Adaptive Yoga Stretching Routine for Wheelchairs!

Seated In Wheelchair Position

Step 1: Seated Meditation (Lena likes to do duck faces:)
Step 2: Neck Stretches (hold forward, roll neck side to side)

Step 3: Arm Stretches & Exercises

Step 4: Lower back stretch (lean forward)
Step 5: Leg Stretches










On Floor: Seated Position

Step 6: Forward Bend: Slower lower down. Take 1-2 minutes to deep breathe then lower down an inch or two until you're as far down as you can go or should go.

Step 7: Butterfly pose: Straight back. Then bow forward an inch or two.










On Floor: Lying Down Position

Step 8: Full Body stretch on your back.
Step 9 Stretch arms by grabbing wrists and pulling to the side
Step 10: Fish pose (or adaptive fish with roller under lower back as head falls back)







On Floor: On Belly

Step 11: Sphinx Pose
Step 12: Cobra Post
Step 13: Upward Dog Pose (adapted)









On Floor: On Knees

Step 14: Table Top Position
(might need support, someone stand straddling hips to hold stable)
Step 15: Arm lifts
Step 16: Child's Pose
(adaptive on ball relaxing the lower back and stretching arms)
Step 17: Savasana/Relaxation Pose

Meditation Research and Benefits!

Here are 20 Scientific Reasons to start meditating!

It Boosts Your HEALTH

1 - Increases immune function (See here and here)

2 - Decreases Pain (see here)

3 - Decreases Inflammation at the Cellular Level (See here and here and here)

It Boosts Your HAPPINESS

4 - Increases Positive Emotion (here and here)

5 - Decreases Depression (see here)

6 - Decreases Anxiety (see here and here and here)

7 - Decreases Stress (see here and  here)

It Boosts Your SOCIAL LIFE

Think meditation is a solitary activity? It may be (unless you meditate in a group which many do!) but it actually increases your sense of connection to others:

8 - Increases social connection & emotional intelligence (see here and - by yours truly - here)

9 - Makes you more compassionate (see here and here and here)

10 - Makes you feel less lonely (see here)

It Boosts Your Self-Control

11 - Improves your ability to regulate your emotions (see here) (Ever flown off the handle or not been able to quiet your mind? Here's the key)

12 - Improves your ability to introspect (see here & for why this is crucial see this post)

It Changes Your BRAIN (for the better)

13 - Increases grey matter (see here)

14 - Increases volume in areas related to emotion regulation, positive emotions & self-control (see here and here)

15 - Increases cortical thickness in areas related to paying attention (see here)

 It Improves Your Productivity (yup, by doing nothing)

16 - Increases your focus & attention (see here and here and here and here)

17 - Improves your ability to multitask (see here)

18 - Improves your memory (see here)

19 - Improves your ability to be creative & think outside the box (see research by J. Schooler)

20. It Makes You WISE(R)

Stretching and Yoga for Seniors

Here's a great article on the benefits and exercises for seniors.

http://www.stretching-exercises-guide.com/exercises-for-seniors.html

Stretching Exercises for Seniors Summary

1. Warm up briefly prior to stretching
2. Avoid bouncing or ballistic stretching
3. Hold each stretch for 60 seconds for maximum benefit
4. Breath deeply and relaxed as you lean into a stretch
5. Avoid pain
6. Be aware of spinal posture

Can Yoga Help?

Amongst a group of 16 community dwelling female seniors, three 70 minute sessions of yoga over a course of four weeks resulted in the following(7):

• decreased body fat percentage
• decreased systolic blood pressure
• improved balance
• improved shoulder range of motion
• reduced incidence of sleep disturbance

Breathing Techniques

Here is an article that mentions 6 breathing exercises to help you relax and focus!

 6 BREATHING EXERCISES! (Link)

I really enjoy a combination of Example 1 and 2 that was given in this article, with deep inhale for 4 counts and exhale slowly for 5-6 counts. But I suggest you try all of them and find what works best for you.

Good Exercise: Abdominal Breathing Technique 

How it’s done: With one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, ensuring the diaphragm (not the chest) inflates with enough air to create a stretch in the lungs. The goal: Six to 10 deep, slow breaths per minute for 10 minutes each day to experience immediate reductions to heart rate and blood pressure.

A combination of mindfulness, stretching and deep breathing is a great way to reduce inflammation and learn to de-stress.  One of my favorite sayings:

Buddha was asked, "What have you gained from Meditation?"
He answered, "Nothing! But there's a lot I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, worry of old age and more...

So try and make deep breathing a part of your practice...

Meditation Song: Helps with Anxiety

NEUROSCIENTISTS DISCOVER A SONG THAT REDUCES ANXIETY BY 65 PERCENT 

Neuroscientists Discover Meditation Song helps with Anxiety

Anxiety — that feeling of dread, fear, worry and panic — is certainly nothing new. Hippocrates wrote about it in the fourth century BCE. As did Søren Kierkegaard in the 1860s. And Sigmund Freud addressed the disorder in 1926.

Pharmaceutical drugs tend to be the classic treatment for treating anxiety (as well as the biggest money maker). Cognitive therapy is a common approach as well. Those with a holistic bent often turn to meditation, yoga, massage and other relaxation techniques. Music therapy has also been used with some success. But now neuroscientists in the U.K. have zeroed in on a single song that results in a dramatic 65 percent reduction in overall anxiety…However, jump to the present and we’re seeing a significant uptick — especially with youth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcAVejslrU