Take It Outside...Accessible Yoga, That Is

Women standing with arms raised overhead, palms touching,
Seen from the back among palm trees, body of water in the distance 

by Janis Ware


Bringing together two loves...Accessible Yoga and nature...is really pretty simple when it is just me out on the trail with trekking poles in hand, eagle eyeing every tree, bench, picnic table, post or other element of nature as a potential support prop. But how to bring this concept to an Accessible Yoga class where people practice seated, standing, or like to move between the two?

Let’s face it, hauling a folding chair to an outdoor space, while possible, is not so appealing. Then there’s the uneven ground to consider, a daunting thought for those of us struggling a bit with balance. Practicing on a slab of cement? Just no.

Some parks have shelters but for a class folks can count on, shelters need to be rented, and they are not cheap. Finding a sustainable and accessible option with enough room for safe distancing can be a challenge.

Then one day, it appeared, and it had been there all along. There is a smaller open-air shelter, open on the sides but with a roof, in a nearby arboretum, so I decided to look at it from a new perspective. Views include a beautiful grassy meadow full of bluebirds and big sky or the arboretum area with, well, lots of trees. Naturally.

The shelter offered three large picnic tables that can be moved to ensure safe distancing, several built in benches along the back for those who like to move between standing and seated, a place on each end if someone really wants to roll out their mat, a paved sidewalk leading to the shelter, wheelchair accessibility, and Disabled Parking spaces. It was perfect.

I reached out to my local Parks and Recreation Department to ask about offering an Accessible Yoga class in the arboretum’s shelter, and they loved the idea! Accessible Yoga! Outdoors! Props provided! In May and June! The excitement of bringing together two of my loves is bursting and leaving me with a big smile on my face and happiness in my heart.

Teaching outdoors presents its own unique opportunities to practice yoga. The first day of class was a beautiful day. That morning, I drove over to the shelter only to be met with a parking lot full of construction vehicles and a concrete crew ready for work. Interesting. The theme of our first class was building a foundation with yoga practice. Here was a crew onsite literally preparing to pour concrete and build a foundation. We moved the class to a different park with a large outdoor covered patio surrounded by trees. Perfect, right? The foundation of Yoga helps us to not be shaken by circumstances. Yoga in real life.

The next week presented with rain and possible thunderstorms––luckily we were able to return to move to an indoor space at last week's park. Theme of that class? Santosha, the practice of contentment. So we centered in our foundation once again and embraced the moment, knowing that santosha is not based on condition. The space was beautiful with big windows looking out to many trees. And since it was also a tornado shelter, it was very quiet and safe. Coincidentally (or not), this story was part of our closing: One of the oldest men alive was asked the secret to longevity. He replied, “When it rains, I let it.” Yoga in real life.

Bringing together two of my loves, Accessible Yoga and Nature brought with it a special gift. A third love. The teachings of Yoga are a powerful, sacred, and cherished part of me that are interwoven throughout my daily life. I knew this, of course. Yet, this experience brought with it a whole new awareness of their depth, and I was able to share this with others. Not only do I have a smile on my face and happiness in my heart, but I also am filled with peace and gratitude for this opportunity to serve in a new way.

Sure, we hope to be outside at the arboretum next week but whatever happens, we are learning how the teachings of yoga can guide us as we go about our everyday lives. Sometimes the lessons we did not plan for are the most powerful ones.

Janis Ware, RYT200, is an Accessible Yoga Ambassador and Certified Teacher and is Trauma Informed Yoga Certified. She teaches in Iowa, in the DesMoines area, including at a holistic wellness center, an adult ed class, a class sponsored by a cancer organization, and a 55+ retirement community. Her students have ranged in age from young adult to 97! Nearly all tell her they come to the class because it is adaptive and accessible. They want to feel better in their bodies, minds, and spirits, want to practice yoga and hope they've found a safe space to do so.

Janis has additional certifications in Adaptive Yoga I with Mind Body Solutions, Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga, Yoga for All (Dianne Bondy & Amber Karnes), and Therapeutic Yoga (Cherie Clampett & Arturo Pearl). She has personally practiced variations of accessible yoga for 15 years and has loved sharing this with others for the past three years. She can be contacted at youryogawithjanis@gmail.com.

This post was edited by Patrice Priya Wagner, Managing Editor of Accessible Yoga blog and member of the Board of Directors.

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