Chair Yoga Certification Program

Lifespan Yoga® Chair Certification in Jacksonville, Florida

September 23

When I began teaching yoga to cancer patients that were being treated with chemotherapy and radiation treatments, everyone was doing well in yoga class and many of the students were fit. But I had a nagging feeling that someone would come in that could not get up and down from the floor. This prompted me to learn Chair Yoga. I did my research, took classes, read up on it and finally put it on the calendar as a stand alone class. In the first class I had a woman who had suffered 7 strokes, a woman with dementia, two women who walked with canes and a few people with leg problems from diabetes. I realized this was going to be as challenging as the cancer classes and I loved it. I never looked back. I added another class the next year and now am offering a class to certify other yoga teachers to teach this very special yoga.  

To enroll in this certification you must have completed a Yoga Alliance Approved 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and have a calling to learn how to teach yoga to people who cannot get up and down from the floor. This includes people of all ages. Younger people attend chair yoga classes if they have serious headaches or medications that make them dizzy. People with every type of disability, especially MS attend. People of all ages with knee and hip problems avoid floor yoga and move to chair yoga. Diabetics with neuropathy may feel safer doing yoga in a chair. Some people begin in chair yoga and after a few months transition to gentle yoga on the floor. This happens more than I expected. Of course anyone who sits at a desk can do yoga at work in their chair. Many yoga postures can be modified so everyone can experience the spirit of the yoga poses from a chair or with the chair as a prop. If you are interested in providing a transformational experience for these students, this certification is for you. Sign up at www.lifespanyoga.com.