Yoga for Beginners – Gentle Yoga and Tai Chi with Gail

Chair Tai Chi & Gentle Beginners Yoga for Back Care Classes – 2025

Chair Tai Chi & Gentle Beginners Yoga for Back Care Classes

February 2025. For Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio, Gail Pickens-Barger, Yoga Instructor/Chair Tai Chi Instructor. New schedule update.

Wednesdays Gentle Yoga for Back Care/ Chair Tai Chi. 11:00am PST(60 min) | Wednesdays | 1:00pm CST(60 min)

Fridays Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention. 11:00 am PST (60 min) | Fridays | 1:00 pm CST (60 mins)

Gail Pickens-Barger

Yoga Teacher, Chair Tai Chi & Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher

Class Description: Chair Tai Chi / Gentle Yoga for Back Care for Beginners. One week will be chair tai chi, the next week will be gentle yoga for back care for beginners.

Chair Tai Chi Class Description:

Chair Tai Chi is a 45 minute class, consisting of a blend of Yang Style Tai Chi forms (singled out for adaptability in a seated position), Shaolin muscle and sinew exercises, qigong (“chee-kung”) detoxing techniques, hand/finger/eye exercises, acupressure point stimulation, and guided rest & relaxation & gratitude practice.

Benefits: Chronic pain reduction, improved strength and flexibility, range of motion, posture, blood pressure, sleep, digestion, and immunity. Relieves stress, anxiety, and aids in overall well-being. Chair Tai Chi is a unique therapeutic modality being offered in the online Veterans Yoga Project studio.

*Special instructions for Chair Tai Chi:
Please have a sturdy chair available.

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Gentle Yoga for Back Care Beginners Class Description:

This 60 minute class is formatted for those of all ages and levels who experience low back pain, whether chronic or due to injury. The use of gear is encouraged to help support you through class which is presented every other week with our resident VYP expert, Gail Pickens-Barger. Class can be done on a yoga mat, or seated on a chair.

Special Instructions
Please have on hand:
* a strap
* a block
* access to a non-stick surface (a.k.a. yoga mat) or be seated on a chair

Optional items to have on hand are:
* a blanket/cover
* access to a wall or chair/table.

You don’t have to bend like a pretzel to do yoga!

Example of Back Yoga for Beginners. Ease your back challenges with simple, effective movements.

Check out my latest “Live” video. I was testing the video quality and sound at a remote location. Sound is not as crisp as I would like, but is tolerable. Movement sequences for hands and fingers for easing pain and arthritis.

How to see Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio on my big TV Screen

I often get asked how I setup for teaching online yoga classes. I’ll just briefly give you an outline of what equipment I use, etc.

My teaching online Chair Tai Chi, Yoga and taking classes setup.

A quick photo of my setup for teaching online, and for taking classes online. Left to Right. Ipad, Adapter Lightening Cord, Laptop, Surge protector with my PC, and Apple Charging cord connected, HDMI cord connecting to the back of my TV, Roku device plugged into the other HDMI port, and my older not so smart (ha ha) TV, with the VYP app displayed from my ipad onto the tv.

I teach from my PC and attached camera. Then I have a second screen, where I can do gallery view, to watch the students on my somewhat bigger TV Screen.

A little background, about nine years ago, when I was teaching some educational classes in my home, I would use the apple adapter cord into my ipad/pc, and my televisions’s hdmi cord to view onto my TV. I had a different type of adaptor that I would use for my PC/Mac.

Since then I use the same cord to use as a connection, to display larger onto my Smart TV.

One needs a Smart TV. You use the Roku app on the Smart TV to connect to an iphone/ipad device app. This might be a bit difficult to figure out, as one needs to look at the “streaming store” and find the appropriate “app” for the HDMI hooking up service.
Roku device hooked up to the back of their TV, or a Smart TV that has Roku integrated within the system. ~ $45
A HDMI cord – which plugs into the Apple adaptor cord and into the HDMI port on the smart tv. ~ $10
An Apple cord https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW2P3AM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter $49
An apple charging cord dedicated to this system.
I use a surge protector strip to plug in for power to the apple charging cord.

When I started teaching online for VYP almost five years ago, I just used the same cord system.

There are other methods to connect to a smart tv, depending if you are using a PC, an android. I’ve used Chromecast, but it was rather cludgy.

When I teach in person at a gym, I sometimes play indoor walking workouts for my clients, prior to the tai chi or yoga class. The facility has an overhead projector system. I’m able to use the cord again, and “cast” onto the large theatre display, using their bluetooth connection technology.

Apple Adapter cord.

Apple adapter into my ipad, with the hdmi cord, and my apple charger cord coming out.

My setup for teaching and taking online classes.

Left to Right. Ipad/Apple adaptor cord, PC, Camera, surge protector strip cord. My PC, Apple Charger cord in the strip cord. Smart TV with a Roku in the back plugged in (it is an older Smart TV), then on the screen I have the VYP app on screen, as it shows up on the Ipad.

One must turn off the audio on the Ipad, or you’ll have reverb/echo noise. I also turn off the volume on the TV, and only use the volume from the PC. Their setup may be different as they will not have the PC or the Ipad both running at the same time. So the sound could either be from their Ipad/Iphone or PC or the Smart TV. It takes a bit to figure this stuff out.

Questions? Complaints? Comments? Complements? Let me know!

Gail

Back Challenges – Easy Yoga for Back Relief

Overview of Back Care Yoga Class

Easy to do yoga movements, today’s class featuring postures for easing sciatica & kyphosis. Class will also promote healthy backs!

Gail teaches gentle yoga for back care, focusing on low back, upper back, mid-back and core.
Specific yoga postures are designed to ease back challenges and chronic daily pain.
Equipment needed: yoga strap and yoga block, although not mandatory for participation.
Recording of the class is provided for those who want to try with the gear later.
Class ends with guided rest, relaxation, and gratitude practice.

Adaptations for Different Needs

Participants can choose to stand, sit on a chair, or modify postures based on individual needs.
Constructive rest posture is recommended for reducing back challenges.
Seated Participants can also benefit from certain postures, with some adaptations required.
Various modifications are suggested to accommodate different levels of flexibility and comfort.
Participants are encouraged to listen to their bodies and adjust postures accordingly.

Yoga Postures for Back Care

Yoga postures for back care are specific poses designed to strengthen and stretch the muscles in the back, helping to improve posture, reduce pain, and increase flexibility. These poses target different areas of the back to promote overall spinal health and alleviate discomfort.