Grant helps seniors attend free ‘chair yoga’ classes

Fourteen senior citizens took part in a new, free program in Springfield that offers Kripalu yoga with a certified instructor.

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2016-05-04 / Front Page Grant helps seniors attend free ‘chair yoga’ classes By Tory Jones Bonenfant toryb@eagletimes.com Janet Lynds (left) performs a Half Moon Pose with yoga instructor Kathy Giurtino (right) and others at the Springfield Senior Center. — CAMERON PAQUETTE Janet Lynds (left) performs a Half Moon Pose with yoga instructor Kathy Giurtino (right) and others at the Springfield Senior Center. — CAMERON PAQUETTE SPRINGFIELD — Fourteen senior citizens took part in a new, free program in Springfield that offers Kripalu yoga with a certified instructor. The benefits to local senior include wellness and socialization, according to Senior Center Director Terri Emerson. “That’s a great thing for flexibility,” she said. “And also for getting together.” Some senior citizens are alone, or have spouses who have passed away, and this offers an opportunity to get out and meet friends while reaping the health benefits of yoga, Emerson said. The classes are open and free to anyone over the age of 50. Emerson said that everyone is welcome, but that she thinks many seniors in the area cannot afford exercise classes. She wanted to reach out to them to help them, she said. “We’re trying to keep people vital members of the community,” Emerson said. “We’re not seniors, we are seasoned people!” The program was made possible with the help of a $500 grant from The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 that operates a health and yoga retreat, workshops and classes in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The grant paid for equipment, including mats, yoga support blocks and bands, and the cost of the instructor for both classes, Emerson said. Kathy Maynard Giurtino, 70, took a 200-hour course to become a Kripalu-trained and certified yoga instructor after discovering yoga at age 55. Giurtino teaches the classes in Springfield, and applied for the grant earlier this year in collaboration with Emerson. The yoga organization awards an average of $500,000 in scholarships each year, according to its website. Giurtino had intended to teach the yoga classes from her home, but the grant would not cover that location for classes. “So I said, ‘Why don’t you do it here?’” Emerson said. The Springfield Senior Center at 139 Main St. began offering chair yoga classes on May 3, following the launch of its regular mat yoga program on May 2. Giurtino estimated that 95 percent of Tuesday’s participants had never taken a yoga class before — and said they may never have done it if they had to pay. “If they feel like coming and trying it isn’t going to cost them something, they’ll come and try it,” she said, adding that many retirees have to be conscious of spending due to limited income. “It’s fun to teach here” Giurtino said. “This is a very receptive group.” Chair yoga incorporates many of the same poses, or asanas, as regular yoga when practiced on a mat, but does not require getting down onto a mat or being on the knees. The traditional mat classes are geared to both gentle and moderate levels, with no experience necessary, but participants need to be able to get on and off the mat, Emerson said. Mats, and necessary props are available at the senior center. Participants can also bring their own, and should wear comfortable, non-binding clothing. Yoga, both chair and mat, helps participants with balance, strength, breathing, lowering blood pressure, flexibility and body awareness, according to information provided by Giurtino. The classes include deep breathing techniques and a series of warm-up movements followed by traditional yoga poses and then a few quiet, meditative moments. The chair yoga classes will take place on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Mat yoga classes are held Mondays at 10 a.m. “You can come to yoga at any point and benefit from it,” said Giurtino. All yoga classes at the center will run for seven weeks, ending June 20. The center, which has about 300 members, also offers activities and classes such as shuffleboard, a “Senior Songsters” group, strength training, line dancing, walking, and ceramics. For more information, call the senior center at (802) 885-3933.