Chair yoga for people with muscular dystrophy is a gentle yet powerful way to support your physical and emotional wellbeing. At MD Support Centre, we offer free, specialised weekly online classes designed specifically for people living with muscular dystrophy.
Led by experienced physiotherapist Rewati Bachute, our accessible classes chair yoga blend gentle postures, therapeutic breathing, and calming guided meditation. They help you tune into your body, move mindfully, and find a sense of ease and empowerment.
Rewati explains:
“Our specialised chair yoga classes offer a safe and effective way to experience the holistic benefits of yoga, tailored to individual needs.”
Why try chair yoga?
As well as enhancing flexibility, chair yoga offers a multitude of other benefits. Here’s how our specialised chair yoga for people with muscular dystrophy can support you:
Maintain and support muscle strength
Gentle, controlled movements help preserve existing muscle function and prevent muscle weakening without placing stress on your body.
Improve flexibility and mobility
Carefully adapted stretches can ease stiffness, reduce muscle tightening, and help you maintain a comfortable range of motion in your joints.
Enhance balance and stability
Chair yoga can strengthen your core and improve body awareness, contributing to better balance and potentially reducing the risk of falls.
Boost breathing and lung function
Learn simple therapeutic breathing techniques (Pranayama) that strengthen vital respiratory muscles, improve lung capacity, and improve oxygen uptake. This is particularly beneficial for those with MD-related breathing difficulties.
Manage pain and discomfort
The combination of gentle movement, stretching, and focused mindfulness can provide relief from chronic pain and discomfort, improving your day-to-day comfort.
Reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing
Each session includes calming guided meditation to help soothe your mind, reduce anxiety, and cultivate a sense of inner peace. This powerful tool supports emotional resilience, empowering you to navigate challenges with greater serenity.
Deepen your connection to your body
Chair yoga provides a gentle way to reconnect with your body in a supportive and gentle way. This can help you build a greater sense of control and empowerment over your physical and mental state.
Feel supported in a welcoming community
Our classes offer a warm, understanding space where you can connect with others, move at your own pace, and feel truly supported on your journey.
Designed with you in mind
Our classes are carefully designed with your safety, comfort, and progress at heart. Specifically tailored for people with muscular dystrophy, each posture, breathing exercise, and meditation technique is carefully modified to suit your unique abilities and limitations, ensuring a safe, comfortable, and beneficial practice.
Rewati adds:
“Chair yoga, combined with mindful breathing and meditation, provides the stability and guidance you need to explore movement, breath, and inner calm in a way that truly supports your body and mind.”
How to join in
Our free, specialised chair yoga classes are held online every Thursday at 5.15pm. You can join from the comfort of your home, with no need to book in advance or commit to every session.
There’s no need to book: just drop in on the day and enjoy the benefits for yourself: Online classes.
You can also access a pre-recorded class on our resources page.