Category: Yoga for Pacemakers and ICDs

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.

*******

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

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.

  1. 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.
  2. Roku device hooked up to the back of their TV, or a Smart TV that has Roku integrated within the system. ~ $45
  3. A HDMI cord – which plugs into the Apple adaptor cord and into the HDMI port on the smart tv. ~ $10
  4. An Apple cord https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW2P3AM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter  $49
  5. An apple charging cord dedicated to this system.  
  6. 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 Lightening Adapter cord

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

My cord connection from my Ipad

My setup for teaching and taking online classes.

My Online Teaching Setup.

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

My Roku Streaming Services

Additional beginners yoga classes for back challenges with Gail P-B.

For those of you taking my online beginning yoga classes, I’ve include a few fan favorites here for you to enjoy. Additionally, a Yoga Nidra Meditation & Chair Tai Chi with Gail PB.

Hello, I’m providing some links to previously recorded classes, in case you need to take another class with me, prior to us coming together next Wednesday. I teach regularly on Wellness Living Online Studio classes for Veterans Yoga Project. Enjoy!

Videos:
https://youtu.be/RrhmFnQ18vA

I’m also including a seated chair tai chi video:

and lastly a 43 minute Yoga Nidra practice, which in my opinion is part II in reducing chronic daily pain.

Yoga for Back Pain Relief

Yoga for Back Pain Relief, Chronic or Recurring Back Pain
(shhhh, it’s yoga!)

Relief for Chronic or Recurring Back Pain (shhhh, it’s yoga!)

Instant Stress Eraser The economy is in the dumps. Gas prices continue to shoot upwards.

It’s winter. It used to be vacation time. If only you can take a vacation from stress.

Now you can. Right now while you read this post.

Sit up straight and take a deeper breathe than you normally do. Hold it for a second or two, and let the air out with a sigh. Go ahead. No one will notice.

Now, do it again. Take a deeper breathe than before. Hold it for a moment or two and just… let … it … go.

Most people tend to breathe very shallow in their chest. Shallow breathing promotes stress and tension. Deep breathing melts it away.

In a few minutes of deep breathing, you can actually eliminate all stress and tension, lower your blood pressure, and instantly gain a lot more positive attitude.

My name is Gail Pickens-Barger and I teach yoga Online/In-Person and Classes on YouTube. Forget what you’ve heard about yoga. You do not have to twist yourself into a pretzel to do yoga. It’s for everyone. Whether you are in shape or not.

And the benefits are immediate.

It’s winter so this is the best time to get started eliminating your stress with yoga.

Check out my latest beginner yoga video on YouTube:

Get back pain relief through gentle yoga with Gail P-b.

117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga

117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga

Permission granted by Dr. Timothy McCall to share this pdf.

117 Conditions Helped by Yoga. Permission granted to copy and share this information. Yoga as medicine. As found in scientific studies as of June 2019. Yoga with Gail
117 Conditions Helped by Yoga. Permission granted to copy and share this information. Yoga as medicine. As found in scientific studies as of June 2019. Yoga with Gail

Here is the link to this PDF and the scientific studies supporting the health conditions helped by yoga.

117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga
117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga.

I teach weekly gentle yoga for low back care classes for the Veterans Yoga Project. Book my class on Wednesdays to get some sweet relief of easing back pain.

https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes to get a free account and book a class.