Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Interview with Katja Sandschneider on Making Yoga Accessible to People with Disabilities


Accessible Yoga Blog: Where do you teach? Who is the population?

Katja: I give weekly classes for people with disabilities in Berlin, Germany. Our classes are inclusive; I teach people living with arthritis, multiple sclerosis, students recovering from strokes, individuals with amputations, and individuals with paralysis.

I also teach able-bodied students in the social work program at a private university in Berlin. Many of these students don’t have any prior yoga experience. I teach basic hatha yoga techniques and also adaptations based on their ability.

Accessible Yoga Blog: Can you share an experience that stands out?

Katja: I had a student with severe muscular atrophy; she could only move her head and lower arms. She also had a sharp mind and was excited to try yoga. During class her assistant and I helped move her arms and legs carefully into yoga poses, and I encouraged her to breathe deeply and calmly. After savasana, she smiled and said it had been a long time since she felt so present and in control of her body. The next day she wrote me and said that she felt physically and emotionally empowered. She also nearly bumped her head on the car roof as she got in because her upper body was so much more upright. Moments like this remind me of the power of our yoga classes.

Accessible Yoga Blog: Why do you teach this group or this population? What made you choose this specific group?

Katja: As soon as I decided to become a yoga teacher I knew I’d teach people with disabilities. I have right-side hemiparesis below my hip and becoming an AY teacher helped me make peace with my own story and physical challenges. I stopped struggling with my future as yoga taught me the purpose of my disability.

At first I felt awkward teaching able-bodied students, but eventually I realized that I don’t need to do ‘perfect poses’ in order to be a good teacher.

Accessible Yoga Blog: What are you excited to do next with your students?

Katja: I’m so excited about the Accessible Yoga Conference coming to Rheinsberg, Germany (close to Berlin) in October 2018. It will be great for my students to try new yoga experiences, meet other AY teachers, and dive into yoga for a whole weekend with amazing presenters from the United States and Europe.

Katja Sandschneider has been an Accessible Yoga teacher since 2014. Shortly after birth she experienced internal bleeding in her spinal cord which resulted in paralysis of the lower right half of her body. After her first yoga class she experienced a reduction in back pain and headaches as well as improved relaxation. As she learned to adapt a typical yoga class to her own needs she realized that Accessible Yoga wasn’t offered in Germany. She took the Accessible Yoga Teacher Training and has been teaching AY classes in Berlin ever since.


This post was edited by Gita Brown.


° FOLLOW Accessible Yoga on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

° REGISTER here for our next conference.

° DONATE here to help us bring yoga to people who don’t have access or have been underserved, such as people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, children with special needs, and anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable in a regular yoga class.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Interview with Chantel Ehler on Teaching Accessible Yoga


Accessible Yoga Blog: Where do you teach? Who is the population?

Chantel: I run a yoga school in Ontario, Canada called Amara Vidya Yoga School. Grounded in accessibility and diversity, our school features online and direct contact training combined with progressive learning techniques. I also teach online web conference classes to private students who don’t have access to typical yoga studios. In addition, I run a clinical practice in Ontario where I combine my training in massage therapy, Thai massage and therapeutic yoga.

Accessible Yoga Blog: Can you share an experience that stands out? 

Chantel: Many of my experiences have made me aware that I want to make all students feels safe and secure during yoga classes. One time a student revealed to me that he had a prosthetic limb and felt as that he couldn’t do yoga. I realized I had an opportunity to make him feel comfortable and supported within a group class. This experience and my work with palliative care participants made me realize that our connection to one another is what makes yoga powerful.

Accessible Yoga Blog: Why do you teach this group or this population? What made you choose this specific group

Chantel: When I graduated in 2002 I was already teaching to what we consider today as “special populations.” Until I moved back to North America in 2008, I didn’t know that certain populations experienced segregation or ostracism in the yoga room. It wasn’t until I started working in big box studios that I realized how many people were marginalized. I experienced a fair degree of bigotry myself, and also got in trouble for including my friends who were blind, obese or didn’t fit the “pretty” mold. I became more disenchanted with group classes as my continued training highlighted my desire to work with a wider spectrum of people.

Accessible Yoga Blog: What are you excited to do next with your students.


Chantel: I am currently developing a program that integrates community service work with yoga teacher training. I am expanding my water yoga program and excited to teach more students who can benefit from a water-based practice.

Chantel Ehler is the founder of the Amara Vidya Yoga school in Ontario. She is also a registered massage therapist and ERYT-500 Yoga Alliance registered teacher. She enjoys teaching students of all abilities and is currently the Location Manager for the 2018 Accessible Yoga Conference in Toronto. Chantel also offers water-based yoga practice in her community.

This post was edited by Gita Brown.


° FOLLOW Accessible Yoga on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

° REGISTER here for our next conference.

° DONATE here to help us bring yoga to people who don’t have access or have been underserved, such as people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, children with special needs, and anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable in a regular yoga class.