“Wheelchair yoga?” Nah, I’ll take the term “adaptive yoga” any day.
Getting out of your wheelchair and onto the mat is one of the best things about an adaptive yoga class. An “out of the wheelchair” yoga class is more like it.
The following two videos – one of a crazily agile paraplegic, the other a high level quadriplegic who needs assistance when practicing – show how no matter your level of spinal cord injury, you can still get out of the chair and do yoga.
The first video comes from our member Wheelz04. He is a T6-8 paraplegic and is totally into yoga. Since he has full upper-body movement (times a million), he’s able to transfer himself onto the mat and put himself into dozens of poses (he’s so strong he can even walk on his hands!). In fact, there’s a chance he might be the strongest person in a wheelchair I’ve seen.
His video shows a short sequence of yoga poses. He starts by transferring onto the mat and goes into a Sun Salutation, two different Warrior poses, the Lizard, Pigeon, Child’s Pose, a handstand, a forward bend, a pose called the Bridge, Happy Baby and ends with Savana (translation is “copse pose,” where you lay completely still and just breathe). Read this entry
Although I think adaptive yoga is very healthy I want to add a word of caution. I found out the hard way, without sensation it is important to be VERY careful about putting any amount of torque (twisting) on long bones, especially the femur–it will snap all too easily. I found this out when crossing one leg in a “lotus” style position and “stretching” it just a bit as I used to before my injury–a little more of a crossed strecth and a loud “POP” sound like snapping a balsa wood 2X4. My femur spiral fractured right down the middle. It cost me 12 weeks in a splint.
OMG that is awful, Bob! Freaky! Your advice is a good heeding to many out there. Are bones can break….never push yourself too far.