Ep 59: How to Teach Chair Yoga - Creating Accessible Classes for All Ages

Have you ever considered teaching chair yoga? It’s a versatile and accessible style of yoga that opens the doors of the yoga practice to students of all ages, abilities, and levels of mobility. If you’re thinking of offering chair yoga classes, remember it’s not only an opportunity to diversify your offerings but also a chance to serve a wider community of students who may feel excluded from traditional mat-based yoga practices, and opens up a whole new demographic of students for you! 

In this episode, I’ll share the benefits of teaching chair yoga, debunk a few myths, offer some practical teaching tips, and include strategies for marketing your chair yoga classes to help you attract a diverse range of students.

I can't wait for you to listen & consider teaching chair yoga!

Transcript

Monica: 0:00

Have you ever considered teaching chair yoga? It's a versatile and accessible style of yoga that opens the doors of practice to students of all ages, abilities, and levels of mobility. If you're thinking of offering chair yoga classes, remember it's not only an opportunity to diversify your offerings. But also a chance to serve a wider community of students. Who may feel excluded from traditional map-based yoga practices. And it opens up a whole new demographic of students for you. In this episode, I'll share the benefits of teaching chair, yoga. Debunk a few myths. All for some practical teaching tips. And include strategies for marketing your chair, yoga classes, to help you attract a diverse range of students.

0:55

Welcome to the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers podcast with me. I'm Monica Bright, and I've been teaching yoga and running my yoga business for over a decade. This is the podcast for you. If you're a yoga teacher, you're looking for support. You love to be in conversation and you're a lifelong student. In this podcast, I'll share with you. My life as a yoga teacher, the lessons I've learned, my process for building my business and helpful ideas, tools, strategies, and systems I use and you can use so that your business thrives. We'll cover a diverse range of topics that will help you whether you're just starting out or you've got years under your belt and you want to dive deep and set yourself up for success. I'm so glad you're here. Listen, I don't take myself too seriously, so expect to hear some laughs along the way. Now, let's do this. Together.

Monica: 2:04

Welcome back to the podcast. I'm Monica. And I'm excited for this episode because if there are any ways that I can help you broaden your reach, I'm certainly going to share them with you. During the pandemic, my Alderman's office reached out to me to teach a number of different types of classes. And one series was chair yoga. It was when we were all home and moving less than normal and the classes were initially offered to seniors live streamed right into their homes and accessible on multiple platforms. The classes were super popular and we realized that people of all age groups were joining the classes. It kind of was perfect timing because. I was navigating frozen shoulder at the same time. So I had limited and painful movement that I had to work around in my own body. So to say, I had to get creative in my teaching is an understatement for sure. Chair yoga can be incredibly versatile and an accessible style of yoga that invites students of all ages, abilities, and levels of mobility. If you're thinking of offering chair yoga classes, remember. It's not only an opportunity for you to diversify your offerings, but also a chance to serve a wider community of students who may feel excluded from traditional mat based yoga practices. It also opens up a whole new demographic of students for you. I talk with you a lot about the importance of diversifying, whether it's diversifying the type of yoga you teach or the offerings you have available. Uh, or even the ways in which you market. Diversifying is so key and I don't want you to ever forget that. Okay. So let's chat about the benefits of teaching chair, yoga debunk, a few myths, cover some practical teaching tips and a few strategies for marketing your chair, yoga classes, to help you attract a diverse range of students. Incorporating chair, yoga into your offerings helps you transform your teaching and allows you to serve more students in meaningful ways. Think about accessibility chair, yoga removes the barrier of getting up and down from the floor. Making yoga accessible to students who have limited mobility or balance challenges or students who are recovering from injuries or surgeries. Chair. Yoga is also a great practice for those who are managing chronic pain or conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or fibromyalgia. Or students who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. When you eliminate physical barriers, chair, yoga ensures that everyone can practice the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of yoga. I've touched on this before, but think about expanding your reach. When you teach chair yoga, it allows you to reach groups that may not typically attend yoga classes, such as seniors, looking for gentle movement and improved mobility. Or office workers seeking stress relief and stretching. During their Workday. How about people with chronic illnesses or disabilities who feel excluded from traditional classes or beginners who might feel intimidated by mat base yoga or fancy yoga poses? This expanded reach will not only help you grow your student base. But it also positions you as an inclusive and innovative teacher. You can utilize chair yoga to help support mental and emotional wellbeing amongst your students. Chair yoga is not just about physical movement. I mean, neither is traditional yoga, but that's a whole separate conversation. Yoga at its core emphasizes mindfulness. Breathing awareness and relaxation, which makes it an excellent option for managing stress, anxiety, and emotional wellbeing for all age groups, no matter the physical ability. There's always the potential for creating a community. And depending on where you're offering cheer, yoga classes, you may witness an increase in community building. If you teach chair yoga in senior homes, YMCAs or community centers, you'll often find more regular students who are committed to creating. A consistent practice because they're aware or learning to be aware about the importance of movement as they age. This consistency can foster a sense of connection and belonging. And you may find students supporting one another in their journey towards health, wellbeing, and movement gains. Despite its many benefits chair. Yoga is often misunderstood. So let's address some common myths myth. Number one is that chair yoga is easy or it's not real yoga. In reality chair, yoga incorporates the same foundational principles of yoga, mindful movement, breath, awareness, and relaxation. Just in a modified format. While it's accessible chair, yoga can still challenge strength, balance, and flexibility. You can get really strategic in your teaching in order to accomplish this, ask yourself, how can you teach a full class? C did. If on a particular date, many students are in wheelchairs. Or have a very difficult time standing up. Or what, if you have a class where students are more mobile, how can you challenge them so that they also see a benefit from these types of classes? Myth number two is that chair yoga is only for seniors, but the reality is that while seniors are a significant demographic for chair yoga, It's also beneficial for office workers, people recovering from injuries and even athletes looking for more restorative movement. Chair yoga is for anyone who wants to enjoy the benefits of yoga in a more supportive way. And myth number three is you don't need to be a trained yoga teacher to teach chair yoga. The reality is chair yoga requires a solid understanding of anatomy, modifications, and safety considerations. I honestly believe that if you have a solid foundation of those, you can adapt to teaching chair yoga. If you understand how the body moves, you can apply that knowledge to teaching different formats. Proper training, especially of pain and injuries will help you guide students safely and with confidence, especially if they have specific physical needs. When teaching chair yoga, the goal is to create an inclusive, safe and engaging environment for your students. Here's some practical tips for you when you're preparing to teach a class. First is to understand that the chair is a prop. The chair is a tool that can support a wide range of poses, including seated, standing, and even balance poses. So think creatively with safety first, always in mind. teach, breathing and grounding practices at the start. Begin your classes with a grounding practice so that students learn to center their awareness around the present moment. Or their breath. Or a theme you can invite students to connect with any of these while they sit comfortably and learn to diminish their mind chatter. Also, this is the perfect time to encourage students to always check in with their bodies and remind them that they have permission to move at their own pace. I love to include a focus on functional movement by including movements that mimic daily activities. Such as reaching, twisting or side, bending to improve functional mobility. You're encouraging them to continue these types of movement outside of class. You also may be reminding them that they can move in these ways, which in turn encourages them to do them. if possible, incorporate balance and standing poses, use the chair as a support for standing poses like warrior one warrior two, or maybe tree pose or modified versions of all of these poses. Encourage students to hold onto the chair lightly for balance and stability. And you can change the difficulty by changing how much. They hold onto the chair or not. You should always be striving to use clear and accessible cues. Your language is so important here, probably more than ever. Your word choice can either encourage students to keep trying, or it can discourage them because you used language like the full expression of oppose. This is not necessary language to use. Offer simple step-by-step instructions avoid using jargon, overly complicated or flowery language. If you have students with hearing difficulties, this will probably confuse them and make them question. Why they're there in the first place and we don't want that. Provide visual and verbal modifications for every pose and be mindful of the volume of your voice. You may need to speak louder, but being careful not to shout. Use words like gentle, mindful, easy, soft. Aware notice or without judgment. So that students understand that they have autonomy and power over their bodies and the movements they choose to take. Remember to always encourage rest and mindfulness, whether it's at the beginning of class during class or at the, in. Taking a rest and being mindful of what feels like enough for right now. Is always the best message to give. You could end your classes with a guided relaxation or a breathing exercise. Even in a chair, you can help your students experience a sense of deep rest. For example, in a seated version of Shavasana. Focus on breathing or offer a short guided meditation. Now you may be wondering how to go about attracting students and grow your chair, yoga offerings. That's a great question. A few ways. I believe it's important to always highlight accessibility. Emphasize that chair yoga is for everyone regardless of their age experience or mobility level. Use inclusive language in your promotional materials, such as yoga for everybody. Or gentle supported movement for all bodies. You can create classes for different specific groups. Classes for seniors partner with community centers, senior living facilities or retirement communities. Yoga for office workers offer lunchtime classes at local businesses or coworking spaces. Or yoga for rehabilitation Work in collaboration with physical therapists or wellness centers to reach individuals recovering from injury. I've taught each of these and I love it because the classes are so different. But include the same elements. And I'm reaching different audiences as well. You should always be using testimonials and success stories. When you do this, it helps potential students get an understanding of the benefits or the outcomes other students are getting from your classes. For example with permission, always share the words of a student who has regained some mobility after surgery. Or another student from your desk, yoga class. Who has learned tools to help them feel less stressed at work? These would be wonderful words to share that would entice potential students to give it a try. Then leverage social media, but use it responsibly. Post videos or photos demonstrating simple chair, yoga poses. I suggest filming yourself and not your students. One way teachers market themselves is by FOMO showcasing full classes so that others think they're missing out on something. But that's really, in my opinion. Ego-driven and the more we get out of ego-driven behaviors, the better effects on our lives. Hear me out, small classes are just as beautiful. Maybe even more and class size doesn't mean you aren't making a difference in those students lives. So just film yourself and show the teaching. That's really important. Think about sharing educational content that debunks myths about chair yoga as well. And then think about offering introductory workshops. This is a great low commitment way to get interested students, to try out a new offering. Host a free or low cost cheer yoga workshop to introduce the practice to new students. Use the workshop to answer questions, demonstrate modifications, and showcase the benefits of chair yoga. I love workshops because they invite questions and conversations. And finally think about collaborating with local organizations to help you market your classes. I partner with libraries, schools, or nonprofits to bring cheer yoga to their communities. And offer donation-based classes to make chair yoga, accessible to underserved populations. I'll leave you with this. One thing most people don't think about when it comes to chair, yoga is how effective it can be for building strength. Even though it's often perceived as gentle or easy. Holding poses with the support of a chair helps students build muscular engagement in a safe way. For example, in a supportive chair pose. Students can still activate their lower body musculature without the fear of falling. Or seated leg lifts, engage and strengthen the quadriceps while the students are still supported, seated in their chair. This strength work can be a game changer for students who are rebuilding strength after an injury. Or for seniors looking for different ways to maintain their independence. Always remember that cheer yoga is such a powerful way to make yoga accessible, inclusive, and transformative for everyone. Offering tear. Yoga shows your commitment to making yoga a practice that truly welcomes every body, regardless of age ability or experience, it's not just about teaching yoga. It's about creating a space where everyone can feel supported. Empowered and included. Okay. How are you feeling about teaching chair yoga? The intention of this episode is to help you realize that you don't have to discount it as one of your offerings. You never know. You may fall in love with a practice and with your students. Start small, stay inclusive and watch your classes grow into a community of students who feel seen, supported, and inspired. I absolutely loved. Teaching chair yoga. It was one of my favorite classes to teach. If you're not already teaching chair yoga, consider it. It's such a beautiful practice. And the more people we can introduce to yoga the better. When you have a layered approach to your teaching and include various formats, such as chair, Yan, restorative, and meditation. You help introduce students to various aspects of the yoga practice. And help them realize that it's not a workout, but a tool to help them look inside themselves. These classes, help students find their way to the practices that will serve them best. It's so important for us to have this conversation so that you remember that there are so many opportunities. For you in the teaching world. You know that my goal is for you to love the yoga teaching life and allow it to be fulfilling and rewarding. And as always, it takes some work to get there. If you love this episode, let me know. I've added a link in the show notes for you to send me a quick text message about your thoughts on this episode or any other, I won't know your phone number. It's just a neat addition to the platform I use that allows for this new and super easy way for you to communicate with me. Once you click on it, it will take you to your messages, but don't delete the code. That's how your message will get to me. And I would love to know your thoughts. Subscribe to the podcast. So you're always in the know when a new episode drops and share with another yoga teacher who you think would love to be in on these conversations. Thank you for helping to spread the word about this podcast. And if you've been taking notes in your journal, as you listen to these episodes, I'm so glad you are. And I would love to hear about it. Don't forget to download the ebook sequencing for different injuries. The link is in the show notes. I promise you, it will help you form a foundation for teaching students with injuries and aging bodies. The information will also help you understand how to accommodate students of different accessibilities, including students who find their way to Europe, chair, yoga classes. And it'll be a great resource for you to return to again and again. When you download the ebook, you'll be joining my newsletter. That's just for yoga teachers. I've got more exciting teachings coming soon. So I'll want to tell you all about them. The link is in the show notes below, and I would love for you to join it so we can always stay connected. All right, that's it for now? Bye.

21:58

Mhm.