Discover the joys of weekly chair yoga with Amy Balog at the Cancer Support Group of Indian River County’s meeting on January 17th.
“Yoga proves very effective in decreasing pain, anxiety, lung disease, and depression,” said Balog, palliative nurse practitioner, APRN. “It can help with an individual’s heart disease, improve your immune system, and improve mobility. It decreases cortisol levels when we are distressed, so by decreasing them, it reduces inflammation in the body and thus pain. People will feel less stress. It increases gaba in our brain which improves mood.”
All are welcome to the informative program at Christ the King Lutheran Church (1301 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian) at 1 p.m. The church is wheelchair accessible.
“Chair yoga is designed for everybody and anybody,” explained Balog. “Those very active come in because it uses different muscles and it’s a great exercise for those with needing help getting up off the floor. People looking for slower paced than an active-paced class on the mat enjoy it. So, it’s available for a variety of people seeking a different type of yoga.”
Enjoy weekly chair yoga classes at the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center (Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, 3555 10th Ct., Vero Beach, FL) every Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. No pre-registration is required; simply inform the front desk.
Chair yoga minimizes the need to get on the floor, making it accessible to all. Balog adapts standard yoga poses to suit the individual needs of each class member. “It can still be a good workout, but based on how they are feeling that day,” she said.
“I really stress to my students that this is a non-judgmental place. We laugh, enjoy each other’s company, and build community,” Balog added.
Balog encourages community members to join the class as a supportive space for exercise and meditation.
“Yoga is good for mind, body and soul. So many health benefits are available from yoga,” Balog concluded.
With over 20 years of yoga practice, Balog is a certified yoga instructor, meditation teacher, and coach. She teaches at the Yoga Garden and Yogi Perogi in Melbourne, Florida, and leads yoga classes at the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. She also serves as a palliative nurse practitioner at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, scuba diving, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
