Yoga is an art and science that connects the mind, body, and soul through physical posture exercises (asana), partnering with the breath (pranayama), and meditation exercises. Adaptive Yoga modifies this posture for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, stroke, and other neuromuscular conditions.
Yoga is not a philosophy that is suitable for all sizes. Because each body is unique, and each individual's exercise is different, basically all yoga is adaptive to some extent. With Adaptive Yoga, traditional poses are adapted to the physical body, rather than adjusting and forcing the body into certain poses and shapes. Coupled with breathing, props such as blankets, chairs, yoga ropes, and beams to meet the unique needs of individuals with different abilities. Yoga poses can be adjusted to be practiced in a chair, while standing, or on the ground.
With Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system attacks the Central Nervous System, and communication to and from the brain and body is disrupted.
Damage to nerve fibers and the myelin sheath that protects nerves causes a myriad of symptoms. They include, but are not limited to, significant fatigue, muscle weakness, pain, numbness and tingling, flexibility, and challenges to balance, walking, vision, bladder, bowel, speaking, swallowing, hearing, and sexual function. These same symptoms often manifest in other neuromuscular conditions.
Any form of pose can be modified depending on what you want to achieve. This is called the adaptation pose. Adaptation means changing the shape of the pose to maximize its function. Pose adaptation is one of the most effective tools yoga teachers have to achieve very specific structural, energetic, and mental-emotional effects. The same pose can be used for a variety of purposes, which makes the exercise more precise and effective.
Pranayama (breathing), Asana (physical pose), and meditation (contemplation) exercises have a high impact on energy levels. Anyone and anyone can learn to use Complete Yoga to calm the nervous system and relieve fatigue, a common symptom for those suffering from neuromuscular conditions. Breath is a natural "edge detector" that helps a person to understand their current abilities and energy levels. Simple actions focusing on the breath can relieve stress, and improve focus, pain, and sleep patterns.
What makes a pose a "superpose"?
It is not the difficulty or complexity of organizing a body part, and not even the strength or flexibility that one needs to show to do so. In fact, most superposes are quite simple. What makes them strong is the incredible variety of poses. The goal of each yoga pose is to provide maximum benefits to the body with minimum risk.
Superpose is a yoga pose that:
- Can provide benefits to many different parts of the body simultaneously ("solid benefits")
- Accessible to most students
- Can be easily modified to emphasize the effect on a specific area
- Can be easily adjusted to accommodate various body shapes, physical abilities, student preferences, and so on.
Below is a list of poses considered "superposes" arranged in five groups of four and representing a gradual progression from the most basic to the more challenging.
