LIFESPAN YOGA LLC
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

I want to thank you again for all your support, caring and compassion on my initial journey of learning and reaping the benefits of gentle yoga…I’m not sure I can fully express my gratitude to you other than to say, you and your classes have truly given me a new and more positive outlook on life…I had the opportunity to see you in action and was constantly amazed with your patience and desire to look for alternative poses to help each and every person. Your caring and compassion shone through in every class!! Chair Yoga: Lifespan Yoga for Health and Wellness is now on Amazon! I am so excited and very grateful to my family for all their help. You should also see this book listed on When I began teaching yoga half my business was Kids Yoga. I loved it so much I wrote a book for parents and yoga teachers that would guide the teaching of yoga, age by age, from newborn to age 18. I became approved by the Yoga Alliance as a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher and my school Lifespan Yoga, became a registered yoga school for children and teens. Now I speak and train those who work with children about Kids Yoga and I offer When I thought about teaching yoga, I figured it would be just me and my girlfriends hanging out in a spa wearing very comfortable pants. We would be stretching and laughing-having a wonderful time (without all the calories of strawberry daiquiris). What really happened was quite different. Calls came in to me from mothers of disabled children, people caring for their elderly parents, teenagers with ADD, women finishing up chemo and men with serious heart concerns. I realized immediately that people were seeking help with all the natural, but sometimes difficult, stages of life. I knew in my bones yoga could be very helpful. My typical day might have consisted of a morning chair yoga class with seniors, an afternoon class full of kids just out of school (with energy to spare), and an evening class reserved for exhausted adults returning home from the daily grind. One morning, two gorgeous little girls with flaming red hair jumped out of a white mini-van and helped their grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, into the studio for my chair yoga class. They were so excited-school was off that day and they were free to attend class with Mom and Grandma. The girls stayed close, modeling the poses, giggling, handing out props and holding Grandma’s hand. I was elated! This was the fulfillment of my hopes for Lifespan Yoga®: yoga made accessible to all ages and stages. With this one class, I had three generations learning together. Gentle Yoga: A Lifespan Yoga Introduction Gentle Yoga: A Lifespan Yoga Introduction is a wonderful guide for practicing away from class. As I am still a novice, the descriptions and pictures greatly aid in obtaining the maximum purpose of each pose. I especially like the demonstrations for using chairs and props to build confidence in attaining the balance of breathing and relaxation to achieve maximum benefit. The Gentle Posture Series are great guides for obtaining the sequencing to achieve a very relaxing, healthful and meditative experience. The insightful explanations of the benefits of gentle yoga and meditation and their ability to help us refocus on the important things in our lives are useful tools to counter a stress filled world. Thank you for sharing your guidance and gifts. by Anne Stanley Today 3 new Lifespan Yoga teachers graduated and I could not be happier for them. I felt throughout this last weekend of yoga teacher training that I was passing the torch to professional, strong, committed and dedicated individuals. To watch their growth was an honor. As emotional as it was for me, and as much as I do not like good byes, I am elated. They will do great things. It was determined that the mission of the Christina Phipps Foundation would be to provide specialized training for experienced yoga instructors to prepare them to guide cancer patients and survivors through yoga therapy. The Foundation’s training program is conducted by physicians and other healthcare and yoga professionals. We are always happy to have people spread the word about our yoga classes and connect cancer survivors with us and with yoga. Supporters can join our mailing list or donate at How does yoga benefit breast cancer patients? Yoga is a mind-body practice with benefits to both the mind and body for cancer patients. Physically, it is recommended in most cases for patients to get moving soon after surgery, so yoga can be a part of that movement recommended for many people. Patients are usually in physical therapy during the rehabilitation period to regain strength and range of motion. If their doctor approves, attending gentle yoga also helps build strength and range of motion. Yoga adds to the physical exercise meditation and relaxation which assists in the recovery process. Managing stress is part of the journey of recovery and yoga helps greatly in this area. How does yoga ease pain? Yoga trains us to be deeply aware of our bodies, to take care of ourselves, and to be mindful about what we need during health and illness. This is the mind part of the mind – body yoga practice. A calm, relaxed, stress free mind helps patients cope with and manage pain. A calm mind also helps cope with the effects of medical interventions and treatments that continue to pop up on the road to recovery. What poses are most beneficial for breast cancer patients? Savasana (relaxation pose) is most important, we always say that. Many gentle poses help, but learning to relax and calm the mind during such a stressful time is most helpful. How do you create yoga classes designed for breast cancer patients? Our CPF instructors, working with the host organization, will tailor classes to the students that come in the door. Typically this means discussion, support, education, instruction of Gentle Yoga poses, guided relaxation and meditation. The community building aspect of CPF classes is part of the healing process. People further along in their treatments will help newcomers and provide a great deal of support.