Forward by Jennifer Dixon – Throughout my teacher training journey, I always (and in retrospect very selfishly) went to trainings that resonated with my personal practice at the time. I was very much into the Asanas (physical postures) that could help me get stronger and –not gonna lie here–help me do the more “insta worthy” poses. It wasn’t until about 5 years into teaching that I realized how vitally important it was to learn how to teach people that were not driven the same way I was, that weren’t physically shaped and conditioned like me, and that weren’t in the same age group as me.
As that realization occurred, I was first of all mortified at my own complete lack of awareness of myself, but also very much concerned that I needed to know how to help more people–not just people like me. That’s when my yoga education took a turn and I started studying practices completely foreign to me. Studying prenatal yoga (something I didn’t really like even when I was pregnant, but I could see the desperate need), then getting into children’s yoga, and slower based practices like Yin and Restorative followed quickly afterward. Senior yoga, the study and practice of it, is hands down one of my favorite topics. I feel like, if I can get a good grasp on how to teach a new to yoga person that is limited in mobility due to age or injury, then I could truly take my yoga practice and teaching skills to a new level.
Teaching yoga is so incredibly rewarding. I can think of very few “jobs” that can be done that are so satisfying. Someone comes in tired, achy, stressed out, you name it–and at least for that 60 minutes that you’re in class, they feel better. It’s amazing. Teaching that to someone that has the wisdom of years and the stress of countless other things–it is incredibly humbling and moving and 100% motivating to me to keep learning and doing more of.
That’s why it was so important to bring a dear friend into the studio as part of our 200 hr yoga teacher training program to share her knowledge of and love for Senior yoga. Maggie has a heart for teaching and especially loves working with seniors. I can’t wait to share her beautiful gifts with my students and with the world at large. If you’d like to join us, please click here.
Below is a brief description of what Maggie will be covering this weekend:
Senior and Caregiver Yoga
by Maggie Bailey RYT 500
This workshop is designed to show you how to modify any pose for seniors and their caregivers. We will heavily focus on neurological disorders such as stroke and Parkinsons. It will show you how vital it is to include the caregiver as a partner in yoga classes. It is common for caregiver injury or stress overload. We will show you how to work with this ever-growing population.
Through specially designed sequences where the caregiver is a partner in the practice, we can help better equip seniors in their everyday life. Both caregiver and senior are practicing. It is a dance between the standing partner and sitting partner. Both partners taking care of each other in the flow of the sequences.
On day two of the workshop, we will have a great opportunity to work with a stroke survivor and her caregiver and get to know and see how yoga can be for everyone.
Maggie is a graduate of UT with a B.S. in Child and Family Studies. She has worked with many child care programs in the area as well as with Siskin Rehab Center support groups here in Chattanooga. Maggie came to yoga after several medical conditions and years of health scares. She suffered a TIA in 2016, which led her to broaden her training into Adaptive Yoga. She offers privates, small groups and works with caregivers in the local area. Her passion is working with students’ recovery from Stroke.
Maggie is a registered 500Hr yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance International that specializes in Adaptive Yoga. She is currently pursuing a certification to become a Yoga Therapist.
I am very excited Jennifer that you are getting into this phase of yoga. I feel it’s difficult for young fit people to realize exactly what the older and new to Yoga student needs. I’m always available for feedback if you want the perspective of somebody who is at that stage of life and still wants to be able to find classes that work well for me.