May 11, 2022 7:19 PM

Seniors Get Flexible With Chair Yoga at Bickford of Burlington

Posted May 11, 2022 7:19 PM
Angel Beck, life enrichment coordinator at Bickford of Burlington, gives a post chair yoga shoulder rub to Bickford resident Elaine Fischer. (William Smith/The Beacon)
Angel Beck, life enrichment coordinator at Bickford of Burlington, gives a post chair yoga shoulder rub to Bickford resident Elaine Fischer. (William Smith/The Beacon)

William Smith
Community Editor

A couple of months ago, Angel Beck joined the Bickford of Burlington assisted living center as the life enrichment coordinator.

Since then, she has been enriching the lives of the seniors with an exercise most of them had never heard of before – chair yoga.

It’s as simple as it sounds. Chair yoga combines ancient yoga postures with the assistance of a chair, which makes practicing it far more accessible for older people. Chair yoga gives an added edge of support and reduces the risk of falls during exercise while assisting with the alignment of yoga poses traditionally done on the floor.

But, as with all yoga, it’s about more than stretching. It’s about finding your center, and some peace.

“Just begin prolonging every inhale, and extend every exhale,” Beck said while leading a yoga class earlier this spring. “As you settle in and find your space this morning, let go of all the worries of the day.”

Angel Beck, life enrichment coordinator at Bickford of Burlington, teaches chair yoga at the assisted living center. (William Smith/The Beacon)
Angel Beck, life enrichment coordinator at Bickford of Burlington, teaches chair yoga at the assisted living center. (William Smith/The Beacon)

Curtis Lees, the only male in the class, had never practiced yoga before in his life before meeting Beck. But he does think it’s working.

“I think it loosens me up. I’m probably the oldest one here,” he said with a grin.

And he was enjoying the view.

“Who else gets to sit in a beautiful flower garden like this with all these women,” he said, causing said women to burst into laughter.

Though Beck had taught yoga demonstrations sporadically at Bickford before she started working there, she now makes it a regular part of the week for the residents. She’s been teaching yoga for 15 years. 

The residents are also allowed to bring their pets to the facility, which only adds to the serene atmosphere. That’s how Thursday’s practice ended up with a communal cat by the name of Precious, who made sure to stop and visit everyone as they stretched. 

Precious the cat, also a resident at Bickford Cottage, checks out the chair yoga session. (William Smith/The Beacon)
Precious the cat, also a resident at Bickford Cottage, checks out the chair yoga session. (William Smith/The Beacon)

“It (yoga) is great. It loosens you up and shows you where you are weak, too,” said Bickford resident Marge Lepic.

The voluntary chair yoga classes will continue in the immediate future.

“I give them (the residents) a lot of credit for still wanting to come out and do those exercises. Our residents are pretty awesome,” said Bickford of Burlington director Heidi Westlake.