Last February I began to teach yoga to a small group of people - most have MS and a couple of care providers. The West Kootenay MS Society had sponsored one of their MS clients at a beginner’s yoga class and a connection was made. We have been meeting once a week at the Castlegar library Lower Level Yoga Space and at the Columbia River Studio ~ A Magical Setting for a yoga class especially engineered for people with MS.
In all my many years of teaching I never had a group like this. These people all came early to help me get ready for them, setting up all the complicated yoga props needed for a restorative class and an active class for students with disabilities.
They help each other and are so kind and they all always come to class unless it is impossible. We have advanced quickly into a support group as these students all experience some of the same difficulties.
I have observed increased abilities in the group to do the yoga poses and everyone is feeling better. During the year our group, the West Kootenay Yoga for MS Support Group, has expanded in membership and activities and we now have a volunteer assistant Deborah MacDonald. Some of our activities include socials, dinner parties, and coffee meet ups. We are doing strength work as well as restorative yoga getting ready for the MS Walk in May. We thank so many for helping us. We are very grateful.
As we celebrate our first year together, at the group’s request, we are starting a second class in the spring. We will meet again on Fridays, 1:30 p.m. at the Columbia River Studio ~ A Magical Setting on 5th Avenue in Castlegar.
The yoga students are sponsored by the WK MS Society and we welcome new students with MS and their care providers.
-Janice Ferraro,
Castlegar