Category: Yoga for Stress Reduction

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.

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.

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.

The effectiveness of yoga for chronic low back pain

Why yoga for chronic Low Back Pain? cLBP

Weekly online classes with Gail, to reduce your chronic low back pain.
  • Educational book self help book
  • Exercise / PT
  • Yoga
  • All three reduced chronic low back pain.

All three reduced chronic low back pain.

At the 12 week mark, the yoga reduced cLBP the most according to several scientific studies.

But…

The additional benefits of yoga included:

  • Less pain
  • Better sleep quality
  • Less stress and more

The studies found that there wasn’t much additional pain reduction based on taking one VS two classes a week. Clients also had a home practice.

The cost effectiveness in doing yoga vs PT/Exercise/Book was that the yoga participants only lost 2 days of work due to their cLBP versus doing the usual therapies for low back pain, they lost 43 days of work.

Typically, when you go to the PT or Exercise or read from a self care book,
each one has their way of helping with pain. Yoga adds meditation and breathing which is linked to perceived less pain, better sleep, less stress and more.

For more on Musculoskeletal Conditions:

Link == https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Scientific_Research_on_Yoga/Disease_and_Disorders/Musculoskeletal_Conditions

I teach a weekly 60 minute free yoga class for the Veterans Yoga Project Online Streaming Classes through Wellness Living. Sign up here for a free account, and book the class. https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes

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Teaching Schedule

Here’s my YogaWithGaileee Youtube Channel. Please subscribe to get my weekly videos!