Category: Chair Yoga

Empowering Veterans: Weekly Online Movement Classes with Gail Pickens‑Barger

Empowering Veterans: Weekly Online Movement Classes with Gail Pickens‑Barger

Join me on the Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio, via the WellnessLiving platform, for free weekly classes designed to enhance strength, flexibility, balance, and resilience. These accessible sessions offer physical, emotional, and mental support for Veterans across the nation. In 2024, 76% of participants reported decreased distress, and 72% saw reduced pain.

Chair Tai Chi with a Splash of Yoga with Gail PB
Chair Tai Chi with a Splash of Yoga with Gail PB

📅 Wednesdays — Alternating: Chair Tai Chi & Gentle Yoga for Back Care

Every other Wednesday (1:00 PM CST / 12:00 PM PST), I alternate two foundational classes:

🔹 Chair Tai Chi for Beginners

A 45 to 60-minute seated class that blends:

  • Yang-style Tai Chi forms, Shaolin muscle-sinew exercises
  • Qigong detox movements, mobility drills for fingers, hands, eyes
  • Acupressure and gratitude-based breathwork relaxation

Benefits:

  • Helps relieve chronic pain
  • Enhances posture, balance, strength, and sleep
  • Boosts circulation, lymph flow, digestion, and emotional regulation

Gear needed: Just one sturdy chair

Beginner Friendly Gentle Yoga for Back Care class online through Veterans Yoga Project
Gentle Yoga for Back Care Beginners Class on Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio

🔹 Gentle Yoga for Back Care

This 60-minute class is designed for all levels and especially beneficial for people with back pain, arthritis, or joint limitations.

What to Expect:

  • Gentle yoga stretches and flows, either seated or on the mat
  • Tools and techniques that support spinal alignment and mobility
  • Breathing practices for stress relief and better circulation

Helpful Props:

  • Yoga strap, block, mat or chair
  • Optional: blanket, wall, or table for support
Fall Prevention Yoga Class using Two Chairs, Yoga Strap and Blocks for Improving Strength and Balance
Fall Prevention Yoga Class. Using Two Chairs, Yoga Strap and Block for Improving Strength and Balance

✅ Fridays — Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention

Join me every Friday at 1:00 PM CST / 11:00 AM PST for this energizing 60-minute session designed to improve balance, body awareness, and strength in a safe and supportive way.

Key Features:

  • Chair-supported balance exercises
  • Strength-building movements to reduce fall risk
  • No floor work required—great for people with limited mobility
  • Mindful breathing and body awareness to calm the nervous system

What You’ll Need:

  • Two chairs (one for movement, one for support)
  • Strap, yoga block
  • Optional: TheraBand, blanket, wall

💬 Side Note: Recent Student Reviews

Here’s what students are saying about these life-changing classes:

⭐ “I was experiencing level 6 pain in my hip and leg… After Gail’s class, my pain dropped to level 1. So grateful!”
— JA, July 25, 2025 – Fall Prevention Chair Yoga

⭐ “Gail PB is amazing! I’ve had two knee replacements and still get a great workout.”
— RM, July 24, 2025 – Gentle Yoga for Back Care

⭐ “Fantastic teacher! The practices make me feel better after class. The 3-step is really helpful—thanks Gail!”
— LC, July 12, 2025 – Fall Prevention

⭐ “Gail’s Chair Tai Chi is wonderful—good for both body and mind. Would love to see even more of these classes!”
— NW, July 16, 2025 – Chair Tai Chi

⭐ “I love Gail’s classes. They challenge me to get stronger and improve my balance. I’m thankful these are free.”
— DA, multiple reviews from June–July 2025

⭐ “Gail’s knowledge is deep, and she presents with humor and warmth. Her Chair Yoga is one of my weekly must-do’s!”
— DL, July 2, 2025 – Chair Tai Chi

🧘 Why These Classes Matter

  • Free for Veterans: Sponsored through the Veterans Yoga Project & VA partnership
  • Accessible and inclusive: No need to get on the floor
  • Safe and effective: Gentle movements adapted to your body’s needs
  • Whole Health support: Stress relief, pain reduction, emotional balance

📋 Weekly Snapshot

DayClassDurationFocus Area
Wednesday (alternating)Chair Tai Chi45 minMind-body connection, mobility
Wednesday (alternating)Gentle Yoga for Back Care60 minBack pain relief, strength & stretch
FridayChair Yoga for Fall Prevention60 minBalance, fall risk reduction

📝 How to Join

  1. Visit VeteransYogaProject.org
  2. Register for a free account on the WellnessLiving platform
  3. Reserve your spot for the class—and let’s move, breathe, and heal together

Let’s make mindful movement a part of your weekly wellness!
Reach out anytime if you have questions or need help getting started.

May the Force, er, um, May the Fall Prevention Chair Yoga Classes, keep you upright!

May the Force, er, um… May the Fall Prevention Chair Yoga Classes, keep you upright!

The month of May had FIVE Fridays on the calendar, and as such there was a lot of Chair Yoga for Fall Preventions classes up on Veterans Yoga Project online studio.

I record the classes (just on me), and provide these for my folks to do more than once a week, or they register and get a follow up email link with the video. I have about 6-8 students who regularly register, but can’t come to the specific time frame, but they love the videos.

I’m also learning to do YouTube SEO, Search Engine Optimization, to get these “said” videos a bit of traction on the #2 Search Engine out there… YouTube!

Here is May’s Chair Yoga Classes. I still have a bit to learn (well a LOT) on YouTube SEO, to bear with me folks. Any insider pointers would be nice to know too!

MAKE NOTE. Two chairs, yoga block and strap make this a great class. A wall and one chair work too! Some folks use a theraband, but I like the cloth straps for better muscle building. P.S. There is an opportunity to do homework too!

May 1, 2025
Chair Yoga Fall Prevention. This video contains hand and finger mobility, plus hand tapping in addition to our traditional working toward homework assignments
https://youtu.be/7_S_fF37gGg

May 9, 2025
Chair Yoga Fall Prevention. Discover simple, effective yoga movements designed to improve balance, build strength, and prevent falls — especially for seniors and older adults. In this short class, we’ll guide you through essential poses and gentle stretches proven to enhance stability and confidence in everyday movement.
https://youtu.be/h56D_Ior52k

May 16, 2025
Chair Yoga Fall Prevention. This class has a longer rotation of conciousness or otherwise known as a body scan, for lessening anxiety, reducing the monkey mind, easing pain in the body sequence.

May 23, 2025
Chair Yoga Fall Prevention. This class features a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Technique for lessening pain in targeted areas. See the table to contents for specific exercises. This class also has the targetted three homework assignments.
https://youtu.be/dpKWjM4v26E

May 30, 2025
Chair Yoga Fall Prevention. In this class there is an additional joint freeing sequence to allow you to work towards a deeper squat.
https://youtu.be/MPla5bqFZgI

Playlist for Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention

Current Playlist for Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention with Gail P-B.

Received some nice feedback on the Fall Prevention Chair Yoga class, that has been added to the schedule for online offerings for Veterans Yoga Project online studio.

It is an hour long class, then we have a discussion afterwards of what worked well for the folks, and what did not work well. Everyone is in a different place in their balance journey, so it is a “balance” (ha ha) to try to please most folks. (Get it, “balance”, Fall Prevention?)

When I was in a breast cancer study at MD Anderson a couple of years ago (get my mammograms at either the Houston, or Conroe location), one of the testing parameters was how many “Sit to Stands” movements I could do, unassisted. If one is below the average in these numbers, then there is a high probability that you will have a fall.

I shared this image a couple of years ago on my Instagram feed. It has stuck with me all these years.

Are you at Risk for Falling?

Check out the free yoga classes over on Veterans Yoga Project website!

https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes

Active Aging – Active Older Adult

Wow – Active Aging – Active Older Adult – Yoga – Chair Yoga – Chair Tai Chi – Chair Yoga Dance

Gentle Yoga for Low Back Care with Gail Pickens-Barger
Gentle Yoga for Low Back Care with Gail Pickens-Barger

Yoga classes geared for those actively aging!

Seated Chair Yoga. Using gear such as yoga straps, blocks, chairs and mats to build bones by actively engaging large muscle groups.

Lessen stiffness & knee pain with guided Chair Tai Chi Classes with Gail

In-Person Classes: Wednesdays – Chair Tai Chi with a splash of Yoga at Lakeside Center, 150 Magnolia Street, Beaumont, Texas. $4 for non-residents of Beaumont, free for Beaumont residents. Class starts at 11:00 AM. Come a bit early to grab a chair, or have one of us get you a chair.

Fridays – Yoga – may be done entirely seated, or on the yoga mat, or standing behind the chair for support. Lakeside Center, 150 Magnolia Street, Beaumont, Texas. $4 for non-residents of Beaumont, free for Beaumont residents. Class starts at 10:30 AM. Come a bit early to place down your yoga mat, grab a chair, yoga strap and block. Please bring your own personal yoga mat. All other gear provided.

Online Classes: Wednesdays at 1 PM Central Time (think Texas). Held on Veterans Yoga Project Online yoga studio. Free. All are welcomed. https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes to create an account and then book a class. There’s also an app for that. Download from Apple or Andriod onto your phone. Create and account, book a class! Come a bit early to class to say “Hi” before we get started.

The online class can also be done either seated on the chair, or on the yoga mat. I do have some folks who do the class on the couch or their bed. This class is geared to lessen back pain.

How Yoga Can Help Veterans
How Yoga Can Help Veterans
Low Back Care Yoga on Veterans Yoga Project Online Yoga Studio with Gail P-B.
Low Back Care Yoga on Veterans Yoga Project Online Yoga Studio with Gail P-B. Wednesdays Classes are now at 1 PM Central TIme.

Chair Yoga Fitness – Does a body good – Get Fit Where You Sit

Chair Yoga Fitness – Does a body good!

Benefits of chair yoga:  Discover how to: Lower Blood Pressure, Increase Strength, Gain Flexibility, Lessen Stress, Lose Weight, Higher Quality Sleep, Better Balance, and Build Bone Mass and More!

Beginners Chair Yoga now online. Check Gail’s Youtube account: Yogawithgaileee  Free to those with MS.

Chair Yoga to Increase Strength, Better Joint Mobility, Build Bones, Lower Blood Pressure, Lessen Stress, Improves Circulation, Gain Flexibility and Ease Back Pain. Through this beginners chair yoga class with Certified Yoga Teacher, Gail Pickens-Barger. 409-727-3177
Chair Yoga to Increase Strength, Better Joint Mobility, Build Bones, Lower Blood Pressure, Lessen Stress, Improves Circulation, Gain Flexibility and Ease Back Pain. Through this beginners chair yoga class with Certified Yoga Teacher, Gail Pickens-Barger. 409-727-3177

Click HERE to see more benefits of a regular yoga practice.

Call Gail Pickens-Barger on your yoga questions 409-727-3177
#chairyogafitness
#beginneryoga
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#yoganearme