Ageless Yoga with Annette Wertman

All ages, all body types and all abilities are interested in YOGA!

Chair Yoga classes are offered at the Leo Wertman Residence  5 times a week at 11:15 – 12:15 (with a $5.00 drop-in fee on Saturdays & Sundays –  OPEN to anyone in the Lower-Mainland).

Come and experience the health benefits of Chair Yoga and have a good time doing so too!

Yoga Students at the Leo Wertman Residence

June teaches a popular Chair Yoga class in Kapuskasing, Northern Ontario. Between 27 – 37 people show up!

Thank you, June, for your inspiring yoga teaching!

NOW available on Amazon.com

Chair Twist

sitting tall

Practising balance – the safe way!

Residents, that have recently moved in to the absolutely beautiful new residence for seniors, in Vancouver, are now participating in Chair Yoga sessions, offered 4 times a week by ANNETTE WERTMAN of Ageless Yoga.

“I certainly feel less stiff now” (Bella)

“I see how this yoga connects the body with the mind. It is good!” (Murray)

” I am going to come to all your classes, Annette. This is so important for me!. Thank you.” (Morris)

This was an observation by one of the yoga students at the Windermere Care Centre.

And what fun we are having! We continue to laugh as we do our pranayama (breathing exercises), our stretching and strengthening asanas (poses), our yoga dances (Macarena, Hands Up, Cha-Cha, Hockey Pockey) and groan through the gentle shoulder massage during Savasana.

Recently I have asked  the yoga students to suggest the Mantra for our closing prayer. This was Sarah’s suggestion at our Chair Yoga session last week…..

“May we be GRATEFUL”.

Thank you so much for teaching an amazing, inspiring, thoughtful, energetic & fun, fun, fun chair yoga workshop.

Fantastic group of yoga teachers, wonderful sangha sharing. Jacci & you have a powerful presence – kudos for such seamless team teaching.

I’m so glad I came from Calgary. I’m going to lead a chair yoga class when I get home.

Chair Yoga Teacher Training 2014

What a fantastic group of students – some yoga teachers, some novice yogis, some recreation therapists!

We are all  learning lot and having a good time together.

Isn’t that what life is all about – community.

I think so.

“I am 1/2 inches  taller than I was last year… MUST BE THE YOGA”.                              Betty

“I seem to be taking less of my asthma meds these days … MUST BE THE YOGA”. Corinne

“I am able to cope better with my aging mother…MUST BE THE YOGA”.                    Cheryl

Chair Twist

Yoga with a Chair . For older adults and people of any age with varying physical limitations, using a chair instead of the traditional mat is what makes yoga’s amazing fitness and health potential both accessible and safe.

Older Adults represent the fastest growing sector of our population and they are increasingly drawn to yoga.  This phenomenon is creating an increasing demand for well-trained yoga teachers. It is essential that yoga teachers learn how to best serve older students and students with limited mobility and/or other concerns.

Chair Yoga Teacher Training with Annette Wertman is for Yoga Teachers with their 200 hour certification working towards their AYTT (500 hour certificate) and for anyone seeking to experience the benefits of Chair Yoga as well as health professionals, body workers, physical therapists and exercise instructors who work with older adults and persons with other issues and/ or concerns.

Chair Yoga Teacher Training with Annette Wertman and Jacci Collins

Date: June 18th-22nd, 2014
Format: Full Time
Hours: 35 hrs
Location: Sea Studio, Semperviva Yoga School, Vancouver

Training will include:

• Rationale, myths, populations, guidelines of teaching Chair Yoga
• Applying pranayama, meditation and yoga philosophy
• Health challenges and concerns
• Chair Yoga poses
• Chair Yoga practice
• Sequencing the Chair Yoga practice
• Practical teaching experience
• Business of teaching Chair Yoga
  

Yes, it is happening!  Other facilities that are now ‘on chair!’

Poppy Residences
Courtland Terrace
Brock House
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Kits Neighbourhood House

Chair Yoga Teachers IN DEMAND!

The Chair Yoga Revolution

The 11th Floor Yoga Class at the Windermere Care Centre is over one year old now. Most Thursdays the room is filled to capacity….the group has almost out-grown our yoga space.

Some gems have bubbled up from these yogis and yoginis. For example, today, I asked the class for suggestions for the Closing Mantra. I started with….”may we ……” Linda, (one of the regulars) suggested “one another!”  So, today’s yoga class ended with the mantra, “May we love one-another”. We say this out loud, 10 times, with eyes closed and palms up, resting on each thigh. The thumb presses each finger separately (pointer, then middle finger, then ring finger, then baby-finger), while chanting each word.

After this mantra, taking a deep breath in, we raise our arms up, palms touch over-head. Exhaling as we chant “OM”, we bring the ‘prayer hands’ down slowly, in front of the heart and bow our heads….in gratitude for the one breath that unites us all.

We turn to our neighbours and say, “NAMASTE”…..from my heart to yours!

“After that last yoga class, the nurse was here, and I had to get my blood pressure checked. Well, what a surprise I received, when the nurse told me it was NORMAL! It never is ‘normal’……..must of been all that yoga breathing….just calmed me right down.”

I have started to share the prayer Lokah Samasta with my Chair Yoga students. After class last week, one student asked that I also teach the prayer in her native language ‘YIDDISH’.
So, last night, after dinner with my parents (Frieda 88, and George, almost 93) I asked for their help. Well, we have not laughed like that for a long time. What fun, trying to translate Sanskrit into Yiddish….it took some time but we did it!

Send me an email request if you are interested.

Me, George & Frieda

How wonderful…..teaching yoga, in the sun, on the beach, to people from all over the world. What fun!

Jamaica Yoga - Negril Beach