Q. What is Yoga?
A. Yoga, which originated in India more than 5,000 years ago, is an ancient integrating discipline unifying the body and the mind. Yoga includes physical poses developed for strengthening and breathing techniques for mental relaxation. Yoga is used to achieve a total state of alertness and clarity that prepares students for meditation.
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Q. What is YogAbility?
A. YogAbility is a therapeutic approach to yoga for people with special needs or disabilities. The sessions focus on breathing exercises, gentle poses, movement to music, safe stretching and deep relaxation. “YogAbility is a conglomerate of disciplines that include the magic of music and sounds; sensitive encouraging words of acceptance and praise; listening and letting the ego go and also enjoying playful moments while going in and out of poses with animal names–that children and adults alike can enjoy.
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If you are breathing you are doing yoga. But it is mainly offering endless wisdom that the body-mind-spirit when connected through yoga can communicate. It is how can we listen to this inner guidance and use it always for our highest good.
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Q. What is Yoga Therapy?
A. Physical healing can be seen as the freedom of the body to function in its own intrinsic order and wholeness.
Energetic healing is the freedom to explore and integrate fully our energetic being while liberating it from energy blockages.
Psycho-emotional healing is freedom from constricting thoughts and emotions and the freedom of the mind to rest in its natural state, serenity and objectivity.
Spiritual healing is the freedom to simply be who we truly are.
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Q. Who participates in YogAbility?
A. YogAbility is available to anyone who is searching for an effective and gentle form of exercise and relaxation. The poses are designed for people with special needs or those living with challenging conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral palsy, Cancer, Arthritis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc.
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Q. What can YogAbility do for me?
A. For many students, YogAbility has been successful in building muscular strength, flexibility and coordination; while decreasing pain and increasing relaxation. Currently more and more physicians are relating to the fact that Yoga is a form of complementary healing medicine.
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Q. Is Yoga covered by my health care provider or insurance company?
A. Currently Yoga therapy is usually not covered by health insurance, but sometimes it is paid for by Workman’s Compensation and auto- mobile medical insurance. If you are eligible for workmen’s compensation, you may be referred to yoga. Ammidown has received reimbursement through workmen’s compensation for providing yoga therapy sessions prescribed by a physician.
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Q. Who founded YogAbility and why?
A. Bea Ammidown has been a Yoga student for more than 40 years. After a severe accident, she used the healing powers of yoga combined with modern medicine to mend her body. Since 1986, Bea has taught yoga internationally, and is fluent in Spanish and French. She creates a safe environment by using yoga, music and meditation as healing tools for treatment of stress, injury or chronic pain.