Yoga for Caregivers of Men and Women with Dementia

As basic communication skills for people with Alzheimer’s Disease are diminished, caregivers sometimes can no longer connect with them. Amidst these immense challenges for caregivers and patients, yoga offers many tools to make interaction easier and more enjoyable for all involved.

Willow Street Yoga Center will hold a workshop for Individuals with dementia and their caregivers on Sunday, March 31 from 2 – 4 PM at the studio located in Silver Spring. 8561 Fenton St. Registration link is here: http://www.willowstreetyoga.com/dementia/

According to the Institute on Aging, the importance of yoga for individuals with dementia is three-fold: 1) exercise for the body, 2) exercise for the mind, and 3) a tool for stress reduction. This workshop benefits both men and women with dementia and their caregivers. Studies have shown that caregivers for people with dementia are under so much stress they often neglect themselves.

Yoga offers a personal journey of growth and self-discovery for caregivers and the patient. It also offers ways to join in community with others who can be of support. Those include relaxation methods, retraining and practice in basic motor skills, catharsis through joyful movement and music and powerful non-verbal means of connection and communication.

The instructor:

Cheryl Kravitz, APR, CFRE, RYT200. Cheryl is a graduate of the Willow Street Yoga Teacher Training Program and received additional certification to teach yoga to survivors of trauma, restorative yoga and yoga for brain longevity. She teaches specialized yoga to people with injuries, survivors of abuse, individuals with dementia and caregivers. She has taught yoga to college students with learning differences, members of the military and, with a translator, individuals whose first language is not English.