Every Wednesday, I have the privilege of participating and assisting Regan Linton in her chair yoga class at the Rocky Mountain Stroke Association. 

Until a month ago, I had never heard of chair yoga.  Chair yoga is a variation of yoga designed for those that are wheelchair bound or have limited mobility in their limbs.  Chair yoga still utilizes breathing techniques to focus the mind on the present as well as utilizes various stretches that elongate the body and help with stress.  Typical yoga moves are adjusted to meet each individual’s ability and desire to be challenged.  I have enjoyed watching various participants try new poses or stretches that most people would think they cannot do due to limitations; however, with slight modifications they do the poses beautifully.  Some participants stay seated, while others get on the floor to do their forward bends or backbends. 

It is more than a class of stretches to help with mobility for stroke survivors; however, to the participants, it is a class of community and camaraderie.  It is a time where they share their triumphs and failures in gaining mobility as well as hope in living.  Two women in the class bring a huge smile as they share their funny moments in the day or in the class.  They laugh together about forgetting to breathe during the exercises and in life in general.  One man said a particular exercise helped him to remember what it was like to smile.  His wife had not seen him smile since his stroke.  He thought practicing the pose would help him to smile again as he regained hope for the future. 

Every Wednesday is a new experience for me as I walk up the path and engage in the yoga community.  It is an experience steeped with great hope, great sorrow, and great courage demonstrated in a simple yet profound activity such as yoga. 

Many thanks to Colleen Flynn and Eye2Design for choosing Yoga for the People as the June 2009 beneficiary of Network for a Cause:

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009.

Time: 5:30 -8:00pm

Location: Forest Room 5 - 2532 15th St - Denver, CO 80211

For directions to Forest Room 5, click here.

Cost: $10, includes 1 drink ticket & light snacks

Please click the icon below to pay via secure online donation through Paypal.

RSVP to cmflynn@eye2design.com

Celebrating 5 Years, Network for a Cause hosts three events each year to share the work of local nonprofit organizations and raise funds that support their programs. Yoga for the People is proud to be a chosen beneficiary of this event!

Hope to see you at Forest Room 5 on June 24th!  Namaste~

Yoga for the People Presenting at Spark the Fire! 

Sunday, May 31st, 2:30-3:30pm

Please join Yoga for the People to talk about yoga as a tool for transformation, for individuals, the community and the world.  Delve into where yoga and social justice meet and talk about the yoga of connection, of service and of justice.  Learn more about Yoga for the People and our efforts to connect volunteer teachers with nonprofit sites to bring yoga to prisons, shelters, schools, and other places where yoga can make a difference.

New Hope Baptist Church, 3701 Colorado Blvd, Denver, in the upstairs classrooms.  

Spark the Fire! - Schedule of Events 

Friday and Saturday - World-renowned  Speakers:
Speakers Martin Prechtel and Evon Peter will speak to our personal spiritual journey with an indigenous perspective that will deeply inform our understanding of our yoga practice. With the mastery of eloquence that comes from living in indigenous oral traditions, these two men will bring a great gift by expanding the life, meaning and purpose of our yoga practice.

 Saturday Celebrations!
Katchie Gaaurd, voted by yoga journal as one of the top teachers bringing change into the world, will solidify these teachings of personal spiritual unfolding and community in the way most accessible to yogis - through our bodies - into the world.

Nii Armah Sowah will lead us in community celebration - Ghanaian-style. One of the foremost teachers of African singing and dance in the world today, Yogis will sing and dance in this connection and heart-inspiring celebration.

Leraine Horstmanshoff, world-renowned singer-songwriter and master of exotic musical instruments, will perform live music for yoga classes all weekend long, and lead us in a ROCKING Kirtan on Saturday night.

Sunday Yoga Schedule - Choose your favorites:
9:00 - 10:00 - Tina Porter - Samadhi
10:15 - 11:15 - Scott Anderson - Moga Yoga
11:30 - 1:00 - Jen Leisch and Phil Gust - Acroyoga
1:15 - 2:15 - Ayurveda
2:30 - 3:30 - Desi and Micah Springer - Vital Yoga
3:45 - 4:45 - Lisa Richards - Corepower
5:00 - 6:00 - Mike Matsumura - Dharma Mittra

REGISTER NOW - www.sparkthefire.com · 303-477-8545

Sunday Afternoon Yoga Tavern Events:
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC -One-hour Symposiums including:

•  Panchamama 
•  Yoga For The People - Sunday 2:30-3:30pm
•  My Stellar Connections
•  Gong Energy Heaaling
• Blue Pearl Media
• Transition Colorado
• The Chanda Plan
• Off The Mat
• CYSC Meeting with Denver Studio Owners

For full event details and times, please visit www.sparkthefire.com.  Details subject to change.  

How we treat ourselves and our attitude toward ourselves are very important components of our yoga practice. The food that we choose to put in our bodies is a clue to how we’re feeling and how much we value ourselves.

For instance, when we take the time to make a nice, home-cooked meal, we’re telling ourselves that we’re a priority and that our happiness is important. On the other hand, when we’re continually visiting the fast food joint, we’re sending another important message . . . That our personal health and wellbeing are not our top priority.

For a healthy snack idea, visit the Life Positive website and try the Papaya Zing drink recipe. It’s yummy and an easy way to start making yourself a top priority.

In this culture, we tend to think that the postures–the asanas–are yoga. When, in fact, yoga encompasses so much more–meditation, breathing, our attitude, how we treat ourselves and so forth.

From time to time, we’ll be including (both on this website and as part of our newsletter) simple ways for you to incorporate the principles of yoga into your daily life. We’ll be calling this new series–Yoga Off the Mat.