WOMEN’S HEALTH
Participants practice the “Leg Up Wall” pose.
Yoga for Everyone Mindy Eisenberg makes yoga accessible for people with multiple sclerosis. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MINDY EISENBERG
M
indy Eisenberg believes that yoga should be accessible to everyone. The certified yoga therapist and founder of nonprofit adaptive yoga organization Yoga Moves MS believes that yoga, among other holistic health remedies, can help alleviate symptoms of certain conditions like multiple sclerosis, a disease of the nervous system. The power of yoga, among other topics, will be at the forefront of the annual Yoga Moves Holistic Health Forum. The virtual forum, taking place on Nov. 6, will feature panel discussions with experts on MS sharing their insight on how to manage the disease through holistic ways. “When somebody has a condition, a lot of times, they disassociate from their body,” Eisenberg, 57, of Franklin and a member of Adat Shalom, says. “Yoga is a way to get back in there again and appreciate what the body can do.” Through yoga, Eisenberg believes that people coping with and managing MS — regardless of their age — can experience a variety of physical and mental health benefits. But yoga, like many other exercise classes, can often be expensive. It’s also not
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very therapeutic,” Eisenberg says of Yoga covered by medical insurance. Moves MS classes, which see anywhere To alleviate those costs and help people from 8-12 people and now hold virtual access yoga as a tool for their health and sessions as well to accommodate the needs wellness, Eisenberg launched Yoga Moves of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People who MS in 2005, a program that offers free participated were able to see all of their adaptive yoga classes for people with the challenges because of the disease and their caregivers. condition like a map.” The classes are 100% funded That’s because each Yoga by donations. Moves MS class starts with Unlike traditional yoga, a brief check-in to see how adaptive yoga modifies yoga participants are feeling. They postures to accommodate take time to discuss their the needs of people with symptoms that week and MS. These small-group what areas they want to work classes incorporate props like on. For example, if foot pain blankets, chairs, yoga straps or foot issues are a common and blocks to make different concern, the class that day yoga poses easier, often with will focus on yoga poses or one-on-one instruction. stretches that help alleviate For Eisenberg, whose Mindy Eisenberg foot discomfort. mother had Primary“We’re making the practice Progressive MS, she knew firsthand the challenges of both the our own,” Eisenberg says, “so it fits our financial costs of the disease and how body and what we need at that moment.” essential it was to address the pain and This, she says, is a significant mental other symptoms that it can bring on. Most health benefit because it gives power back important was the idea of finding support to those with MS. “We’re so used to going groups. to doctors and they make health decisions for us. But with something like yoga, we’re “I realized that small group classes were continued on page 28
OCTOBER 21 • 2021
