort of their own home.  The DVD presents three 20-minute segments:

• Part 1 – warm-up seated stretches
• Part 2:  standing poses that can be used with a chair, if necessary
• Part 3:  flowing Sun Salutations, followed by relaxation poses.

If you follow along with this DVD in the morning or in the evening at least three days a week you’ll not only experience a greater sense of ease and relaxation in your body, but you’ll experience a new sense of calm and spaciousness in your mind as well.

If you’d like to get a copy of Peggy Cappy’s Yoga for the Rest of us, click here.

Namaste.