Category: Beginners Yoga with Gail Pickens-Barger

Teaching 20 years! Yoga with Gail

Teaching now 20 years! Yoga with Gail

20 years?

Where did the time go by?

I had retired from the IT department at DuPont, and continued to take computer classes at the University of Houston – Victoria, plus take all the PE classes at Victoria College.

I took the first offered yoga class at the university.

After my final exam in that class, which was a teach-back yoga class, along with my team, my yoga teacher told me that she liked my sequences and should become a yoga teacher.

The following month in my hometown at that time, YogaFit International Training Systems came to town and presented their Level 1 training. Soon afterwards I was teaching and taking additional training to get my 200 hours.

I was the first graduate of YogaFit’s 200-hour teacher training program (other than their trainers).

I remember one day, back in Victoria, I taught 5 classes in one day.

I soon racked up the teaching hours to get to the experienced level, then after moving to the Nederland/Port Neches, Texas area, took additional training from Lex Gillan at the Yoga Institute in Houston, to complete my 500-hour training.

I’ve enjoyed teaching for so many different places and studios and independently. Thank you.

  • Citizens HealthPlex
  • DeTar Healthcare System
  • GymX24 hour
  • Lotus Yoga Studio of Victoria
  • Victoria Ballet Theatre @ Debbe Busby School of Dance
  • Chandler Elementary School in Victoria, Texas
  • University of Houston-Victoria
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • Christus HWC
  • YMCA of Southeast Texas, Port Arthur Branch
  • Nederland High School in Nederland, Texas
  • Exygon Health and Fitness Club
  • Golden Triangle Yoga
  • Yoga Vibe TX
  • Yoga at Wesley UMC in Nederland, Texas
  • Friday Gentle Yoga at the Lakeside Best Years Center Beaumont Texas
  • 12NewsNow and more!
  • Now teaching online and in-person for the Veterans Yoga Project and No Longer Limited Duty

20 years of teaching yoga! Yoga with Gail Pickens-Barger

20 years! #yogawithgaileee

Benefits of the Yogic Sleep Method

Benefits of the Yogic Sleep Method

Here’s a link to a recent Yoga Nidra that I posted on SoundCloud. Enjoy

Yoga Nidra for better sleep.

Yoga Nidra for better sleep.

Yoga Sleep, Ease Stress, Less Pain, & Better Quality Sleep
Yoga Sleep, Ease Stress, Less Pain, & Better Quality Sleep

Wednesdays 6:15 PM Gentle Yoga for Low Back Pain At Nederland’s Wesley UMC.

  • a yoga mat
  • a strap, or dog leash, long scarf or tie
  • a yoga block or rolled up two hand towels
  • a blanket (optional)
  • a chair (optional)
  • access to a wall or hard surface

Beginners Yoga Gentle Yoga for easing back pain, lessening stress, and increasing flexibility and strength, while enjoying the yogic sleep method for better sleep in your life!  We use the yoga sleep method to further enhance better sleep and sometimes less pain while sleeping.

Don’t like to get down on the floor?  Chair Yoga Class.  Then this class is for you with all the same great benefits of the beginner yoga class. Help your heart health with this unique chair yoga fitness class.  Contact Gail to get access to these classes!

Call Gail at 409-727-3177 with your yoga questions about these classes and more!

Beginners Yoga for easing back pain

Beginners Yoga for easing back pain

Yoga Basics - Gentle Yoga Postures to ease back pain
Yoga Basics – Gentle Yoga Postures to ease back pain
Grab your
•
Yoga mat
•
Block or two rolled up hand towels
•
Strap or dog/cat leash or long bath towel
•
Blanket
•
Optional access to a wall or chair
Gentle postures for easing back pain.
The Veterans that I teach regularly on Wednesdays on the Mindbody app, through the Veterans Yoga Project had this to say about the Beginners Back Yoga class that I teach.
•
“My pain levels were at the top at level 10. After class, my pain levels were at a level 6, which is so much easier for me to handle. Thank you.”
•
Another Veteran shared this, “I came into the class at a level of 6. Near the end of the class, I could feel the easing of pain and I’d say I was at a level of 2. I will be repeating this class!”
•
Sign up for a Mindbody account, through the VYP portal at:
•
https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes
•
Then “Book” the Wednesday class at 1 PM CST to gain access to this gentle yoga class. #freeyoga

Grab your..

•Yoga mat•Block or two rolled up hand towels

•Strap or dog/cat leash or long bath towel

•Blanket

•Optional access to a wall or chair

Gentle postures for easing back pain. The Veterans that I teach regularly on Wednesdays on the Mindbody app, through the Veterans Yoga Project had this to say about the Beginners Back Yoga class that I teach.

•”My pain levels were at the top at level 10. After class, my pain levels were at a level 6, which is so much easier for me to handle. Thank you.”

•Another Veteran shared this, “I came into the class at a level of 6. Near the end of the class, I could feel the easing of pain and I’d say I was at a level of 2. I will be repeating this class!”

•Sign up for a Mindbody account, through the VYP portal at:

•https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes

•Then “Book” the Wednesday class at 1 PM CST to gain access to this gentle yoga class. #freeyoga

Yoga postures for easing back pain

Gentle Yoga for low back pain 45 minute classes hosted by the Veterans Yoga Project folks!

Hosted by the online streaming classes Facebook page, VYP Online Streaming Classes
Here is the class that I did for the Veterans Yoga Project for Healthy Backs Yoga Class

Thank you for joining this yoga class and I hope you enjoy the class!🤗

Remember, you don’t have to be able to touch your toes, or bend like a pretzel to do yoga!

Back PAIN info:

  • Back pain is the 2nd most sited reason people go to the doctor
  • Back pain has a high occurrence in veterans for a number of reasons
  • And they are prescribed pills but it doesn’t really help
  • Then comes fatigue, depression & quality of life goes down
  • Yoga can actually help the back pain
  • 45% of veterans have a military-connected disability
  • 8% of adults in the US have back pain at some part of their life
  • 30% of people in the US in the next 3 months will have a short course of back pain
    • So this affects everyone
    • This method of practices and yoga poses
    • Reduces the intensity of pain, depression, fatigue & medication use
    • Pain interference with daily life.
    • Quality of life & self-efficacy both went up with regular yoga practice
Ease back pain through gentle yoga through online practices offered by the Veterans Yoga Project Online Streaming classes Facebook/Zoom pages.
#VYPFamily, #VYPBootsOnTheGround, #VYPLightACandle and #NamasteMemorialDay

Since the formative years of the United States, more than one million American Soldiers have given and lost their lives protecting our freedoms and defending our nation’s liberties. Those Americans made the ultimate sacrifice. Veterans Yoga Project recognizes their sacrifice by annually gathering on Memorial Day to light candles in their honor.

We stand where they once stood.
We bow to them with gratitude.
We speak of their valor.
We live.

Gratefully,
All of us at Veterans Yoga Project

Gail Pickens-Barger, Veterans Yoga Project Ambassador

I bend, so I don’t break. Get moving!

I bend, so I don’t break. Get moving!

I bend so I don’t break.

I bend, so I don’t break. What about you?

So true. If you rest, you will tend to rust. When I taught yoga in Victoria Texas, I had 6 people come to my gentle yoga class that had fibromyalgia.

They told me they hurt if they don’t come, they hurt if they do come to yoga. But the hurt coming out of yoga was of a lot of body relief. They craved coming to class. I think that is because yoga not only works on the body, but the mind, and of easing of pain for some, and getting better sleep.

I think about that class that I had in V-town a lot because that was early on in my yoga career, and I just was a bit confused by their comments about different types of pain.

Now after teaching for over 20 years, it makes a lot of sense to me, as I am now inhabiting my body with levels of pain issues. Oh, if I don’t move, move move, it is big time hurt city. I still hurt, but pain levels between 7-9, now regularly sit between 1-3. That is significant to me.

What about you?

I invite you to come to my #freeyoga class held on #mindbody sponsored by the Veterans Yoga Project I’ve got the link below. Be sure to sign up at least an hour maybe two before your first class, so that you get the verification email in time to do class. You’ll get an email link to come into the class 30 minutes prior.

Gentle Yoga for Low Back Pain is what I teach. 60 minutes beginner-level class.

Yeah, you don’t have to bend like a pretzel or touch your toes to get massive health benefits from a regular yoga practice.

Comments? Complaints? Questions? Complements? I want to know!

Here’s the link https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes/