Course Description

As Kimberly's teacher used to say, "If you can breathe, you can do yoga." But what does that mean for an aging or disabled body - or any evolving body? It means we can still practice through the changes--be grumpy about them when necessary--and cultivate a practice informed by compassion, limitations, and hopefully a little humor. In this workshop, you'll explore tools to develop an asana (posture-based) practice that can evolve with your body. You'll learn to analyze the purpose, process and outcome of a pose. You will also create your own action plan for strengthening, twisting, balancing and inverting. You'll learn to inhabit the asana, not just imitate a pose. Who is this for? Everyone is welcome, and no prior yoga experience is needed. This workshop is definitely for you if: Your age, size or ability make an ongoing yoga practice feel inaccessible You're not as limber, strong, balanced, or capable as you used to be You have enjoyed yoga in your past body, but your current one doesn't behave the same and you aren't having as much fun now You're afraid of aging and disability, or you've been resisting them and have gotten hurt Yes, you can participate in this workshop from a chair if desired. Yes, props and instruction on how to use them will be provided. Yes, you can participate online from home via Zoom. A few comments from past participants: "I feel encouraged and capable of doing yoga. I did not feel that way before...from here I can strengthen my practice logically. I didn't know where to start before." "I learned new ways to find symmetry and balance." "I loved the whole practice, Kimberly was clear, articulate, showed great modifications, and made yoga fun." Kimberly Dark started practicing yoga as a new mother because along with that delightful baby came terrible back pain. Her "baby" is now grown and the back pain is long gone--most days, at least. She's been teaching for almost thirty years now. Kimberly's ability to modify postures for diverse, aging, and injured bodies is inspired by her own evolving yoga practice and by her training with an Iyengar-style teacher who specialize in prop modifications for sports injuries and yoga beginners. She also teaches in Loyola Marymount University's Yoga and Mindfulness Graduate Certificate Program and is a founding member of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. Learn more at kimberlydark.com.