Now a Certified Iyengar Yoga instructor,
Mathew Sanford was paralyzed from the chest down in an auto accident at age 13,
and he’s made it his life’s work to bring the benefits of yoga to other who
have limited mobility, including people with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain
injury, and paralysis.
Beyond
Disability: A Yoga Practice with Matthew
His new DVD, Beyond Disability: A yoga
Practice with Matthew Sanford, is an important contribution to the
ever-expanding list of yoga videos because it makes the practice more
accessible to people who would like to, but may not be able to, attend a
typical class.
The 50-minute practice takes three students
with limited mobility (one of whom is aided by an assistant) through a series
of increasingly challenging seated exercises. A centering practice helps them
establish a balanced sitting position, which serves as the foundation for the
three active segments that follow: simple exercises devoted to grounding,
balance, and movement. The practice ends with an eight-minute “balanced
relaxation.”
Matthew
Sanford is a renowned teacher of yoga. And he's
been paralyzed
Sanford’s infectious enthusiasm and
impressive grasp of the underlying principles of an effective practice are
inspiring. Beyond Disability offers a complete and eye-opening practice – not
only for people with a wide range of physical impairments, but for able-bodied
stidents as well.
