A question for all you prop using peeps.........
I have a client for a few private classes
She has adult onset spinal muscular atrophy(SMA type 4) her legs are quite wasted but she can still walk and climb stairs.
She has difficulty moving her legs and keeping her legs,pelvis and back in line.
Standing asana is therefore very difficult.
She has done alot of yoga in the past but has not been able to get to classes partly due to having had 2 babies(3 years and 10months)and partly due to the SMA
progess and she has lost confidence in her practice...she can no longer do things that she could do easily before.
Between us we worked out a sunsalutation variation......she is still strong in her upper body and can almost do a press up and down dog is no problem.
There is no treatment or cure for SMA but she is sure that yoga is helping her and even slowing its progress.
( it will progress...wheelchair....electricwheel chair....feeding tube....ventilator......)
Do any of you lovely peeps know any standing asana using chairs,walls,blocks etc......??
Thank you.
Alison
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Props for standing asana
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 yogialison |
Props for standing asana |
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Posts: 273 (07/13/09 02:00:48) |
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yogini db |
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Posts: 4801 (07/13/09 05:29:04) |
wow... it always breaks my heart to hear things like this. i think it's fabulous that she is continuing with yoga.
i use the chair and wall quite a bit for my senior class. here is a link for a balance pose with a chair... it's a variation of virabhadrasana III. here is a link of variations of virabhadrasana I and virabhadrasana II that is interesting. and, this link is a variation of vrksasana. i also teach 1/2 uttanasana, and a variation of prasarita padottanasana with a chair. i teach several other postures using a chair... but those are not standing postures. there is a nice chest / shoulder stretch you can do on the wall... face the wall (about an inch away), lift one arm so it is shoulder level and place that hand on the wall. the only thing touching the wall is your hand. next, turn your body the opposite direction of your extended arm (if your right arm is extended, toes are pointing to the left). next, press your hand into the wall, creating resistance. try to relax the rest of your body and stay grounded in your feet. again, using the right hand, it should be at about 3 o'clock. continue to press into that hand moving the arm up to 2 o'clock for a several seconds, then to 1 o'clock for several seconds. there is also an excellent thigh stretch using the wall. not sure if your student would be up to it or not. basically, one leg is in a forward lunge, the other leg (lower front leg and top of foot) is on the wall and knee on the floor where it meets the wall. let me know if you are interested in this one, i can give you more detail. and, my seniors love viparita karani. good luck alison. you are doing beautiful work! 
sit down before facts like a child, and be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing. - thomas huxley |
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Suzanne LaForest |
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Posts: 10477 (07/14/09 19:34:03) |
The book How to Use Yoga has a section at the end that shows supported poses, including some standing poses at the wall and on chairs. Judith Lasater I believe
also has a book with a lot of supported/modified positions in it. Does anyone have the one I am thinking of? I've seen it but don't own it to get the
title.
Be the realized
teacher.
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yogialison |
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Posts: 277 (07/15/09 19:58:21) |
Thankyou both.....unfortunatly the internet connections here in Phnom Penh are slow so I could not see all the video clips....far to long to wait...
I have some ideas now I wil be trying them out with the client tomorrow....she has done yoga before and has a good understanding of her body which makes it
easier for me...
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Suzanne LaForest |
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Posts: 10490 (07/21/09 17:37:40) |
Keep us posted! (pun intended)
Be the realized
teacher.
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yogialison |
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Posts: 286 (07/22/09 20:40:05) |
I remembered some warrior poses done (almost)sitting on a chair.These worked very well for the client as she could put her bum on the chair (resting all of her
weight...which is not much)....then get her pelvis and back correctly positioned then move her legs into warrior 1 or 2...then she was free to try bringing
weight into her feet without any worries of falling.
Triangle with her back against the wall and the chair to hold also worked ok.We also did a standing twist with one foot on the seat of the chair...twisting towards bent leg and using hands on wall to ease further into twist.And standing forward bends with bum against the wall and a nearby chair to help with getting up again. Asanas sitting on the floor are all no problem...she is quite open in the hips and hamstrings. Some backbends are a problem as she cannot push up into bridge or wheel with her legs...so we did backbend thru the chair and she did a backbend over me in downdog(my bum is quite fat and therefore more comfortable to backbend over than a hard chair) Then shoulderstand and plow with the chair . . She will be away for the next few weeks but is determined to come back for more after her break. So I may be still looking for more ideas..... Alison |
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Rambling Yogini |
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Posts: 2783 (07/23/09 09:40:09) |
These are great tips! And now I know why I was endowed with a well-padded rear - I knew it had to be useful for something other than sitting on
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- Questions on using this board
- Introductions -- Why You Came to Yoga
- 2009 Live Gathering
- 2007 Live Gathering
- Questions for Erich
- Asana
- Amazing asana sequences
- Health and Yoga
- Breath of Life
- Meditation
- Remembering to Ask for Guidance
- Energy
- Classical Texts (Sutras, Gita, etc.)
- Yamas and Niyamas
- The Business of Yoga
- Teaching Questions
- Video, book, and audio recomendations
- Workshops and Training Opportunities
- MIS Goods & Services Exchange
- Technology
- Yoga Poetry
- Martial Arts, Gymnastics, Hypnosis, Contortionism, Body Building, & Other Related Disciplines
- Everyday Sacred
- Food & Recipes
- The Environment
- Socrates Bar and Grill
