Adaptive yoga enables individuals with disabilities to experience the profound holistic benefits of yoga. It can enhance balance, mobility, and daily functioning, particularly for those with brain injuries. Melissa Crisp-Cooper and Owen Cooper, who have cerebral palsy (CP), find adaptive yoga beneficial in their recovery. They appreciate the bilateral stretching that this practice offers and are delighted that in-person classes have resumed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yoga requires proper alignment, joint positioning, and muscular engagement. Regular practice enhances body awareness, crucial for individuals with chronic health conditions and disabilities.
Adaptive healing yoga offers a safe, welcoming path to body awareness, allowing individuals to cultivate deeper mind-body connections. This enables them to experience the physical and emotional benefits of yoga while living life to the fullest.
While many instructors incorporate elements of adaptive healing yoga, dedicated teachers specialize in it. These experts provide the support, encouragement, and instruction necessary to build a practice tailored to individual needs. Their training is grounded in the belief that yoga is for every body, with extensive knowledge of the physical and medical aspects of yoga.
Adaptive yoga allows flexibility in how poses are executed. For instance, if standing in Locust pose is challenging, instructors can offer variations that accommodate students' capabilities and limitations.
Beyond addressing mobility concerns, adaptive yoga can help build balance and stability, particularly for individuals with neurological impairments. For example, studies have shown that practicing yoga may alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety in individuals with Parkinson's disease while improving quality of life and self-compassion.
Various props are commonly used in adaptive yoga, including chairs, blocks, straps, blankets, and walls, to modify postures and ensure safety. Instructors emphasize that the physical shape of a pose is less important than how the practice makes a student feel internally, fostering a lasting sense of well-being.
Yoga is about moving the body in ways it was never meant to be moved, overcoming obstacles, and learning to breathe through it all. Yoga is not just for flexible individuals in fancy clothes; it is for all bodies, and adaptive yoga helps everyone embark on the path to health and wellness.
Adaptive yoga is an effective means to build confidence in your body after an injury, illness, or disability, enhancing your quality of life. It can improve physical functioning, alleviate pain, and prevent future issues.
Before starting, consult your doctor to determine if adaptive yoga is suitable for you. Then, find a class that aligns with your needs and lifestyle goals. Remember to have fun! Adaptive yoga is all about enjoyment and maximizing the potential of your body. As Kerri Hanlon, co-owner of Yoga Home, emphasizes, everyone deserves this journey toward health and wellness.
