I want to thank you for the suggestion to take The Anatomy of Aging and Movement Course. It took me almost all year to complete it — with balancing it along with my daily life and lots of travel this year. I also the opportunity to take a look at Pain Free by Pete Egoscue and Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living by Kathleen Porter based on your suggestions.

Ever since the day I first called you when I signed up for the class because I had trouble getting on the website. You actually answered the phone, on your way to teach. I was amazed that I talked to you in person and you remembered me signing up. It was so personable. I know you are growing but if you can keep that intimacy it really makes a difference. I really feel how true and passionate you are in wanting to create great teachers. It is amazing how you link your students together creating a community. This helps so much especially with the distance learning. Thank you for all you do and I plan on getting more certifications from you in the future.

People are the very heart of the yoga visa academy. I love friendliness the optimism & positive support from everyone I have come into contact with.

The knowledge you share in such a loving & generous way, and the positive feedback & support you give is so enabling. I love that within 4 weeks of starting my Chair Yoga class Yoga Vista has already helped me to make a difference to people’s lives. One student told me she was now confident to climb the stairs using alternate feet (rather than leading with just one leg) and a second that she could now do up her shoes. I think that really says it all. Thank you so much …

I love your newsletter and incorporate so many of the poses into my classes! Great information. Thank you for sharing. I especially enjoy the illustrations of the muscles, that the asanas focus on. So helpful.

What I like best about YVA is that the online training is very user friendly. I like that it’s geared towards many learning styles like visual, audio, and of course hands on. With this format you have a better chance in retaining information. Thank you! I’m very excited to be on this journey and to share this with my community once I’m certified.

I can not thank you enough for offering this amazing class on line. I am so thankful. I enjoyed it so much and learned so much.

I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying the course! It is so comprehensive and beautifully presented. I am loving it. Thanks for the option to retake quizzes. The course is already enhancing my chair yoga classes. I work at Assisted Living centers and a chiropractor’s wellness center.

Many thanks to Justine, your students and yourself for the continued support that I received throughout the learning process. It is easy to become overwhelmed with all that there is to know, but you kept the information so well organized and consistent throughout the process. It was also easy to see the relationship between the chair yoga and gentle yoga materials which helped to make the dual-certification process even more rewarding for my students and myself. I highly recommend both for anyone who may be on the fence.

I want to let you know that I think Victoria is wonderful. I feel her energy through the screen. She is a motivator for sure.

I bought videos, manuals and an online workshop from the Academy and each time I was amazed by the quality of the material. I like the information on the anotomy it helps me to understand more deeply the benefits of the posture. The illustrations are explicits and facilitate the learnings.

Please Excuse my writing I am a francophone and I do not get to write in English very often.

An area that I have been investigating is how positivity and happiness affect health, and the relationship between health and the positivity of Chair Yoga Dance. I am confident that every teacher who uses Chair Yoga Dance witnesses students having fun, laughing and increased smiles. It has been my experience that student’s level of happiness increases during Chair Yoga Dance and my students report they feel the psychological and physical benefits.

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, a leading researcher at the University of North Carolina in the expanding field of Positive Psychology wrote, “When people get excited about their physical health potential it is possible to thrive in life, even in the face of illness.” I believe it is empowering for yoga teachers to understand the medical evidence underpinning the potential benefits of Chair Yoga Dance. This is especially true in the field of positive psychology and aging. I incorporate more of elements of positivity, eye contact and reassuring smiles during Chair Yoga Dance sessions, my students love the classes and keep returning for more.

How JAZZED I am to have met so many folks committed to the true Path that is the Yoga Vista “way”!

And, as I said in my evaluation, each presentation, all by itself, was TOTALLY worth the price of admission, on so many levels. Thank you, Justine and Sherry, for your incredible modeling of leadership, mentorship, and friendship, and gratitude as well for encouraging all of us to push through the challenges (mostly self-imposed!) as guides on this Path. It’s exciting, and VERY fun.

What an honor to have spent time sharing The Practice with you!

I am so grateful to you for all your support.
Coming from a career in education I know that your course presentation and organization was a perfect way to learn all that material. I most appreciate access to the video library and use it often. I am now teaching chair in an assisted living community and a gentle class at a studio…..One more thing……..You were SO RIGHT about the nursing home population. Everything you said was true-EVERYTHING.

My favorite thing about Yoga Vista is Justine!!!! I don’t want the manual as I’m already signed up for the training.
I’m just so happy she is our new HYT teacher. I wish I lived near Yoga Vista as I would love to be a member of your studio but Jamul is a long, long drive.

I like Yoga Vista Academy for many reasons including lots of important, applicable information for a demographic that benefits from chair yoga, full length and shorter videos on focused sequences, and inspirational instructors.

What I like best though is how user friendly the information and sequences are; offering me the opportunity to incorporate different flows and poses into my classes for a very appreciative group of yogis. They enjoy learning and experiencing something different each week and I am able to offer something for everyone for the benefit of all.

Thank you Sherri, Justine, and everyone at the academy!

It’s amazing to see the interest in these senior and chair classes. I am not even done with my classes and people are asking me to teach!!

My journey teaching seniors has and continues to be influenced by your knowledge and guidance. As you know, I have completed your chair certification, very close to finishing the gentle yoga certification and once I have completed I will be signing up for Justine’s Low Back Intensive. Having a Crown Membership with access to YogaJP has provided me with invaluable resources that I have been able to provide to my students who range in age from mid 60’s to 97. You are both an inspiration to me and I thank you.

You guys are really ahead of the curve on this whole area of yoga instruction. I also think your online videos and discussions are just great and are a great contribution to the profession.

“Since I graduated and got certified, I m starting another chair yoga class in another village in and was approached by a local care home to do a class there too. I am seeing if I can fit it into my schedule as the local high school asked me to do a yoga class there for the students and one for the teachers so it is all full steam head!! Thank you Universe “

In my personal case I feel that this is wonderful for older adults. Every day I discover more the desire to live to enjoy that they have, I am surprised, I am fascinated, it is like that playful part that lacked yoga, they love to meditate, but I feel this part as a meditation in movement, although none of the musical themes are slow, they expect this part as children waiting for their candy, this is what fascinates me.

I enjoyed the Anatomy Module. I knew a lot of the basic anatomy already, but I really appreciated tying that to the problems that Seniors have and then showing why certain poses helped with these problems. It is great to have all of this in a coherent, organized form. I will refer back to these chapters when I plan my lessons. Thank you for the user-friendly curriculum. I look forward to the rest of the course.

I never imagined that I would someday be a mentor to such a dedicated group of students who share a desire to help our seniors. I have been able to use this unique opportunity to share my knowledge, experience and passion for yoga in a new way. Getting to know everyone and seeing their excitement as they grow in their own personal yoga journey thru this program has been thrilling and such an honor.

I highly recommend this course with Sherry Zak Morris. She will give you the support you need and guidance along with the tools to be a dynamic yoga instructor. The information provided gave me the knowledge and teaching skills I needed. This is an online course where you can work at your own pace.

I have been teaching Chair yoga for the past 2 years and would never have attempted it without the help from your video’s. My 200 hour training covered a very small portion of chair yoga. After my Chemo, I know all about the aches and pains of aging and now I can feel for my students in a whole new light. I was asked to teach another class at the senior place, and feel I need more knowledge, so thank you for this course and hopefully this 73 year old body and mind can keep up. I love my class at the senior housing and the people, they keep me so motivated and uplifted, it is the best thing I could have done.

I have been so blessed to learn about Sherry Zak Morris and Vista Yoga Academy with the online curriculum for Chair Yoga certification! She is a phenomenal teacher and explains everything clearly and with joy and a great positive attitude, which is contagious!!! Also, the mentoring of Josee Madison has been such encouragement to grow, improve in my knowledge of the human body and how to help hurting people. Sherry’s online teaching program for Chair Yoga is complete, detailed and thorough! I have confidence, through her knowledge and detailed understanding of the body to be able to help so many hurting people and give them Hope! Kudos to Josee and Sherry for all you do! Thank you for your patience in helping me do my best!

The course has really helped me to gain confidence in teaching seated yoga, by basing it so strongly in the context of the physiology of ageing. The depth of information about anatomy, injuries, philosophies and yoga modifications to work alongside everyone’s particular body issues, is really exceptional. I’ve found it so helpful and I know that it will continue to provide endless stimulation and ideas.

I must say I have learned so much over the year from you what a gift you have been to me.

I have a 90 minute class on Saturdays for Midlifers with asana adapted to individual needs. I have incorporated my chair yoga knowledge in my class as 2 of my students have mobility issues and have trouble getting onto the mat. What a blessing to know how to adapt the postures to the chair. Thank you so much for this certification class Sherry. It is really coming in handy teaching the 40+ age demographic.

Sherry’s enthusiasm, positive energy, combined with her industry experience and knowledge led me to create a higher standard product as a result of the direct advice  I received from her. I felt like someone finally GOT ME on all levels!

I really loved the weekend with you a Sherry. About 5 years ago I was hired to bring yoga into a wellness center run by 4 orthodepic surgeons. They wanted to have a place for their patients to transition to after PT. I was asked to work with a lot of people with joint replacements and back issues. So my google search lead me to yoga vista. I learned so much from your newsletters and videos and was able to take that into the center. When Dawn said you were coming – I was so excited and grateful. That was the most inspiring weekend. Thank you for all the good work you do and your overwhelming generosity!!!

Yoga Vista Academy inspires me through its newsletters and YouTube videos. However, the impact of working my way through the Chair Yoga Certification program has made a tremendous difference in my growth as a Chair Yoga teacher. Teaching Chair Yoga classes to people with widely differing abilities requires significant knowledge to ensure student safety as well as their progression. Yoga Vista Academy gave me that and so much more as part of their certification program. And I know there’s more to come!!!

I loved this program. It was above and beyond my expectations. What really captured me about this program – beyond the great content – is the integrity with which the program is delivered, the generosity and genuine caring towards the student development in service of preparing good teachers, and the love of seniors/ working with seniors. It was so inspiring…and fun…and creative!

Thank you so much for all your help. I feel like you have been there beside me! Your course is very thorough and I feel empowered to keep learning and also to get creative with poses. Thanks for your ongoing support.

Thank you for all of the fantastic online and DVDs you have shared with myself and so many others! My classes are great because of your hard work, ideas and input even though we have not met in person.

I loved this program. It was above and beyond my expectations. The icing on the cake… what really tied it together for me, helping me stay on course and and gain the confidence to teach, was the mentorship program. I don’t think I would have done as nearly a good job on my teachback nor felt the confidence that I do (even if it’s at the sappling level ) if it hadn’t been for this part of the program and Corey.

Corey helped us build our skills and confidence session by session in a safe and affirming way, offering great feedback and sharing her wisdom as well. I feel blessed to have her as my mentor. Having a cohort of other students was also important aspect of the program. It gave me a sense of having a community in which to grow and develop as a teacher, and I really appreciated being able to learn from and share with the other students.

It is extremely well organized and I can see how much time this has taken you. Also, I appreciate your teaching philosophy which is totally aligned with the way I have been teaching. Thank you!

” I do so enjoy the people that I share yoga with. We have a marvelous time. And I use your videos to learn and share even more thank you so much I feel so blessed to have been a part of your program.”

Sherry’s enthusiasm, positive energy, combined with her industry experience and knowledge led me to create a higher standard product as a result of the direct advice and mentorship I received from her. I felt like someone finally GOT ME on all levels!”

There is a lot I like about your information but lately I’m especially enjoying the YouTube videos created by the teachers working on their certification for Chair and Gentle Yoga.

Corey is a treasure – I am SO glad to have had her support in this journey. Thanks to her encouragement, I am through the final exam. I just need to spend more time watching videos and continuing to build on what I’ve already done, and in the next month or so, I can record my teachback. I already know what I will be writing for my field assignment, based on two friends in my class.”

I am so happy to be a member of the Yoga Vista Academy graduates. You both are doing amazing work in teaching and inspiring people to teach yoga to seniors. I have recommended your training to many people.

The online format you use is simple to navigate, and easy to follow. There is so much wonderful information to glean from the videos and in the written portion. When I first began teaching chair yoga, I would make up routines to work the 8 bearing joints, some of which I still use today. Then I discovered your Youtube Yoga Vista videos and became so inspired by your passion I just knew I had found mine too. Sherry I feel like you are my yoga sister!

I’m currently volunteer teaching both a gentle yoga and a chair class at my church. I really loved the course and all the videos that were available for me to study and learn from.

The course is so well thought through. I really love the methodology you used, the structure of this course, clear, step-by-step instructions. And it’s so inspiring! I believe and hope that many teachers will take this course and will spread joy and healing on all level to many-many people!

Loved the program and have been recommending it big time. I learned a lot from it and have brought many things I learned into my regular classes as well. I feel so much better about teaching seniors and chair yoga after taking this course. You probably were able to tell I have mastered the tea cup and finally figured out how to cue it. All my students love that that one and many others. My feedback is all positive. Being able to do it on my time table was extremely helpful. I did everything! The videos were great as well as the anatomy PDFs.

I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying this {training program}. It has help my husband tremendously. It has taken me years to get him to do yoga. My students are enjoying the information that I bring also.

I have taught seniors many times in a yoga class but i took your course because OMG your anatomy, knowledge of diseases in the older population and how you empower the seniors to try different postures….I love love loved this course.

I felt that I understood the theory of how you got to the finished product and felt confident I could then teach the dance. There was enough information backed up by very effective video support. It was enough to get me on the way to completing the steps myself

I wanted to thank you again for the fantastic workshop yesterday. When I taught today, I felt so inspired to try new poses with my students as well as doing a bit more explaining. The way you wove the workshop together made it so informative, kept us moving and gave us relevant information that we will be able to utilize daily in our classes.

I was interviewed on Ireland”s National Radio Programme Radio 1 about the success of the groups because what I am doing with the Seniors is a very recent development in Ireland, so much credit goes to yourself for all the valuable information I have learned both from the course and all the you tube clips you send on, so a big thanks.

My gentle class has doubled in size, I had 29 last week!

“Very comprehensive information and fun! The research and statistics were eye-opening. I’ve found seniors love fact-based information about yoga. Can’t wait to share.

“Love, love, LOVE the posture project!!! Can’t wait to do this with my students. Thank you gazillions for sharing this with us. You are so gracious!”

“Sherry’s work with senior posture issues presented a wealth of knowledge that provided a comprehensive education on the issue. Her expertise, enthusiasm and love of what she does made her presentation extremely enjoyable and informative.

I’d like to say how much I appreciate your commitment and sharing of your knowledge to enable newer yoga teachers like myself to learn and benefit from your wisdom so we may spread the love and benefits a little further into our own communities.

I feel truly blessed to be teaching yoga and so grateful to have found you and the Yoga Vista Academy.

I’m so excited!! I love, love, loved the in-person training. All participants were positive and energizing. Lynda is amazing; she shared so much valuable insight from her experience. I’m getting so much out of the manual and online training, but I personally would probably never complete it without the energizing and sharing quality of the live training segment. The live segment also gives me reasonable deadlines.

Yes, I love the course!! So thorough and inspiring, I want to eat it with a spoon and digest it all immediately. But I know that’s not possible! I wish I had found you a year ago, but at least I am with you now.

I have people who have disk problems, low back pain, shoulder problems, heart problems, Plantar Fasciitis, and of course you noticed how crooked my fingers are. Your training certainly helps me to incorporate moves that relieve their pain. There isn’t a class where I don’t have one of my students come up after class and tell me how much better they feel since they started taking Yoga. Actually it gets embarrassing when they keep thanking me for teaching the class. I am sure I get more out of the class then they do.

I am a AFAA certified group fitness instructor with YogaFit training. I love all of your fabulous tips, DVDs and Utube productions. They have given me so much very important information to make me a better yoga instructor! I began teaching a chair class 5 years ago because I saw a need to modify for my seniors. It has become the largest growing segment of all the various classes I teach!! I feel so much more confident since watching your Youtube classes and DVDs.

Despite this being an online class with no direct contact, I felt completely supported throughout the process. You were there to answer any questions, and I felt comfortable asking for help. I enjoyed the mix of readings, quizzes and videos. It is user friendly and comprehensive.

I selected a pop/hip hop song to create a dance routine. If I hadn’t taken this course, I would never have tried a song like “Dark Horse.” No knowledge provided in this course is wasted. Actually very useful!

Taking this class has been an amazing experience for me. I am impressed with the amount of past and ongoing research you have put into it. This is obviously a labor of love for you and you must know how many lives you have touched. The lessons are well constructed and easy to follow. Your positive attitude is infectious. I LOVE all the videos and watch at least one a day, whether it’s chair yoga, gentle yoga, somatics, or one of the educational clips. One of the things I most appreciate is the time you take to make the class personal. You responded immediately to every email I sent, answering my questions an offering encouragement. I also appreciated the time you took to thoroughly review my teachback and provide specific, helpful comments. Where do you find the time and energy for all this?!? I am amazed. Thank you so much for the work you do. You have personally blessed many lives, and your love and compassion is radiated to the world through all those you teach. You are a gem.

I am very happy with the course it is great and I highly recommend it to anybody. I improved my regular yoga classes and right now I am teaching two chair yoga classes one at the “Y” and the other one at the Seniors Center I absolutely love it. Seniors are great and the good part is that they appreciate it. I want to take this opportunity to THANK YOU. I was lucky to found yoiu!

During my 25+ year teaching career, I’ve loved the challenge of discovering creative postural modifications to help students. I was inspired to be in the company of you 2 yoginis who are committed to sharing yoga knowledge and positive energy on a large scale with instructors and students. Your Light-Bearing service is a gift to the community!

If someone were to ask me where to find the best information and lessons about Chair Yoga, I would (and have, many times) send them to Yoga JP and YogaVista Academy. Even though the training is remote (as in, not in person), I felt as if I knew Sherry and Justine and the regular teachers and could go to any of them if I had questions. The information provided in the training is comprehensive, and having text and videos plays to everyone’s learning style. I could not recommend this program more. I already was teaching Chair Yoga, but this has made me a better teacher. Thank you to Sherry and the crew.

I can honestly say that I’ve never had such a pleasant learning experience. I feel as if I have learned so much more through your program than I did in my 200 hour teacher training. The content was well presented, pertinent and informative. As someone who has struggled with figuring out how she best learns this program was very accessible.

Combine that with the incredible feeling of support, enthusiasm, and downright compassion that comes through in all that you (and all those involved in the program) do .. and you have one heck of a program!

Great Stuff! The content is world class, and I loved the option to read and watch the video at the same time. Super organized and easy to follow. The sections build on one another nicely. Definitely felt like a good value. Super glad that I can go back and watch the videos whenever I want to. That is a huge selling point.

I incorporate Yoga Dance into every senior’s chair yoga classes. Once a month I offer an all yoga dance hour. I have witnessed significant increases in student numbers. I am sure this is because it introduces a physical activity to seniors that is fun, socially engaging and imaginative. Seniors love to dance and the feedback is always positive.

I have only positive things to say about Yoga Vista Academy’s Online Chair Yoga Teacher Training course! I found the course to be well organized and thoughtfully constructed down to the last detail. Sherry is very knowledgeable with the aging body and yoga, and energetically shares that knowledge in her writing and videos. She was so responsive, offering assistance and feedback throughout the entire process. Her positive energy and attitude shine through in this online course.

I truly enjoyed doing my Chair Yoga Certification Online Program with the Yoga Vista Academy. The content and the professional manner in which it is presented was excellent. I learnt more in the past months than I ever did from my past 3 year Yoga training here in Australia, and feel I have achieved more, especially with anatomy. Being able to view the many and varied videos was great for me and Sherry’s support throughout the course was always there. A great motivator. I can highly recommend the Course to anyone who is considering undertaking it.

I am learning a TON! This program is so fascinating, approachable, and immediately applicable. I’m loving it!

I enjoy greatly in my Chair Yoga online courses. It changed, in many aspects, the way I see my own aging and also my ideas about sharing yoga with seniors.

I wanted to tell you that I am thoroughly enjoying your Gentle Yoga teacher certification. I have been chipping away at it slowly. Rather than speeding through it, I chose to read one chapter or module at a time and teach it in my style to my class. This morning, I did your class called “gentle yoga class: extra umpf of ujaii and sun salutation”. I absolutely loved it. At one point in the class, you asked a question to your students and I caught myself answering your question…haha..online…real-time.. what’s the difference?

“Excellent presenter, very knowledgeable. First time I have actually learned in-depth about the meaning behind the poses.”

“Amazing! The very first class I’ve ever heard of on myth and asana. Inspired to create a class using this.”

“WOW! The asanas will never be the same. So much to share and absorb. Beautiful!”

“So interesting! A great summery of some of the stories and their relationship to the poses. I can share this historical information with my students.”

“Very knowledgeable. This was my first introduction to the “story” of the myths. Beautifully done!”

The way Viki helped us think of putting things together was really helpful. She is extremely knowledgeable! And it helps to have someone to connect with in a group and to be held accountable to to finish.

Thanks for all that you do!! You have changed my life, I quit my nursing job, I am teaching 2 classes, and possibly one more and I have started to take a course to become a yoga therapist. I could not have done this without your classes and your knowledge and support. Thanks to you and Justine!!

I was prepared to take human anatomy at my local community college as an enrichment to my yoga teacher training, but the anatomy of the aging body is more than I would have had. I wanted to know the how’s and why’s of aging. These are the tools that allow me in depth understanding and compassion for Seniors and for those with limited mobility. The medical names are important to know, and are delivered in such a way that I remember terms and how they fit into my daily work of teaching chair yoga. I’m not going to just read and take a test, I’m retaining so much of what I am learning, and applying it. Your program has so many pictures, sequencing, cue tips, and practical helps. It just goes on and on.

I did the workshop over the weekend and taught many of the stretches using reasons and knee anatomy in both my chair and mat classes. So grateful to you both for my updating, understanding and variety in teaching.

I’m enjoying the Live Mentoring Chair Yoga Training Program for many reasons:
1. We can get immediate answers to any questions. Also, as we practice with one another, we can ask specific questions pertaining to poses we are doing as we are doing them.

2. We can share ideas and learn from others. It is nice to meet people that are taking the class and building relationships with them over time. In addition, we can practice in front of people.

3. The sections are divided and manageable. Having a small test after each one is helpful because there is a lot of information to absorb. The coursework is set up for our success.

I feel like I am learning and have such an abundant assortment of resources. And of course, amazing teachers!

I learned a lot! So many great ideas to share with the nursing home residents I’ll be working with! Several great tips – especially about the music. I hadn’t even thought about them not being able to hear me over the music. And I love the names of some of the poses — makes it fun! For example, “Monkey” is just adorable…and something I am sure they will relate to! Thank you so much. Great course!

I want to thank you for offering the mentoring program. I don’t know if I ever would have finished my program without the motivation, deadlines, and help offered in the program. I’m going to start by offering free classes at some of the homes and senior centers until I feel comfortable with this population.

Your online classes and posts are such a wonderful support for me. I am two years into teaching at a 55 and over community. I love it, but as my own manager I often have questions and concerns about my classes. Inevitably, your site will have guidance for me. I feel as though I know your teachers personally from the videos. Thank you is not enough for all you offer to those of us teaching a senior audience.

I’m a new Yoga Vista student and I’m loving the ease of working at my pace. The best part is the comprehensive immersion into Gentle and chair yoga in such a way that I feel like I’m really a part of the class. The student participation and their sharing their experiences in the course information is very helpful to me. Thank you!

I felt compelled to write after watching your on line yoga for seniors videos. They are exceptional and you are a pure joy to observe at work. I am a medical doctor and yoga teacher training in yoga therapy. My background is emergency medicine but I have more interest in sports and exercise medicine and integrative health these days. I work with patient groups and I am particularly interested in older adults. You are a wonderful ambassador. I love that your classes cover all the key areas building maintaining muscular strength, range of motion, decreasing stiffness and working on balance and coordination ( I love the picking fruit exercise) but also fostering a sense of connection and all the other deeper wonderful layers of meaning we know and love from our own yoga practice and teaching. Please keep up the good work.

The first course I completed in the area of working with Seniors was through University of Limerick which gave me a good base and foundation but having completed both Chair and Gentle Courses along with online material , youtube clips, dvd sets, and so much more information from the video libraries it has given me the opportunity to continue exercising and pass on a wide range of knowledge and advice to my students in 17 weekly classes I have on a weekly basis, so huge thanks and blessing Sherry for continuing to pass on your invaluable knowledge and skills.

I decided to close my yoga studio and pursue more outreach and community classes. The area where I live is a retirement community so I began cold-calling senior living centers and opportunities to teach have appeared, it’s so amazing! I love what I am doing now even more. I was trained in Ashtanga yoga but since moving to this new town I have sought out more accessible yoga practices for myself and my students. Your compassionate, knowledgeable and joyful style is so inspiring.

I learned many new things and I especially liked the fact I didn’t have to take notes, I could sit and listen! I learn and retain information better by experiencing. The PDF handout is a gem.

I use a lot of your suggestions and really love your training. I am happy to be apart of the Yoga Academy community, and thanks for you all and your hard work with the training, it sure helps my teaching!!!

I feel so blessed to have participated in this training and to have the opportunity to share it all with the senior’s in my community.
Thank you for your knowledge and inspiration Sherry, Justine, and everyone at Yoga Vista Academy.

“Totally met and surpassed my needs and expectations. I received the reminders I needed in feeling his postures inside out and received new insights in translating the poses to the chair. As always, James both spoke and listened in a personable and understandable way. He brought out the best ideas from all of us!”

“New concept for me. What an enthusiastic and positive guy.”

“Challenging and useful information. Very nice presentation.”

“I learned so much! He is such a gigantic ‘heart’. This was my 2nd time to experience his work, and it’s starting to settle into my slow brain! 🙂 Can’t wait to learn more!”

“Your passion for your work radiates! It was so helpful to receive experience of your teaching of the somatic movements – it will make my presentation of them to my students much easier. Love your work, love your teaching. Appreciated the chair demo’s.”

“Content well organized.”

“I loved looking at the case studies because that makes it real and relative. Looking at the issue and then having prescription is great.”

“The project was well planned, researched, and carried out. The postural observations, structural analysis of misalignment causes, together with specific asana and strengthening exercises to correct specific misalignments were insightful, well though out, abd rigorously documented. The methodologies were clearly were explained and documented, making the process accessible to yoga teachers wishing to implement the principles in their individual teaching niches. Sherry’s enthusiasm and effervescent personality are
contagious and inspiring.”

I enjoyed it so much. For me, the anatomical part with the homemade fabrics was brilliant. A lot that I learned at the “De Gasquet Institute” is similar but Victoria’s style is so much impactful, with lots of great exercises and super creative ideas !
I’m amazed by the quality of the pdf document too. What a work !! It’s full of care, respect and engagement… I’m touched in my heart !

Loved the connection to other yoga concepts such as the yamas and nyamas, fantastic and easy to understand description about how these diseases start, info about the role of the diaphragm and it’s movement and beneficial effects on the organs, lots of useful extra pointers in the stretches and breathing. the simplicity of restorative poses.

While preparing for a chair yoga class I was presenting at an ALF for International Yoga Day I stumbled upon Sherry and YogaJP on YouTube. Needless to say, I was HOOKED. Now when I come across other chair yoga classes, they’re very vanilla in comparison.

I live in Ireland and have over 350 students. I don’t have a gym of my own so I travel throughout the County on a daily basis to rural areas with low levels of population to Community Halls where Students come once a weekly and get their exercise in with an age profile of 6o – 92.

I really mean this Sherry you have played a huge part in helping me get this going with the vast knowledge, great ideas and variety gained from your online tudorials, Dvd”s and courses completed with you.

The course is meeting my needs and expectations, thank you. I am pleased and excited to offer even more poses and information to my students. It is giving me added confidence and a good refresher on top of my 200 hour certification.

What I like best about Yoga Vista Academy is…. the constant offering of interesting and new knowledge to add to the enormous wealth of knowledge that it already provides. The learning never stops. Thank you ????

I’m impressed with the feedback you have given me, and it is valued and appreciated. What makes it special is that I feel like I have a personal relationship with you – that I am NOT anonymous. Your whole course is written from a place of caring and educating, and your feedback has always been the same. Thank you!!

I live in London and I work full time but spend my other hours coming up with creative ways to educate students and further their practice. Although I am a trained teacher, I am just starting your aging anatomy course and have already learnt so much after module 1. Wanted to let you know. Look forward tot the modules to come. Thank you for all of your work and dedication to this field of chaired yoga.

I left school at 15 years of age, never having touched on anatomy at all. So I found this to be challenging but thanks to this course I feel grateful to be so enlightened about The body and my own body also!

I’ve been fortunate to participate in her on-line pilot Yoga Dance project with teachers across the world, to collaborate on this innovative movement program. This is a well-conceived, unique and comprehensive course, with quality resources, well produced videos, that are supplemented with useful handouts. The course includes information from anatomy of aging, to song structure, from the how’s’ and whys’ of choreography to teaching safely to seniors. Sherry provides plenty of examples, complete with scenic backdrops, to communicate the information needed for yoga teachers to incorporate Chair Yoga Dance into our tool kit.

The course was so helpful and appropriate for teaching seniors yoga. I felt very supported and have enjoyed my teaching so much more. The library of asanas, I’m sure is every yoga teachers dream. I understand the aging body so much better. Helping to understand the asanas and why we do them. I also feel that the people who attend my classes are benefiting from that knowledge.

I am so grateful to all of you. Gerry has been an exceptional mentor.

It’s been an incredible journey. Loved the way new information formatted. Great videos, meeting new teachers, becoming friends ,exploring new ways to help seniors live better. Sherry and Justine made the course easy and fun while learning. Looking forward to my last get together in 10 days.

I wish you had more courses. I have now taken all of them. Except for gentle yoga because there is alot of overlap. I think you guys are awesome. You have changed my path in my life. I am not going back to my nursing job because of you. I have been trying to figure out what i love for so long. I am m, and always will be a nurse and I am finding that people love that I am a nurse and have gotten a few classes because of it!! So, a million thanks again. I know you are sick of me praising you, but you and Sherry have really changed my life! ! Thank you again!!!

I have felt from the onset of the program that there was a real person that was available for support and guidance. I love the organization of the program! The online materials were easy to access, read and digest. I do appreciate the inherent redundancy in the chapters. This helps me remember concepts and asanas and to see their interrelatedness.
Thank you for offering this program! I know that I will use the written and online resources for years to come.

Your video: the bussiness and marketing of Yoga was very clarifying, I realized all the mistakes I made when doing it, so great learning, I have to put it into action. How to use sponsorships to grow……. a video of Shelly Anderson It was incredible, I thought about everything I did not do, it was because I did not look for sponsors I did not know how, now I do. For me all this videos were so clarifying, I always review them because there is always something that escapes me because of the language, and I must see them more than once.

I know that you value our great news ,we mortal Chair Yogi students of yours! For the past five months ,each Tuesday morn I have been teaching at the’ Elenora sixties& better community Center’ and I’m growing in confidence as the class grows! A local retirement Center has given me the go ahead to teach every Wednesday morning there after I gave a Complimentary class to their residents Thanks once again for all your wonderful support!

While I got a lot out of the traditional online course, I kind of got hung up in the anatomy portion and the online mentoring program with Viki Boyko got me past that hurdle. The Teachback video was really hard for me to contemplate, and I’m not sure I would have gotten past that without Corey’s Live Mentoring class. Corey was fabulously supportive and also gave me a lot of ideas and a network of chair yoga instructors to work with.

Overall, the course taught me a lot – the fact that it took me a year and a half to finish might have had something to do with it! But, I do feel extraordinarily prepared to go out and teach!

And a huge thank you Sherry for putting this course together. I don’t really have anything but praise for it. I found it very, very informative, well planned, easy to follow, and hard and extensive enough I m sure, to ensure only those really interested in the training/qualification would put the time and effort in to see it through. Great course. PLUS I was also soooo lucky in being able to come and meet you all and join some of the classes at Vista.

I am a quadriplegic that had been seeking out a yoga class to meet my needs and found Sherry. She is internationally recognized for senior yoga – a population filled with disabilities and restrictions. Her online Chair Yoga Certification Program introduced me to other disabled class enrollees in England that are teaching yoga there.

Sherry is fun and approachable. For teachers interested in including people with disabilities and seniors in their class or for someone wanting to gain this knowledge and teach a chair yoga class, I strongly recommend this program.

I finished the Anatomy Section of the training. I just…. I have no words for how amazing it is. I’m working on formulating a review of this program. It’s just…. well. I’m sure you know. My confidence has increased. When I teach my yoga classes, I actually feel as if I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! Not just repeating something I learned. That’s what’s amazing about this. The understanding that lies underneath her teaching. I’ve been yearning for something in yoga… something I couldn’t explain or even understand. But now I know. I just needed the answer to the question WHY. Now I know so many more answers to why we teach what we teach in yoga… why we do certain movements in certain ways. Even my students have noticed a difference.

The chair yoga teacher training program was invaluable to hone and fine-tune my yoga education to serve the 55+ population I teach in South Florida. I found that during my 200 hour certification, anatomy was my weakest area because I just didn’t have much of an interest or understanding, but in this program it was so easy to follow that I found myself becoming an anatomy geek. It was general anatomy, yes, but also what happens to the body as it ages, or with various health conditions. I find myself incorporating many of the concepts and movements into my traditional hatha mat classes as well, and the class attendance has improved as a result. I was dubious about how well I would learn using video content, and was very pleasantly surprised to find out how effective it was. Not only did I feel as if I was there, but I have all of the content as reference materials too! I highly recommend this course, and all Yoga Vista Academy offerings. May we keep up this vital work that blesses so many!

Delving into the course material over the span of about five months helped me learn the importance of the “why” behind each movement and communicate that to the seniors I teach. As I continued through the course I applied what I learned in my classes which made them fresh and vibrant each time. I have significantly expanded my movement repertoire and confidence regardless of my audience size or level. I am better equipped to pull up whatever is needed to meet the group or person in front of me.

The course material is meticulous, well organized and infused with live vignettes and lots of subject matter experts in related fields. The handouts and multidimensional libraries of anatomy and poses are just wonderful! I think it’s a win win for all yoga teachers wherever you are in your practice and teaching.

I love what I do and your courses and guidance have given me an amazing range of insights into ensuring those who attend my classes are given the best support I can give. I hope that I teach with confidence based on knowledge and a growing skill basis.Your courses are so well structured and detailed and I love the detailed functional anatomy understanding I now have.

I also like to imitate your approach of being in partnership with the students, sharing my knowledge so we can all be happier and healthier. I thought I was going to be ‘lost’ once I retired from teaching but have found a new satisfaction in life, knowing I am making a difference in the lives of others, even at my age. I turned 65 last month.

I have really enjoyed and learned great information especially on anatomy taking your Chair Yoga certification. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful experience!

What I loved about the Online Chair Yoga Program! 1. The written PDF’s that went with most of the Video’s. 2. I liked the exams throughout because it kept it very fresh. 3. The PDF’s are fanastic reference documents, so those are so nice to have. 4. The video – MOST all were very good. 5. Library of postures is great to have with the handout’s as well, because the names are different than we use in other yoga classes! 🙂 6. In the video’s themselves, one thing I really like was being able to see the seniors do it with you. It gave me an idea of what those postures look like for them because I find myself wanting to correct their form when it may be all they can do.

Thank you so much again for your wonderful Chair Yoga course!! I especially enjoyed the great review on Anatomy. I greatly appreciate that your resources will be my wonderful library of information to refer to when needed. The online setup worked great for me too. I also gave my feedback via Yoga Alliance.

I am currently enrolled in the Senior Chair Yoga Program and I am really liking it. The payment plan is so helpful and affordable.

Although I am only into the third chapter, I am finding the program quite user friendly. I was a bit apprehensive about taking an online class to begin with. Chair yoga is hands on stuff, how can this be done? I am completely confident in the completeness of the course and its contents, and I am ecstatic about the unlimited resources at my fingertips. The videos are great!! No actors here, just reality.

I was prepared to take human anatomy at my local community college as an enrichment to my yoga teacher training, but the anatomy of the aging body is more than I would have had. I wanted to know the how’s and why’s of aging. These are the tools that allow me in depth understanding and compassion for Seniors and for those with limited mobility. The medical names are important to know, and are delivered in such a way that I remember terms and how they fit into my daily work of teaching chair yoga. I’m not going to just read and take a test, I’m retaining so much of what I am learning, and applying it. Your program has so many pictures, sequencing, cue tips, and practical helps. It just goes on and on.

I also thought an online class would be lonely, but it’s not. Sherry is right there with me, as well as Norma or Lou and so many of the Seniors from the limitless videos. I get excited to see their progress and to know that what I do from this program makes a difference in people’s lives.

I drive a school bus during the week, having the opportunity to have a printed manual to take with me to study and practice from is essential. I can’t possibly remember everything, so to have the quick reference is handy too. I like how the program is laid out, and how it builds upon itself. It is very obvious how much time and research has gone into this program. I’m gobbling it up.

From being encourage to wear bright colors, have fun in teaching things like “picking fruit” or “how much money, honey” really gets ya going. I can’t wait to show you “Pirate Pose!” for balance. It makes my Seniors smile, giggle and confident. I even teach “Turkey Yoga”. I hope you are curious here.

Thank you for such an affordable, current and applicable program that is like having a personal trainer with me all of the time. I feel more and more confident each day because I am being equipped to provide my Senior students with the tools they need to be safe, active, and independent for as long as they can be, and to have fun along their journey.

I started a chair yoga class three weeks ago and it is going very well. We had a reporter from our local paper come to class on Friday, it will be written up in our local paper. we are averaging around 21 lovely seniors ! Our reporter friend, 24 years young, did chair yoga with the class!

One of your “aha” moments was particularly useful to me. I am going to begin applying the module suggestion. I think I was already sort of doing it, but when you explained it yesterday a light bulb went on for me. I don’t think I was truly taught how to go about adapting to different audiences quickly in my original training.

Yoga Vista Academy has a way about making you feel like you are a part of the yoga family. I couldn’t get enough of the videos and information. I am a visual person so having the videos were essential to my learning. Not only are they informational, they are enjoyable to watch and see the different personalities of each teacher. One day I called Yoga Vista to ask a question and I was thinking I would get an answering machine or something like that. Low and behold Sherry picked up!! I was so impressed and a little shocked. I can not say enough about the Academy. Well done from start to finish!!

Omg both certifications have been the best investments that I have made in a long night time. You are amazing yoga treasures.

You guys are the BEST! Love your energy, professionalism, knowledge…LOVE!!!
TGIF and thanks so much for having us as your NC “hOMe”

I truly believe that all YTT 200 programs should also include a course like this one for aging/older adult population. Even though I tend to have clients that are between 16-40 I believe that it would be beneficial to have this type of knowledge under your belt.

Once again I found Sherry’s Dance Program an excellent professional training program. The videos were presented with a high level of technical expertise while the actual content was creative and imaginative, detailed and very easy to understand. The variety of dances means everyone can find dances and music they really like and respond to. People in my classes absolutely love these dances.

I am not yet done, but I am enjoying the program very much. I think the thing that is different and that I like so much, is that it takes people where they’re at. I have gotten a little burnt out on the hard lines of strict Vinyasa flows. As we age it’s clear that limitations come up. Accepting them and staying positive seems key. You do such a wonderful job making the classes fun. I’m learning a lot just from your approach. Thanks for all your hard work!

To be a witness of the whole adventure of dance creation was a sheer fun! Step by step instructions, made learning this dance such a enjoyable experience!

After getting my Academy certification, I immediately started a chair yoga class at my studio that is always full. Full enough that I’ll be adding two more in September. One of my students gave me a card recently that said, ‘Thank you for caring enough to remember us older folks. Honey, you are a born teacher.’ I also teach private classes for a married couple, 87 and 88. The other day, after class, the wife looked at her husband as he stood from his chair and exclaimed, ‘Oh, Lynda, look at his posture! I don’t see an old man anymore. I see the dashing young man I fell in love with.’ So, was this training course worthwhile for enhancing my yoga teaching repertoire? For enhancing my LIFE? A million times over. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

The course is wonderful, the mix of videos and reading is a great way to study no matter what learning style someone prefers. I loved this course and ever since I’ve started, I’ve been telling my yogi friends about your studio, certifications, classes, and workshops.

The videos are fantastic and the best learning tool ever!. I have had many a late night watching all of you Justine, Mary, James, and of course your kind wonderful self. love how you interact with the seniors!

I had no idea how successful my chair yoga classes would be! I started a class in January as a volunteer at our senior center. From that I have grown exponentially via word of mouth. I am now teaching 6 classes a week, and am being asked to do more.

Thank you from the center of my heart for your patience and kindness. I am SO grateful that you, your amazing team, and chair yoga has come into my life!! I hear from my students how they have benefited from their practice of chair yoga. Classes are full, fun, and flexible.

I have never found anatomy to be exciting, and didn’t receive a lot of anatomy in my 200-houryoga teacher training. Learning anatomy on my own was both overwhelming and intimidating. When I was researching this course I saw something that said I didn’t didn’t need to be an anatomy expert to take the course. WOW.That was a relief so I went for it. I had a college professor say many times “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” That is the way this course is put together. The anatomy is broken down into sections, so it isn’t intimidating at all if anatomy isn’t your thing. I’m a long way away from being an “anatomy geek” but it no longer intimidates me.Additionally, Justine’s yoga therapy teaching provided new insights to me that really enhanced my understanding of many concepts along the way.

WHAT I LEARNED THAT I DIDN’T KNOW?

“The different ways you sit and how that plays into your spinal posture and long term effects. It was a great Yoga Refresher on a calmer, more protective way of doing Yoga that is nurturing. And I learned about Breathing the pace, the connection and value that breathing plays into a good stretch.”

” That your muscles hold all your bones in place. I learned different ways to meditate and the best lying position for your spine.”

“How things work in my Anatomy. I want to remember to practice this and I know I need to relax. I need to practice – more!”

“I learned about the specific small muscles that impact the rest of the body, and about breathing/meditation.”

“I learned a whole lot about muscles. I realized how enjoyable Yoga and that it is a real benefit. I learned about the Breathing right left nostril thing.”

“How to open up and breathe!”

“I didn’t know anything about Anatomy! I learned the Breathing Effects of breathing through left nostril vs. right nostril. ”

Based on what I have seen in your YouTube videos, throughout the Corporate Yoga program and most certainly during your live Chair Yoga class — I definitely see what you’re doing, and can feel that you genuinely pour your heart and soul into the connections you have with others. Since changing career paths, I want to invest my collective skills and experience in something meaningful for people and spreading that goodness all around.

Just a note of thanks for a wonderful training experience! Integrity is the word that comes to mind when I think of the educational program you, Justine and all the other fine educators provide in this program. Your feedback was sincere and very direct and I really took it to heart in a positive way. It is obvious that you really love what you do and your willingness to share and give credit where due just shows how much you like to explore new modalities of movement and keep it all fresh and creative. I thank you for keeping us all inspired!!

I am happy to say that because of your course I am able to teach people with confidence on at nursing home, offices, yoga studios and memory care facilities.

I really enjoyed going through the course at my own pace and found that I learned and re learned many things—using your manual. I totally appreciate all that you share and promote. I continually add and learn things from the newsletter and reviewing the manual. The quizzes were helpful.

I am most grateful for your weekly newsletter, and I frequently go on line to check the different classes available on U Tube for inspiration. I want my students to enjoy and have different ideas to work every part of the body, and it is always so much fun not only to challenge myself but to challenge my students and they seem to love it. Thanks for being so generous in providing the access to your great classes videos.

I’ve reached out to you before as I’ve found your style in leading chair yoga classes very forward thinking! I do a lot of program testing and development for MOSSA and I like how you focus on just getting people to move better to enhance activities of daily living – very much what we focus on these days!

WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY NOW THAT I KNOW?

“I use the techniques to stretch and move my body throughout the day hopefully preventing muscle/tendons/ etc issues.”

“I am aware of my posture when at my PC and correct it more often than before.”

“Improving my posture. Stretching regularly.”

“Sit Up More!”

“Constantly be more aware of my posture and work on breathing exercises.”

“I try and remember to stretch!”

THANK YOU for your wunderful email! I feel loved, energised, vital and I’m on my flow IN TO ME!!!

I really like the diverse learning opportunities offered through Yoga Vista which I can enjoy without leaving home. I have a passion for teaching seniors and am one myself in addition my career as a nurse and nurse practitioner currently part time. Sherry is very passionate about her work with this group of clients and it is reflected in every class and workshop which she teaches and I have also enjoyed listening to her story on the Yoga Alliance website.

Hopefully, I will be signing up for the chair and gentle yoga certification soon!

What I like most about Yoga Vista is the quality and authenticity of your teaching, the teaching staff (Sherry, of course) and the variety of classes. Yoga Vista is fun (and funny), friendly, and accessible online which is huge for those of us that cannot make it into the studio or any studio!

I am now on permanent disability and was a former yoga teacher for seniors. I feel as if I am in class at home and not missing out. Thank you for connecting with ALL of us! Much appreciated for everything you do!

What I like best about Yoga Vista Academy is that it inspires me to be authentic in teaching my chair yoga classes, taking new ideas and putting my own personality into them so that they all ring true with my class members and feel good to my spirit as well. I hope that someday workshops will be offered in Florida so I can attend and become even more deeply involved.

The live mentoring component was invaluable. Viki is a highly skilled and effective instructor. She is extremely competent, and has a way about her that makes learning easy and fun. I found that her personal interaction with us was key to engagement in the program. In addition, Viki went above and beyond. She was extremely welcoming and supportive. She established relationships with the individuals in the class. She reached out to us with information, reminders, and follow ups. What was perhaps the most helpful, was Viki’s willingness to have us observe and participate in her chair yoga classes. Observing her teach provided an entirely different learning experience. For me, that was the most valuable learning lesson of them all.

Wow! That’s fantastic. I’ve really enjoyed this fun and informative course. Especially found the age related symptoms info useful and how to work around these. Also, so many ideas for fun routines to do with seniors. I would love to be involved in anything you have going on.

I could never have completed this course in an in-person class situation. Both my husband and I are lucky enough to have our 90+ year old mothers alive and living on their own. Most of our weekends get spent with one or the other; they are a fabulous focus group on what works and what doesn’t for some of my classes! They love all I’ve learned as much as I do.

Sherry’s course enabled me to break down what I’m doing in a chair dance and teach the components with less improvising and even more fun. Identifying the movements as steady, progressive, free flowing, etc. has also helped me to choreograph more thoughtfully. The dances are easy to learn and provide a foundation for creating my own in a way that is most enjoyable and beneficial to my students. Sherry has painstakingly and lovingly included and attended to every detail. What a joy!

Sherry is the queen of chair yoga dance and has included songs for every season! During the winter the jingle bells song was such at hit at several of the places I teach. All of the dances can be done seated or easily modified to standing and make you smile. Thank you so much Sherry!

I have found so much joy in incorporating dances in my yoga classes. The dancing really changes the routine and the addition of the music and familiar songs makes the class a little jewel in the day for the seniors I teach and for me! I use the songs at the beginning, end and middle of the class.

I would highly recommend the Live! program to any aspiring chair yoga teacher, or to any yoga teacher who wants to add chair classes to his/her repertoire. I found the line on the cover of your Teaching and Certification Training Manual to be true: I have indeed been empowered with knowledge, skills and confidence! For me, the live element was key to my decision to do this training. I know from experience that I don’t finish most of the online learning I begin. Lynda is a fantastic teacher with much to share. In addition, I know that I learned a great deal from the other student teachers in our live group. My experience was more than worth my 6 hour round-trip commute.

I recently took a course from Justine in Yoga for back care. It is one of the most wonderful courses I have ever taken. She takes such great care in explaining every step, every movement, every modification in a way that makes perfect sense.
More than her amazing way of teaching, she inspires me to be the best instructor I can be. Her humor, knowledge and obvious care for others is priceless. I am forever grateful for the gifts she gave me.

Most of my teaching is in independent and assisted/step-up living facilities so I was very happy when this course was made available. As you know teaching the assisted and memory unit population is challenging but so awarding. I absolutely loved when you expressed your mistake in trying to do a centering at beginning of class. No way does that work with this population and I love using your joint movements to begin class along with your playful suggestions.

When they worked my eyes and told me that I could no longer do the positions on the ground I was destroyed … I had waited a lifetime to become a yoga teacher and suddenly 4 retinal interventions stop me! To discover that someone had given the importance of yoga even when sitting, made me born again … so thank you!

I can’t recommend this course enough for people who are working with the aging population. It is a must! Their expertise in the aging population and their slides and explanation and demos as well as experiencing for ourselves, helped bring the understanding to a maximum potential.

“Lovely practice and beautiful presentation.”

“Nice sequence and presentation. I felt so refreshed.”

“Fabulous! Her sweet soft voice is PERFECT for Restorative. Great new ideas for my classes. I loved her guided meditation…. Wonderful journey.”

“I learned more about metabolic syndrome than I ever have! And I have it. I can’t wait to download it! I LOVED her practice.”

“Good presentation – cohesive, followed structure, handled complicated topic in easily accepted format. Visuals excellent. ”

“Interesting and presented in an understandable format – a topic that affects many seniors – so information is vital for a safe practice.”

My classes here are so popular too. I teach Chair Yoga 4 times a week in my small town of 20,000 people and I have up to 25 in a class!
With much gratitude for the amazing work you do

I really enjoyed your workshop and I learned a lot. At this time in my yoga teaching life I am very picky who I study with. I want to learn something for my students, learn something for me, and get a good ROI (return on investment) of time and money. You both hit all of these requirements and much more. Also I really appreciated your extensive handouts. Being a former tech head in my past life who had to attend a lot of technical training classes, I really value a comprehensive handout.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion through your courses and videos. I teach seniors at a senior center close by (volunteer) and I often refer your videos. They gave me a lot of good ideas and inspiration! I really enjoy teaching seniors and learn a lot by teaching them. (I just turned 50 a few month ago.)

The Gentle Somatic Yoga course with James Knight was fantastic. I was not familiar with him and now have found another yoga teacher to follow. His teaching style is wonderful and very engaging. The content of the course was exactly what I’m interested in and he does a great job of explaining and coaching the various movements. I will be looking for more educational offerings with him in the future. Thank you so much for what you do and the love and enthusiasm for yoga with an aging population that you display.

One thing that I was not expecting from this Program was the effect that it was going to have on me — I benefited a great deal from doing the movements and felt the effects firsthand that my students will experience in my classes. Don’t go thinking that this won’t benefit regular practitioners — you’d be pleasantly surprised to find out just how wonderfully these movements complement an established asana practice. While my faith in online programs has been restored, it wouldn’t have been possible if there weren’t a team of people who not only are truly dedicated to helping others, but make sure that you as the student are learning and make sure to help you if you have any trouble. THANK YOU Sherry and the entire Yoga Vista team for sharing your valuable wisdom and for putting together such a comprehensive program. Definitely going to pursue the Chair Yoga Program next 🙂

I just want you to know that I teach yoga in a town of 1300 people in Emo, Ontario Canada. We are on the Minnesota border.
I teach chair yoga and Hatha vinyasa. I love your website and all the great energy that you share with us. I feel blessed that I found you!
Thanks for all you do!

“I’m trained as an ICU/CCU RN – career nurse x 20 years – I’ve never had this explained as thoroughly/understandably. EVER! I will take this info out into the world – should be required reading by all Western adults 50 and over! Outstanding – THANK YOU!”

“Loved, loved, loved how you presented all this info through a Yogic lens. You made very complex information very understandable! Wonderful movement practice.”

“he made a tough topic to grasp very clear and easy to understand. This is so important as a health issue today. The practice at the end was a perfect practice to illustrate the power of Yoga to deeply relax and mobilize energy in healing ways. ”

When I commenced the programme, I gave myself one year to challenge my thinking, change my outlook and choose my next step. This could not have been achieved without the remarkable opportunities and strategic tools afforded to me.

I have learned and relearned so much. I am a retired nurse and anatomy and physiology have always been one of my passions. I love incorporating all the new poses and information from the course. I will certainly be going forward with the extras that have been provided. I am loving every minute of it!

” Enjoyed presentation, good mix of theory, fun and interactive. Great information and hand out.”

“Exceptional! Fun, useful, informative, relevant, applicable, good practical demonstration, interactive, a bit of a good time!!”

“It is such a fascinating topic. Viki = you did an awesome job!”

“Loved the interactive session – learning through movements to strengthen the pelvic floor. She made everything so understandable – definitely will incorporate into my practice and into teaching.”

“Viki has woven together an amazing body of information and has presented it in a way that was hands-on and entertaining. She made an embarrassing topic accessible and easy to understand. Thank you!”

“SO AMAZING! Love all the hands-on experience and handmade props! SO important to know this! She is such a play-filled teacher. So grateful for all of her expertise.”

“Oh my gosh, loved, loved, loved Viki and her style of teaching. I will remember her pelvic model (that she handmade last night) whenever teaching to my students! The best! The whole lesson was outstanding.”

“Viki was amazing. I never realized and never paid attention about the pelvic. Learned a lot – excellent information – and workshop. Was great, will share and use some information in teaching.”

Yoga Vista Academy ‘s Chair Yoga Certification Program provided a written PDF to accompany the video presentation which I found beneficial to the student to read and follow as well as a great reference source to keep. I have already referred back to the PDF notes several times. The library of postures is also a good reference source for poses and their unique names. I found the videos to be very helpful especially to see the students go through the asanas to the best of their ability with modifications provided to accommodate each body and level of ability.

Thanks for these very helpful tips. Thanks also for your nice comments. I really appreciate how much thought you have put into my teach back.

What LOVE best about Yoga Vista Academy is the comprehensive detail to the online trainings and manuals. As on occupational therapist with over 20 years experience, I have never taken an anatomy and movement course specifically for geriatrics AND with the detail and care the information was presented. I am so happy I found this resource. I haven’t finished the Chair Yoga for Seniors course just yet but have incorporated what I have learn thus far with the geriatric patients I have on my caseload. Thank you!

Awesome on line course! Sherry has been so helpful – Great Hands on Guidance! I never expected Sherry to actually call me and walk my through the steps to get my Mac set up for the course! I truly felt welcomed and on my way to success! The video’s and written materials are spot on! Great resources to go back to again and again! I am grateful that my Yoga Journey has taken me down the Chair Yoga path. Thank you to everyone at Yoga Vista Academy. Keep up the great work! Namaste!

“Love! More please! I didn’t even remember this was part of the line-up. Thank you!”

“OMG! Kat! I LOVE! BEST restorative class … Ever! Let’s stay in touch – even though I said “Don’t ask!” I’d love to learn more about your Oregon retreat… xoxox”

“Very nice overview of restorative and the fundamentals. Helpful, useful and enjoyable. Kat is very knowledgeable and it was rewarding to learn many variations.”

“Best restorative practice I’ve ever attended!”

“A beautiful, healing practice. Kat placed much needed tender stitches in my newly broken heart.”

Your occasional personal emails were great for staying motivated and finishing the course. If you didn’t send me that final email checking in to see how I was and letting me know how close I was to finishing (just needed the final teach back), I would still have it hanging over my head. Your personal touch made it much more than an impersonal online course for yoga.

I enjoyed working with Gerry. He is probably one of the most positive minded people I have ever met. 🙂 He made him self available via phone & email. He was our greatest cheerleader in the Facebook group, always offering encouragement. I would encourage any student who needs that extra bit of encouragement or motivation to use the Mentor Program. Sometimes doing a course online can be lonely. Having the Mentor and the group, really helps to bring the students together. The Facebook Mentor group were also very encouraging and helpful with their support and ideas. We all wanted each other to succeed.

I have found the material very helpful. It is informative, clear and easy to understand. I only wish I had this info during my 200 hr YTT! It is filling in the missing gap of my anatomy knowledge, especially as it applies to yoga!

I am eagerly following the information from yoga vista academy. I’m returning to yoga after decades without its benefits ( why did I ever stop?) and really appreciate the gentle and chair yoga ideas. I have a short group activity session I lead at work in which I try to incorporate some very gentle stretches. Thank you for the information you share.

Yoga Vista academy emails are always packed with information, videos and inspiring insights from Sheri and her students and staff. I can always count on learning something new. Your generosity and willingness to share this knowledge with others so freely is a blessing and truly speaks to the true meaning of yoga!

In my opinion, the live portion is extremely important. One reason being that questions can be answered which then can lead to additional questions and so on. Second, it is important to build relationships with real people. We spend so much time behind electronics that we forget how to really be with people who are also stepping outside of their comfort zone. It’s a great way to learn from one another and provide support. And of course, the teach back…. practicing in front of real people throughout the course helps to prepare for the teach back. When we teach, it is In front of real people. Lastly, it makes the experience meaningful. People make it something to remember. I highly recommend keeping and moving forward with the hybrid training.

Thank you for referring me to Bruce who hired me to work with his mother. I appreciate it!

“The demonstration of poses was especially eye-opening as you explained, not just what you were doing, but why it mattered for Seniors.”

“Love the energy and playful approach! Yoga is meant to be fun and playful!”

“Very helpful! Learned more about the realities of working in these facilities.”

“Hundreds of people walk outside our doors throughout the year, and we pay no attention them. We only pay our attention to those that knock on our doors.” I think of our minds like that with energy and intuition. Intuition brought me to your online class. I am grateful for the intuitive knock.

Independent study using computer prepared manual, pictures, examples and videos gave me the feeling of being “in” a classroom. The quizzes helped me to know that I was on the right path. I was able to practice adaptations for Yoga in a chair and standing that I could recommend to students who were unable to manage asanas in the traditional Yoga way, or were not strong enough to manage Yoga on a mat. I found that during the time I was teaching these principles, the students were gaining confidence, strength, balance and flexibility at their own pace. The class gave me great respect for the effort the students were making and the increase of joy in their faces as time went on! It gives me a great feeling to assist seniors with the knowledge obtained from the class.

I love how you have those diagrams to make the song structures easy to understand, and how you have the whole thing broken down with the different formats of songs. The way each module was separated and built upon also made sense to me as far as the order of learning each lesson.

“Teresa Austin had a genuine, friendly, welcoming and attentive presence which allowed the workshop participants, myself included, to relax and share freely in discussion. She introduced me to a new, and previously unexplored avenue for inward connection and gratitude, by guiding us to place our hands on our hearts and then bring our awareness and gratitude to its beating, which is more oft than not, taken for granted. “

I have loved doing your course and pushing myself to video and look back at the way I run classes , I must admit I have enjoyed the learning experience and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I now do cd’s and working on getting a proper video camera to make dvd for me to sell. A big Big thank you for the opportunity to learn about myself as well as the wonderful world of chair yoga.

I am taking your posture online class and I have now been asked to do a class specific for posture. So grateful for all that you and your staff do to educate me so my seniors can benefit.

I am so enjoying taking the chair yoga certification course! Once completed hope to visit “Yoga Vista Academy” You guys are awesome!!!

I do enjoy your instructions, information, routines, dances, and laughter. You really make me feel I am there and a part of your family. I have fun while learning.

I teach in a Fear of Falling Study for the Oregon Research Institute and use so many of your ideas in my classes. Teaching a seated stretching class for 60 minutes is the hardest thing I have ever done! The participants are 70+. There are 3 classes randomly computer generated, 1 class is strengthening, 1 is stretching and the other is Tai Chi. I teach both the strengthening and the stretching. You have helped me so much for ideas for stretching for 60 minutes. I am not a yoga teacher, I am an exercise physiologist and I love your ideas. The class loved the Bob Seger song, Listen.

Your program has been priceless to me, and in turn my students. Just this morning I spoke to a lady about vertigo, a direct result of the program I watched on dizziness and vertigo. The resources and ideas have given me so many ideas, kickoffs, practices, and invaluable information to pass on and share. The Crown membership this past year was an excellent investment.

The course has really helped me to gain confidence in teaching seated yoga, by basing it so strongly in the context of the physiology of ageing. The depth of information about anatomy, injuries, philosophies and yoga modifications to work alongside everyone’s particular body issues, is really exceptional. I’ve found it so helpful and I know that it will continue to provide endless stimulation and ideas.

“Delightful! So sweet! Loved the yoga nidra. I was not expecting restorative Yoga. I think this was my favorite part of the weekend.”

“Kat seems to have the perfect personality for Restorative Yoga. Enjoyed her presentation and her poses were very relaxing.”

“A beautiful practice and I learned a lot about the physiological conditions necessary for relaxation.”

What I like best about Yoga Vista Academy is your warmth, integrity, sincerity & authenticity. You are the real deal! You walk the talk. Your nurturing & caring nature radiates out and can be felt even on a video medium. Every now and then you share glimpses of your honest concerns for a student that’s absent or struggling. Your keen eye picks up those subtle events.

You continually challenge your students and you generously share medical knowledge that improves our personal lives. Plus you do it all with professionalism. Bravo!

I just wanted to let you know that I am almost done your chair yoga class and I am loving it soooo much!!! You are an amazing teacher and so knowledgeable. I am a nurse and you know way more than I do!!!!! I just quit a horrible nursing job in which I was sitting all day and stressed out and trying to make a career change. I want to thank you so much for the information and the way it is presented. It is so easy to follow. Your enthusiasm is contagious!! I am thinking about doing the gentle yoga also. Thanks again,. I think that you are just wonderful. I wish you were closer to me!!!

I thought it was fantastic. Thank you so much for making learning fun. I love the new jingle bell dance and I’m looking forward to to trying it out in my Friday assisted living class. I think they will be able to handle it and really enjoy it.

Every yoga teacher would benefit from this training.

I have started a chair yoga class in the memory care unit at our Continuous care facility after taking your Yoga in Senior Care Facilities Workshop. I have about 10 people (about half participate). I have had great success in learning that using sing-a-long songs like – Jesus Loves Me, row your boat or You are my sunshine are great motivators to get them moving. At first I was very nervous having very little experience with patients with memory issues. It is quickly becoming my favorite class. Thank you for your support!

It was such a blessing for me to come across the Yoga Vista Academy online program. It’s inexpensive and easy to work. I was able to recieve such detailed knowledge on the aging process and all the main issues that can contribute to pain. Learning about the anatomy was so helpful. I appreciated the information to print and videos to reinforce what you are learning. I loved Sherry’s style and she really inspired me to become the best chair yoga teacher I can be.

There are different types and styles of yoga and working with students on this program that brings such variety and benefits. All the teachers are dedicated and inspiring. You become apart of that community, with the ability to use the videos as often as you desire. I could go on and on about Yoga Vista Academy online program. I plan on continuing going through some more of the many workshops and programs, for there are many! I recommend it highly!

I am LOVING the program!

It’s always a challenge living in a remote location – being unable to access many ‘live’ training programs.

This one truly is amazing!

The course was so well organized and informative. I’m really glad that I decided to expand on that weekend workshop with you in Chicago and pursue the full certification.

“Exciting material and inspiring teaching. Nice to end with workshop with a blending of the practical and spiritual. Enjoyed the mythical art very much.”

“A beautiful end to a beautiful workshop. The depth of knowledge and thoughtful presentation were magical.”

“Teresa is extremely knowledgeable and I very much enjoyed hearing the stories, something I’ve wanted to know more about. I look forward to incorporating some of the stories into my class.”

“Magnificent presentation! Generous and loving presence, sharing her knowledge of the Hindu gods and goddesses and myths. Inspires me to want to read them in-depth and has given new meaning to the poses and their names. Beautiful Teresa!”

“I love story telling. Teresa did a great job fostering class discussions. I learned a lot from students experiences/ideas in this class. I loved honoring the gods and goddesses!”

The course was great, I would certainly refer your course to everyone! I can’t say it enough at how gracious you are in all your teachings.

What I like best about the Yoga Vista Academy is the generous sharing of ideas straight from the heart. I first became acquainted with Sherry over a year ago. when I participated in Webinars she gave for Yoga Alliance members. I was struck by Sherry’s determination to make a difference in the lives of seniors, as well as her generous spirit of encouraging other yoga teachers to do the same.

And this is why I still enjoy reading each and every email coming from Yoga Vista Academy. I love being caught up to date on the latest happenings and courses. Thanks so much for what you do for yoga teachers and students.

chose Yoga Vista Academy training because of the quality of your video classes, but especially because of your emphasis on learning the anatomical issues and conditions of seniors and on how to meet their specific needs. I was NOT disappointed! I am a much more confident and skilled teacher as a result of this training. At the same time, I believe my classes, like your training, are creative and fun!

Content… The amount of information in the course was unbelievable. It was well-delivered. The PDF documents were organized perfectly. And I appreciate the videos throughout. Applying different learning methods really helped it all come together for me. Testing… I actually felt like I got real feedback. This is so unusual this day and age and I feel like I am a better teacher for it. The course made me stop and think about who I am as a teacher.

“Before this project, I never REALLY looked at peoples’ posture very much. It’s amazing what I saw and learned from having to observe people and write this paper. Seems like everywhere I go now, I’m looking at a person’s posture and trying to figure out what the issues are and how to improve them. Thanks Sherry!”

Thank you hugely for sharing your professional insights and business savvy. As a yoga teacher working with fellow seniors, I find your gentle, healing style of teaching, coupled with your va-voom personal style, both inspiring and joyful.

First, let me tell you how much I am enjoying the overall course. I have learned so much and am able to take the information and relate it to the classes I teach; a few chair as a sub, Hatha and restorative.

I am organising activities at a 40 bedroom age care facility in Sydney. I have probably watched all your free videos and am very impressed by how you present your classes. I love your tone of voice, how down to earth you are, the fun, the inclusiveness … it gives anyone the feeling they can give yoga a go.

Thanks for your wonderful work, it has had a great impact on my Tuesday morning exercise Classes and I instruct movement to my ageing residents with more insight and care. The oldest is 104 years old and still runs up and down stairs!

I would like to thank you for offering such a wonderful course online. As I am going along and studying the material, I am learning so much about the body and the way to structure classes to help the older adults to stay active and live a more happy and healthy lifestyle.

My experience with the Corporate Yoga program was incredible! I’ll admit that there was some apprehension when I was deciding to do it as it is 100% online — needless to say, this was my first time getting my feet wet with the world of online Yoga courses. After completing the program, let me tell you just how extremely pleased I am today with having made the right decision 🙂 Sherry and the Yoga Vista team will leave you feeling more confident, knowledgeable and prepared to teach in the corporate setting. Upon completing my initial program to become a certified Yoga teacher, I felt that I could have learned a LOT more about anatomy and didn’t quite know the best approach to working with students who have a limited range of motion/flexibility. Glad to report that I now look forward to having a diverse population of students to work with and KNOW that I can be there to properly help them in their Yoga journey.

First let me say that I am thoroughly enjoying all the information in the Chair Yoga course. I am blown away! The 20 hour anatomy portion is VERY informational and highly applicable to treating my patients… As an occupational therapist.

I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying this course so far. I have been teaching Seniors exercise to music for about 7 years for a nationwide UK Seniors charity (Age UK) as well as open Yoga classes and have always wanted to bridge the two I found you on YouTube and I find your classes so much more fun and interesting than most of the more sombre classes I see online!! There are not many chair yoga courses in the UK as it’s not a very popular area at present so it’s great that I can get certified through your course. I’m finding it really useful and learning a lot!

A combination of experience, peer reviewed knowledge and a desire to spread the word. One of, if not the best trainings I have ever attended.

This is my first online course. I was skeptical (of myself) to remain engaged and motivated. But the course has so many components (reading, videos) that it has kept me engaged. I really enjoy the Deep Dives. I know that in a day I can block off a couple hours to complete a module and hopefully incorporate something into my next class.

I completed the Chair Yoga course several months ago, and it has been such a blessing. I am now teaching Chair Yoga twice a week at our local Regional Wellness Center, and twice a month at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, and I continually refer to the course materials for insight and inspiration. Communication and support throughout the training and beyond has been great, and I highly recommend Yoga Vista Academy and its course offerings.

I opened one of the manuals last week in preparation for my chair yoga class. Your content is amazing! There is so much useful information and I appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to creating this program.

The Park District thought it would be a great idea to partner up with the local hospital and to offer my class for free for 6 weeks! I already get around 20 people every Tuesday, and yet, they allowed 50 people to sign up! Over 60 people showed up!

I loved the anatomy module, I learned so much it took me awhile to get through it but truly is was time well spent. I believe you and this program came at exactly the right time in my life. A BIG THANK YOU!

I am so delighted to have finally completed the advanced chair yoga teacher training. I really appreciate the time and effort you have put in to helping me getting over the line and complete the course. You are so correct with the information you sent back on the feedback. I definitely need to work on, and thanks for such a detailed report on my final teachback.

For what I love BEST: (besides YOU) The availability of online courses OR just viewing bits and pieces of classes for free or almost free!! I am not RYT, but Group Fitness certified through AFAA and need to keep up my CEUs for my accreditation. Your classes are so much more valuable to me than any AFAA classes I have taken over the many years as a group instructor. At age 63 I don’t know how much longer I can teach aerobics, but I am definitely looking forward to bringing yoga to our local seniors for many years!

Thanks for your generous sharing and inspiration. Keep up the good work!

Love Justine Shelton DVDs! I’ve used the lower back sequence in another class I teach & 3 people came up to be & said that their back feels much better. I’m planing to do knee & hip sequence this week. Thanks heaps for the great resources

I have to say that I am THOROUGHLY enjoying this course. As a technical writer and instructional designer for the past 25 years, I have to admit that I am a bit “snobbish” about participating in training programs as an attendee. The design of this course is fabulous. I love that you provide the options of auditory and visual means for learning (I happen to be visual).

The size of each module allows a person to successfully complete the modules even within the time constraints of their personal and professionals lives. I particularly like having the PDF files (not only because I’m visual) but because I can print them and highlight things that warrant my personal attention further.

I absolutely LOVED the intro package about Chair Yoga for Seniors. It was clear, concise and presented with a spirit of authentic joy. I am hoping to utilize the approach you shared so delightfully at the new residence I will be moving to.

You are an amazing woman. Thanks again for sharing your heart and beautiful spirit with the world! The world is definitely a better place with you in it. Someone came up to me today after class and said she got emotional during I hope you dance because doctor’s just found a mass in her husband’s lung. He has been a long time smoker and they are just in the beginning stages of figuring everything out. She said he told her she had to come to class today because she needs to stay strong. Sherry, I don’t take your teaching for granted and will always do my very best to honor you and the work each and every time I teach.

Thanks Sherry for selflessly sharing your dance moves and videos. I watch and learn a lot from them. I do teach Karma Chair Yoga (all voluntary) as an healthy alternative to different cultural groups and I incorporate a lot of dance and moves related to the music and the classes are so popular. I am a singer too so it helps in the movements.

Once again, I wanted to acknowledge you and your sharing of your contributions and your beautiful ideas and moves to benefit all our aging families, friends and communities.

To me there is nothing like this that I have come across. Teachers need this kind of calm and clear format and the videos visuals and reassurance! It’s at the same time detailed and comprehensive but fun!

I love that Yoga Vista not only inspires all ages and sizes to reach their fullest health and vibrancy through their classes but also that they are teaching instructors all over the world to do the same. Today is always a new day, a new chance no matter what shape you are in. I am passionate about bringing health and ho to those who may have challenges. Most yoga instructors don’t have the knowledge and understanding to help those with injuries, age, weight issues, etc. Yoga Vista "gets it" and they do a great job equipping instructors.

I am really learning amazing things about yoga and the aging process.

I had 48 seniors this morning! They keep coming back for more!

Viki is a great mentor, very supportive and thorough and creative in her teaching.

It was a great course, the lessons and videos where extremely well done. It is an Honor to be a graduate of Yoga Vista Academy.

I learned so much from Sherry Zak Morris and her Yoga Vista Academy team during the six-month online Mentor Chair Yoga Program! The most impressive results for me are: I have more participants in my classes – my energy is in
the flow! I used to get very tired after the sessions. Now I’m filled with energy, love and grace which the students give me back!

The Videos and Online Modules are very exciting; you learn Yoga poses and anatomy from a different perspective. Yes, and I found out that I’m an entertainer! We laugh and giggle a lot more during Chair Yoga! Thank you Sherry Zak Morris, Corey Stiles and Justine Shelton!

Namaste from Switzerland

I taught my first class today, (even though I’m still working in the “Shoulder” chapter!) I had 11, which for this town, is a miracle, and I expect it to increase next week. I got a standing ovation when we were finished and endless kudos. I owe all my success to your course, your teachers, and your large cache of videos on YouTube. I can’t say enough THANK YOU’s!!!!! I’m on fire again – thanks to everyone at Yoga Vista Academy!!!

I had the pleasure of attending a Workshop with Sherry in DC. What a powerhouse, filled with knowledge, humor and a joyful way of imparting her know-how.”

I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying the course! Thank you so much for encouraging me to go for it, I really am pleased I did! I have really enjoyed all of it so far and am loving learning more about our anatomy and conditions as we age. I find it fascinating how a subtle change to a pose or sequence can give different benefits. I am going through the course slowly and revisiting sections as I am new to yoga and there is a lot to learn… but I’m delighted by how many of the poses and sequences are feasible for me as a wheelchair user.

“10 Wow! She was such a world of information, and her teaching technique of asking for personal stories worked so well.”

“10 Loved her approach! So many new bits of info. Appreciate her ability to remember names. So helpful in understanding how balance works in general.”

“10 Excellent presentation on a very relevant topic for senior Yogis. Technical information presented in an easy to understand manner. Very effective presenter.”

“10 You rock Kimberley Bell! I have referred 2 clients to her.”

Yoga Vista Academy’s Gentle and Chair Yoga Teacher Training was beyond my greatest expectations. So much detailed information on anatomy, aging and yoga was presented in such an accessible format. The factual information combined with practical applications and a multitude of resources will guide me for years to come. What a great investment in my yoga journey!

I thank you for your wonderful instruction. Love it. Love it. The information you provide would make anyone a better teacher. My students love the information and knowledge they gain. Theys tell me that their doctors asked them what they were doing differently as their lung capacity has improved (some had very little lung capacity). They proudly told me that they informed their doctor the only new thing they were doing was Anna’s Yoga. Their doctors told them to keep coming. Same results for different students and different parts of their bodies. I can’t take the credit. We do a lot of your “While you are at it.” I am following your game plan and it is amazing. I must admit I knew nothing about the human body before I took your classes. Both me and my students thank you for a job well done.

I so enjoyed your workshop and feel so good that my ‘hunch’ about you from your online videos was right! You are an exceptional educator and mentor. I am so touched by how generous you are to share your pearls of wisdom and your many many movement ideas with such vast numbers of people. This quality speaks to the kind of person you are—sincere and completely lacking in any ego-driven need to be covetous of your work!

I give the Yoga Vista Gentle and Chair Yoga courses my highest recommendation! Sherry and Justine have perfected the art of online teaching. The written materials are comprehensive, detailed, and some of the best reference sources in my entire yoga library. The many hours of videos are equally outstanding, offering a variety of teaching styles, methodologies, and information. I expected to receive outstanding instruction in Gentle and Chair Yoga. What I didn’t expect, but received in abundance, was these courses making me a better teacher overall, as well as a better teacher trainer. These courses truly have been a highlight of my ongoing yoga education!

What I like about Yoga Vista..

1. Something new for this part of Canada
2. The information given is perfect for seniors. The anatomy of aging is so helpful in planning my yoga sessions.
3. The library of asanas is the best thing ever!!
4. Sherry and Justine are so informative and extremely helpful
5. I feel so good about myself because I can teach yoga for many more years, also helping to keep myself fit and healthy
6. Thank you very much I am so glad yoga vista is in my life!! Hopefully I can come to Vista next October. ????

I did love the program itself, I love all the information, chapters, etc., and how I was able to print out everything and make a large binder to keep forever for reference.
Any time I had questions while going through the information, Sherry was just an email away with the answer, and always very prompt.
One of the biggest things I like about this program, is that I almost feel like I know you all, after watching videos, studying, phone calls and emails. That is very important to me!

Enjoyed the presentations, handouts and videos. I got started watching and couldn’t stop! This was very helpful.

I called you last Wednesday to tell you how much I love your seniors classes and how you are a source of inspiration to me.

I wanted to tell you that I think the best take away from this course was not having to handle seniors with kit gloves like they are made of glass, and giving them multiple challenge level options so they can choose as to how they feel that day.

The Chair Yoga Certification course was totally amazing in the content offered and the way in which it was presented. I really love how you have the main portion of the program to complete, but there is also so much additional information to continue to study long after completion of the program. The anatomy section to me, was not at all “too much” because this is vital information for a yoga teacher. I also loved how you feature some of your teachers/mentors and their work, i.e. Somatic approaches with Erhard R. and James Knight. Justine’s videos were super helpful too. The program just covers so many areas but does not bog down in anything.

The On-Line Chair Yoga Teacher Training program is full of wonderful instruction for all types of learning styles and laid out very well to pace oneself through the material. The use of the many teachers and experiences/education that Sherry and Justine have collected is amazing and drew me into learning the anatomy material with much more ease. The Yogajp.tv resource was absolutely a real plus. I did get this subscription before jumping into the program so I could get an better idea of how the classes were composed but also to have a resource for me to do out of my home meeting my requirements/restrictions that I was unable to find in the community. To see how this resource continues to evolve and all of the benefits one receives for their subscriptions is priceless.

Really enjoying the Chair and Gentle online program.. This has made such a difference in my teaching! My students love the work I have shared with them and feel its made such a difference in their lives. I have a student who has had surgery for breast cancer and she feels the poses and stretches we do have made more difference in her life than the PT she had after her surgery which was a couple years ago.

I want to let you know how much benefit I am deriving from this membership which in turns provides so much benefit to my students.

s you will see I have commenced my online Chair Yoga Certification and I am loving every second of it. I have completed the first module an have navigated my way through beautifully with your lesson plans and comprehensive information and videos and can I just say what an amazing journey it has been so far. I work in the Disability sector primarily mental Health and I have been sharing my new found Knowledge with the Residents who have all embraced Chair Yoga. Management are already making plans for me to incorporate chair yoga into the day program for Residents once I am Certified and I can’t wait.

Taking this class has given me a lot more confidence in my teaching. One other reason I took your course was to learn more about how to take care of myself. I am 63 (closer to 64) and have S-curve scoliosis that often gives me pain at L4-L5. Of course there are arthritic changes, too, and thinning discs. I thought it was great that your course offered a holistic approach and discussed anti-inflammatory supplements and topicals. Thank you again for everything. I really learned a lot, and I feel like I gained a friend,

Currently I’m offering 7 chair yoga classes a week (plus a twice-monthly healthy brains with yoga segment) and am loving it. I often hear from students how much they appreciate the variety of movement and themes from class to class, and I know that I’ve been able to offer that as a result of this training. One of the best compliments I have received from people who used to practice mat yoga was that they still felt as though they were practicing “real” yoga!

You are AMAZING! I love what you offer for this wonderful community. I am loving all your brand new videos on YogaJP. I watch everyone of them.
Every week I watch a new video to get new ideas for my classes and also create my own. I just listened to your Safety Summary Video. I loved every minute of it. You gave an excellent presentation and didn’t miss a beat.

I have been so blessed to have a great support system when studying both the chair and gentle yoga modules. I can’t begin to tell you how much I have used what I learned in both studies – much of which I use in current classes. But above all, thank you so very much for all that you have instilled in me. Your inspiration and support is priceless. And I know it will continue to be ongoing as my yoga journey as a teacher continues!

I truly found the Chair Yoga Program to be beyond informative. You offer SO many resources to the student. I loved that a mentoring program was offered, studying at your own pace, yoga videos, modules, and “spot on” yoga lessons. I learned so much regarding anatomy and the aging of our bodies and how to correct and decrease pain. I liked the emphasis on how to cue and speaking loud and clearly. Honestly, I would highly recommend this training to any one that wants to incorporate these important subjects. For me personally, I have become a better version of myself.

I am so excited to finish the chair Yoga certification. I loved every minute of it!!!! As a nurse, the anatomy was very informative and great to help anyone understand the body. The videos are amazing and the support you give is great. I cannot say enough good things about your program!!!! I was worried taking an online class, but it was as if you were there there the entire time!!!! I learned so much and will tell everyone how amazing this course was. I am going to take all the classes on your site, and continue to learn. Thanks again!!!! This was life changing for me!!!!! Thanks again!!!

I am so very glad I decided to sign up for the mentorship program. It made a huge difference in my progress in the program. The Mentoring program was VERY helpful! I do like to work on my own, and I thought I would easily be able to do that as I have before with other online (unrelated) courses. But as I noticed myself letting “life” get in the way of my keeping up my pace, and the offer for the Mentorship program was so affordable it made it a no brainer to give it a try.

I got a lot of value from the conference calls and sharing with the others in the group. It gave the experience a much more connected and personal feeling to speak with others going through the same process. Gerry was very helpful of course by being there but not being too much. He was there to help and guide, and was there as much or as little as needed. I appreciated the weekly encouragements via our Facebook group.

Corey was an excellent mentor, even though I didn’t use her to full advantage! Just knowing that someone was there and keeping touch was great motivation to continue on. She quickly recognized where I was at and let me do my thing my way! Invaluable!!!

“Excellent presentation skills and cuing for the exercises. I learned some new moves to help my senior students. I liked the way Sherry related the moves to the muscle groups and the reason why we should do the movements.”

“Tremendous – when is the book coming out!! A wealth of info. Could not say enough, what you are doing for the profession with your teaching and online videos is just great. You are a Yoga hero!”

“Great as usual. Every time I listen to you, Sherry, you are fun and you are always add so many new things. Thank you.”

“10 At first I was trying to figure out what Dr. Bell was doing by spending so much time going around the room. Then the story unfolded as she wove the discussion through all of our personal stories. Brilliantly creative. A topic that I learned so much more about.”

“10 Fabulous format – I too was skeptical that it would work, but it did! Wealth of information, presented from a very heartfelt space.”

“10 This was amazing! Kimberley was extremely knowledgeable, appreciated her energy, answering everyone’s questions in an easy manner was huge for me. Incredible!”

I currently teach 3 chair yoga classes, and my students have commented on how much they like the new format! I have been shamelessly stealing your dances off the videos and have created a 2 of my own (honestly, just rearranging your movements, mostly). The dances are my seniors’ favorite part of the class.

Almost done with chapter 1 and I love everything about this already! I loved your introduction and the picture of your half lotus pose is me!
I feel at home! The way you talk and present yourself totally draws me to this program!

“Comprehensive and well‐presented. Inspiring to include posture enhancing asanas and facts in each class. Convincingly presented to inform that posture is foundationally important.”

“Very in‐depth! Loved all the visuals. Appreciated all the different angle/shots of REAL bodies. Gridlines helps me see more. I appreciate so many poses shared in the manual.”

“The case studies were informative and very applicable to teaching yoga safely. Sherry’s knowledge of body alignment presented in a user‐friendly manner was just great.”

I think that this was a fantastic format for taking this course. Having everything in bite-sized units made it seem like something that could be tackled via correspondence. Having video and text made sure that everything really made sense and sunk in. I so greatly admire the work that you all do that I am honoured to have taken this course.

I want you to know how much I enjoyed completing the Chair Yoga Certification course. I learned so much more anatomy than in any of my other Yoga trainings. I loved how the course tied together the anatomy portion with injuries and conditions, and then illustrated specific poses to be used for various conditions affecting seniors.
The layout of the course work is very cohesive. Completing the course has greatly enhanced my teaching skills and helped me to become more confident in my abilities as a Yoga teacher not only to seniors, but other populations as well. Thank you so much for the effort you have put into creating this course. I will be a devoted follower of Yoga Vista Academy in the future!

This Low Back Care Foundations Course is the harbor cruise, providing a high level understanding of types of back pain, causes, contraindications and recommended yoga poses and modifications. As a graduate of the Low Back Care Certification Program, I found that it builds on this Foundations Course as it goes into even more detail and prepares the student to create class plans whether 1:1 or teaching groups.

Justine has a down-to-Earth approach to passing her wisdom on to others. Her language is simple and direct and her humor frequently erupts, making learning less a chore and more something to look forward to. The use of videos enhances the class, especially because the videos, for the most part, are those of Justine’s presentation to a class of students. Something that I appreciated was her use of a skeletal model of the spine and of the pelvis. I have incorporated much of what I have learned from Justine into my own yoga classes, taught primarily to older adults. I am a more knowledgeable and more insightful teacher as a result. I high recommend this course for yoga teachers who want to vastly expand their knowledge of proper low back care when teaching a yoga class.

I loved the combined live mentoring program. I needed the structure of having a deadline every month to get through the material, and having a community of people to connect with and talk about the course and practice was really awesome. I don’t think I could have completed the course or got as much out of it otherwise. Peggy and all the women in the course were great. It was awesome getting to meet Sherry!

At first I was hesitant about online training. But after taking a course I realized just how valuable YVA training is. Not only are the trainings jammed packed with posture, anatomy and teaching strategies, I can pause, rewind and go back again and again so that I don’t miss one juicy detail.

Looking forward to my next training

I am very much enjoying the course. Learning so much. The class I presented this morning was based on this course. Thank you, Sherry, and all who work with you.

Triple Hinges – This three part sequence exercise certainly gets in and strengthens our hips and Glutes . I have had 3 students in classes who had hip operations and prior to surgery concentrated on these exercises and recovered much quicker after surgery as a result of having the Glutes and hip area strengthened up.

I enjoyed your workshop very much. I feel a big shift coming in my teaching philosophy as a result of the knowledge your are sharing. I look forward to reading the manual, watching and doing more of your videos, and the next live workshop.

I have been enrolled with the Yoga Vista Academy since June and have been very pleased with the attention to detail and quality of the on-line program. Sherry is always knowledgeable and entertaining with her approach at offering the material, and Justine speaks to the ‘anatomy nerd’ in me!

I have been a teacher for many years and appreciate the difficulty in presenting material in a clear, concise manner, especially via online education.
Thank you for this opportunity to win this valuable teaching tool.

I followed along with the lyrics, noting the beats per segment. Creating movements for each section seemed logical and fun and I could visualize some alternate patterns that I might want to use with my students. I was doing the dance along with the videos and was surprised by how energetic it felt even though the movements are so simple and slow. I like the format.

The course was marvelous! The information and presentation was organized but not at all dry (no pun intended!)…Viki displays lots of spontaneity, sensitivity and humor which kept me engaged. In addition, I was amazed by the prevalence of the problem of urinary incontinence and since completing, have been on a quest to learn more. (As it turns out, the more people I talk to about this training, the more are coming forth to share their own struggles with stress or urgency incontinence.). Needless to say, my personal bathroom habits have begun to evolve in an effort to maintain my pelvic floor health. ( I know this sounds odd, but every time I pee, I can’t help but think of Viki!) Thank you for hosting this very informative workshop. Kegel on!

“Tough topic – but she explained everything in “Yoga” terms – so very easy to comprehend. Learning about the cells, cytokines, LDL and plaque, etc., etc. and explanation of Yoga Therapy intervention excellent.”

“oved her calm and energy, soothing voice. Another knowledgeable teacher. Fascinating and complex topic taught at an understandable level. Something I didn’t think I would ‘get’ but she made it very simple to take in. Loved that she included an hour of asanas!”

I´ve watched your program it´s amazing like your videos….I´ve been using what I´ve learned in your videos, and that´s was really great, all my students said wowwwww wonderful, because nobody here in Panamá teaches like this!

I’ve had to expand my chair classes as they’ve been a huge success. Word has spread through neighboring studios and they send their Seniors my way.
Just wanted to thank you for your updates and constant vigil. Very much appreciated. I see not only great strides in my students but a social bonding as well. They rarely miss a class. Which is a far different story from when I was just teaching mainstream Yoga. If I find I have medical questions I can usually refer back to my notes for the most part and send them in a good direction. I’ve incorporated a bit of humor from my own perspective and hopefully encouraged them to laugh in the face of aging. It has become a beautiful practice for all of us.

Thanks to your business training, I just landed a private senior (she’s 86) 30 min yoga session every Tuesday and Thursday!

I love the fact you are teaching us your methodology to teach our own dances. (this is what I signed up for)

“I have nothing but gratitude for this amazing workshop. Heart, wisdom, practicality, sharing…wonderful gathering of beautiful Souls! Thank you! Hope to attend another workshop in the future.”

“I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with other Yoga teachers and learn about their training, their classes and their ideas about changing and modifying gentle/restorative and chair poses.”

“I loved this workshop last year – and tho I knew there would be new, wonderful changes and additions this year, it surpassed my expectations all the way around.”

“LOVED the format and all presenters. Thank you :o)”

“Wonderful class-inspiring, educational and fun. Thank you all!”

“I really enjoyed this whole 4 day workshop with really nice other teachers and you all worked hard for this whole presentations was just excellent.”

“Well organized, presented with nice mix of knowledge and enthusiasm for sharing. Great practicality to take into teaching and practice.”

Ever since you left us with your business presentation from our yoga training; it’s all I could think about! I’m amazed at how successful you are and how you manage so many occupations at once.

I am truly unable to fully express how much I appreciated your feedback on my sequences for Low Back Care. I did not want to write back to you until I read each one of your reviews more than several times while reviewing my videos. Watching my videos (which I will admit again was not easy for me) while reading your feedbacks was an invaluable learning experience as I continue this journey of teaching yoga. I am so appreciative of all of your detailed descriptions of the poses, suggestions and corrections. Justine, I know I will be a better teacher because of your guidance, knowledge and wisdom.

I feel blessed each and every day that I stumbled across your online Yoga Vista Academy Chair Yoga Course. Sherry you were so gracious in accommodating me an enabling me to do your course. I haven’t forgotten!!

Having left school at barely 15 years, my only subjects then we’re Reading,Writing and Arithmetic. Since doing your course I’ve studied anatomy. But not just Anatomy ! Your Chair Yoga course gave me the fullest respect for my own body and a deep understanding of how we can offset and relieve the myriad of health issues that can be helped by practising a Chair Yoga Class. This knowledge learned is extraordinary for me. I found it challenging at times, but with the support and constant feedback from Sherry and all at Yoga Vista Academy, I never felt that it was not achievable!

Finishing this online course and receiving my certification to teach Chair Yoga, I feel absolutely confident in my understanding of what is the safe practice required of me to pass on to my Seniors or anyone with limited Mobility .
I cannot recommend this online Yoga Vista Academy course highly enough.

You continually offer interesting, informative & educational tips & videos for a wide range of health issues as well as the aging population. I bring something new to my classes every week:) thank you.

It is very interesting stuff and it all makes so much sense!! I think back through my career and maybe if I knew all this I wouldn’t have all the back issues that I have, who knows!! You did a great job on this! I can see the potential to bring this Series into Start-ups, HR Departments and Facility Departments who focus on ergonomics.

“Loved this session incorporating lots of cactus arm use for back strengthening and holding flat back. Sherry’s energy and generosity is so inspirational.”

“Very interesting ‐ especially survey results. Your students are almost the same age as mine with similar issues. So great to see the improvements!”

“It gave me ideas to photograph my students.”

“Awesome information. A great baseline to be more information with students issues (structurally) Excellent.”

“Sherry, love your teaching style! You connect with students in a beautiful way. Keep spreading the love!”

Hey Gerry, I was looking back at the 25 + e-mails from you and want to say that I truly appreciated your encouraging words and advice. You kept me on task and that’s what Vata Karen needs :-).

I really enjoyed taking part of the Yoga Vista Mentor Program. Not only was I helping adding teachers to our Gentle and Chair Yoga Community, I was also growing myself by going back into my books and refreshing my memory and knowledge of this amazing course. I would definitely do it again.

Thank you for the course – it’s so comprehensive ! I’ve encouraged several other local teachers to consider taking the course – seated yoga is much less developed in UK than it clearly is in the US. But with our changing population I have no doubt it will grow fast – I certainly hope so – I’m a huge fan!

Just wanted to let you know I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this pilot Chair Yoga Dance project.

I really enjoyed this unit. So much relevance for my own body and for my students. Also I purchased ‘ pain free’ based on your recommendation. Love it. It is so practical. Thanks for your great work.

I subbed a beginner class yesterday and when i checked in with everyone – one man told me he couldn’t do very much as he had spinal stenosis. Told him i had just done a workshop with you and i guess i asked him all the right questions. He did everything in the class with no pain. Thank you – sometimes you never know where your ripples lead. He left saying his back felt so much better – Thank you!!!

I love the wealth of experience and knowledge offered by the instructors at Yoga vista academy! I love the variety of poses and progressions that the trainings provide! I know as soon as I learn something that it is going to have a tremendous impact on my students, and I am always excited to share what I have learned with them!

Yoga Vista Academy is helping me to help others and prepare them for longevity!

I am absolutely enjoying every moment of learning, and I am very impressed with your team’s skill-set in these videos, and how much information there is to try and soak up. I have added quite a bit to my personal practice as well as sprinkling a bunch in my chair yoga. I am not sure if you have heard this one yet, but the one module that brought some tears to my eyes, was the business and marketing of yoga video that you teach. Thank you for all that you do. We are all so very lucky that you took the baton.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the course and learning so much. I’ve worked with seniors a number of years and have been teaching chair yoga for about 10 years. I started this course as a refresher and to learn some new ideas, but this course is so much more than I expected it to be! Love it! You’re a great teacher.

I do not have the words to explain how much I have learned through this program. It is awesome! (Not easy, but awesome.) I find myself using the information and recommendations in my regular and corporate classes that I teach. It has really provided another dimension to my classes. Thanks to you and Justine for an excellent program.

I was brave and enrolled. I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying the course so far. I have only just started and it’s going to take a while as I work as well.
But I can’t wait to get home of a night and read or listen. Your knowledge is so inspiring. I just wanted to say thank you for running this course online. The videos and notes are amazing.

I fell in love with the videos when I would search for new ideas for my chair exercises. I am currently taking the online Chair Yoga course. Before I made the commitment, I spoke to Sherry over the phone. I was so excited to speak to her and hear her voice. Her enthusiasm is contagious! She was so kind, friendly and nice on the phone. I felt an immediate connection. She is someone that you would love as a friend !

I have been taking the course for two months now and I am in awe on how beautifully this course is put together. I am learning so much about anatomy and how yoga ties in to help seniors. The videos come with a wealth of information. I love watching the different styles of the yoga teachers. The ideas on what you can bring to the table are endless !

Now having a different perspective after breaking my wrist, I began to investigate chair yoga online. I found Yoga Vista Academy, Sherry Zak Morris and Justine Shelton. Making the decision to sign up for Chair Yoga Certification has been life changing for me and my husband! I have learned so much about the anatomy of seniors, [which I am One], and how chair yoga can help seniors become more mobile through strengthening their bones and muscles and stretching the fascia through movement and staying hydrated. I am very grateful to you, Sherry and to Justine!

I am so grateful to be a part of this yoga community! I have learned so much about anatomy, thanks to you and Justine. I really like the way the course is designed. Taking the a test after each section is brilliant! I have three notebooks full of information that you guys provided throughout the course. Wonderful to have to refer back to. Having access to the teaching videos is something that I take advantage of on a regular basis.

I am going to be presenting the “3 Things the Body Loses…” at the Y (where I teach yoga) on Jan. 22nd. I have learned so much from watching the presentation several times. You are an amazing, gifted teacher! The information is presented in a way that is well-organized, hands-on, and fun! I know our participants are going to love it and benefit from it so much.

I enjoyed the course very much and learned a lot. My students have enjoyed all the new material I have been able to introduce.

I teach chair yoga to cancer patients and stroke patients in Scotland … I wanted to say that I find your videos and newsletters helpful and they have given me lots of ideas for my classes., so many thanks.

Someone asked me recently if I thought my Chair Yoga training through Yoga Vista Academy was worth the price. Let me explain it this way: I always wanted to teach yoga for seniors (and disabled veterans) but I was always afraid to even approach it, afraid of accidentally hurting a senior, afraid of senior anatomy and health issues…until I saw some of Sherry’s videos and thought, ‘THAT is the kind of senior yoga class I want to teach.’ I developed a level of confidence with designing classes and teaching seniors that I truly hadn’t expected. I immediately started a chair yoga class at my studio that is always full. Full enough that I’ll be adding two more in September. One of my students gave me a card recently that said, ‘Thank you for caring enough to remember us older folks. Honey, you are a born teacher.’

Great program, videos and pdf-handouts. Important knowledge for all yoga teachers. Even as a former nurse and with a previous therapeutic yoga teacher background, I learned a lot from this program and would highly recommend it to others. I’m very happy that I found it, and signed up!

The downloadable handouts are very informative with a lot of detailed pictures. The videos and Justines teaching are great. She shares a lot of knowledge and is easy to follow. I also liked the quiz following each chapter, a good way to check your progress.

I wanted to learn more about yoga adapted to common back problems. I teach regular classes and smaller groups for people with different health problems. Back problems are very common, and something every teacher at some point will meet. Knowing what postures to choose and which ones to avoid, and individual adaption is the key to a safe yoga practise.

I just want you ladies to know how much I have enjoyed this course. You guys have done a fabulous job with organizing and teaching the materials. Thank you, Anita Whittle

I’m very pleased to be a graduate of Yoga Vista Academy! I can’t wait to continue my education and am planning to sign up for more classes – especially the teaching mixed floor and chair classes…. Thanks again for all the incredible work you and your staff do for those of us out here. I love everything you’ve done.

I think just helping people realize that their posture unconsciously becomes their real physical body is my imperative take away from the Posture Project and what I try to relay to people in my class. I have not tried to just tell my fellow man or woman at the grocery store that their hip leaning is creating an imbalance in their body and it shows, however I do think telepathy is a growing trend, and people are picking up on the unified field of thought. So, maybe if I just starting projecting posture corrections onto people they will begin to find new breath in the unconscious faults that become crystallized in their physical vessel.

I’m so glad I took Gentle Yoga for Low Back with Justine. She is an amazing instructor and human being who genuinely cares about her students. The concepts and principles I learned from Justine changed the way I teach, and I believe all of my students are safer for it. Probably the best yoga instructor I have ever worked with. #genuine #safetyfirst #awsomeinstructor

In 4 months, at the age of 53, I will finally leave my federal government job in order to follow my true passion of teaching chair, gentle and low back yoga. I am extremely grateful for your teacher certification that is allowing me to transition to a new chapter in my life. I continue to be impressed with your materials and teaching as each time I reread or repeat a video, I pick up something new.

The online class was perfect for me. It was easy to stop and start when I needed to and thanks for the extension from 6 months to almost a year! The videos made the experience more real and helped with ideas for my own class. As you know I have been borrowing and using you ideas for a long time!

Thank YOU for your inspiring course and continuing to inspire with videos, the forum, newsletters, etc. You inspired me to rise to the challenge to offer a class that really has meaning, depth, “meat” and value. I hope we get to meet in person. You are a jewel!

The first time I learned about YOU was on-line. I was researching ideas on yoga training and with the click of a button found you dancing to Living on the Corner of Joy and Gratitude. I felt your big heart and love for your students come through the computer screen that day. As I danced along and couldn’t quit smiling, I knew you had something special to offer and had to find out more. Fast forward to today and I have completed the on-line Chair Yoga training as well as my Teachback. I include several of your dances in my current SilverSneakers classes. The River is their favorite.

I would definitely recommend to other students what a fine mentoring program you have. I still remember the day I received Sherry’s email regarding the program and how I could join in. As you could probably tell, I really needed the motivational perks to keep me on task and get it done! Phew!!

I want to tell you how much I love your seniors classes and how you are a source of inspiration to me.

I am Jyoti Nanda from India, and I have enrolled in the Gentle Chair Yoga For Seniors online course. Just wanted to say that this is an amazing course. I am a RYT 200 and an ananda Yoga trained teacher. I am committed to making yoga accessible to as many seniors as possible.

It was such a joy to be with you both in Cary. You compliment each other so well. Sherry, I love your energy and uniquely generous spirit of sharing your experience and knowledge in working with others. I could see first hand how you reach a wide audience. Justine, your calm approach and clear knowledge of the human body is solid and refreshing.

I now have bi-weekly 30 min yoga session with an 87 year old sweetheart, named Lily in her home. Thanks to Sherry’s business marketing tools which HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY helpful! Your comments about “not selling yourself short” is SO true!! I wasn’t sure what to provide for a rate when asked and used your reference guide. However, I was nervous I was asking too much! And guess what – It was accepted!

I have really enjoyed and learned great information especially on anatomy taking your Chair Yoga certification. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful experience!

You’ve been a terrific motivator. Probably the best there ever was 🙂

How can I offer help to others when I still can’t help myself? I think I just made a very large step forward………. I’m talking right now at this very moment as I typed the words “how can I help others when I can’t help myself”. Thank you Viki for contacting me today with your encouraging thoughts. It prompted me to reach out to you to explain why I’m off track in my course. In doing so my heart and mind just became full of enlightenment and emotion’s.

I’m so proud to be part of the Yoga Vista community and achieve my certification. It has shaped my direction and knowledge in profound ways! I’m so grateful for the supportive environment, your inspirational knowledge and energy. I will now take steps toward the gentle certification.

“James has such an engaging nature – he pulls you in to his enthusiasm. Will incorporate more somatics into my classes and look forward to more info on visualization.”

“I like James’ personal approach and openness. He explains concepts very clearly and skillfully alternates discussions with practice. I really appreciate that he demonstrated chair versions of somatic movements.”

“Awesome! It really brought home the idea of the fascia-so simple but such effects. Just so impressed.”

“James is so passionate about what he does. His energy shines thru his eyes and truly concerned about each and every individual.”

“Very good session. The energy was good, a lot of information that I can use for my students.”

“Learning about somatics today was so refreshing and opened a new world of opportunities.”

This is my fourth week teaching my chair yoga classes. I am doing three a week and everyone is loving it. We did the dance to What a Wonderful World this week. THANK YOU. Sherry, I am HAVING SO MUCH FUN AND CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH. I hope I get to hug you one day in person. You are a blessing to me and so many others!!!!

I think it is really brilliant how you lay this out. It makes sense to me, even if sometimes I need to re-watch to make sure I understand, that is just how I need to learn. But this is broken down into all the necessary aspects, lyrics, song structure, movement/choreography, and each builds upon the other allowing for the repetition that is necessary for really learning the dance.

I’m thrilled I’ve learned so much from you and Justine. Thank you for all you do for me and for everyone who comes through your doors. You are truly an angel. You’ve helped me through a pretty rough time. But life is good and on we go. Sending a smile and gratitude.

The online material not only helped me learn it faster, but I felt more confident.

I have completed the studying and testing of the low back course now preparing to video sequences and send them in. I am excited to say that I was asked to teach a gentle yoga class with an emphasis on low back care to physical therapists and have now been asked to teach a class at their facility for their clients. This physical therapy facility is who I treated with following my accident (it will be 3 years in April). I am so grateful for their treatment and care and the opportunity provided by Yoga Vista to study online to receive my Chair Yoga, Gentle Yoga and now Back Care Certification. What a Journey it has been! Thank you Sherry and Justine.

The workshop was great, and Viki was terrific. I didn’t know stopping your pee mid stream was problematic. I remember my OBGYN and an instructor in another training talking about stopping your pee as an example of kegels. I liked how Viki structured the workshop, going from broad strokes to fine lines. Talking about what the pelvic floor is, why it’s important, and how to train it held my attention and made the information digestible. Viki’s use of props, such as the pelvic floor muscles made of felt, the bag of oranges, and the buttons, was brilliant. This combined with her sense of humor and humility made the workshop accessible and memorable. Thank you for offering this workshop.

Thank you so much for the time, effort, and passion you offer to your students. The comprehensive feedback/Final Report was so positive and uplifting…and extremely helpful–not just the accolades, but also the suggestions for improvement. I’ll implement those important recommendations immediately. Excellent.

You are truly the teacher’s teacher, a brilliant role model, and a shining example of what true yoga is really about.

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE LECTURE/YOGA PRESENTATION SERIES?

“I liked that we were able to get a brief intro in the beginning of class to learn about what and why we were practicing in class and how it affects us everyday. ”

“There was so much to learn. It was much better than being fire hosed with everything all at once. Breaking it up into several sessions was a great idea.”

“Can’t wait to get Sherry’s videos and do these on a nightly basis at home.”

“The lecture helps me visualize what muscles I am working.”

“I liked all the explanation throughout the entire Series. So much new information I did not know about.”

“What she was teaching in lecture is what we focused on in the class. It tied it all together. ”

I must say that the material, videos and various teaching methods were fantastic. I did not know what to expect in an online course but I feel that I learned more than the face to face format as I as able to control the pace, access the information any time and remain focussed. I loved the mentoring and coaching offered by Corey as it kept me interested and I was able to connect with others who were experiencing the program at the same time. I also enjoyed receiving your newsletters and Corey’s cheerful e-mails which brought so much fun to the program.

Every class I get compliments and my class sizes are steady and growing. Love it! So much to learn. I hope that I can figure out a way to do this full time!

It’s nice to come home to the library and know there’s so much expertise I can draw on as I reorient myself in this new year, and learn new tricks to care not only for my students but for me too. And everything looks smashing too!

Thank you for providing such a comprehensive course. I found it so easy to work through the modules because of the way the course was designed. The information on how to sequence and to better understand the physiological issues, that seniors may present with, was invaluable. I felt fully supported throughout the course, and I will continue to refer to the course materials ongoing.

I appreciate all the time, effort, collaboration, and years of learning that were so evident throughout this course. The course was structured really beautifully, introducing material that built from the ground up what it means to be a chair yoga teacher for seniors at all different levels of health/fitness. The Methods and Philosophy section communicated the essential elements of teaching and structuring a class so that I had a nuanced lens through which to view all the great video material and really learn from them. The Anatomy of Aging section was so rich. I thought having the three sections on anatomy, conditions and poses for each general body area was very helpful. The yoga aspects included in the anatomy and conditions section reinforced each other, and having a separate pose library because it made pose ideas easily accessible for constructing a class. The program was full of so many great pearls!

I’ve been a life coach for nearly 20 years. The mentoring through YVA is among the most rewarding coaching I’ve ever done. It’s incredibly inspiring to encourage aspiring chair yoga teachers to help them discover the strength, the creativity and the confidence of the teacher voice inside. The mentor program in combination with the online course provide a solid structure that delivers strong, capable teachers.

I enjoyed the course material. Even though I took a long time to actually finish I started using the poses in my classes from the get-go. Every time I log into the course I find something fresh that I’d forgotten about. I loved the way you married the poses and conditions with the anatomy. My original YTT didn’t do that and it was a huge frustration. I do really love getting your little videos each week and have definitely lifted some of those vinyasas and used them.

Thanks so much for all the endless hours it must have taken to produce this course. I’m sure everyone one of us who have taken it has benefited tremendously from all your effort, experience and dedication.

I am studying the Corporate Deskworker I must compliment you on such a fantastic course I am really enjoying it. It’s so interesting with lots of additional information I am now passing on to my students .

Having my Master’s Degree in Education, I am very particular about online training programs and I have to say that the Yoga Vista Academy Chair Certification program was exceptionally well-designed and informative. In addition, getting constant encouragement and support made the training very personalized. Thanks for a great job Yoga Vista Academy!

I am very grateful for your course. The information provided throughout the course was great! I learned a lot and a couple of my friends from LMU YTRX program have shown interest in taking your course. I speak highly of you and your Yoga academy…

Thank you so much for putting together this wonder program, which has brought so much to my chair yoga teaching.

I love learning about the ‘mechanics’ of problems we may have and her course gave me lots of easily understood new information . EG location of vestibular system (thought it was more inside the head), that vertigo can sometimes be cured, stamping/marching after uttanasana,

It hit home just how much posture is correlated with pain and discomfort. I always thought, “what’s the big deal? Just stand up straight!”.Now that I’m a senior I have so much more compassion and I’m getting a taste of what my students are experiencing! The students find relief with regular practice with emphasis on awareness and alignment and that in itself is huge. Love your program. I have been inspired the whole way through. I am so thankful.

I really enjoyed being apart of your program for Chair Yoga. I feel that I learned a lot of skills that will help me be a better teacher. I love how each module was presented. I would not hesitate to recommend the Academy to my yoga teacher friends. You have a wonderful venue! I savored every module I took and I am incorporating them in every class I teach. I have learned so much and still am when I watch YouTube.

Thank you for your teachings. Your chair yoga course is very thorough and student friendly course to take. I learned a lot watching the videos as well.

I just wanted to say thank you for recommending that I look into the online Intro to James Knight’s Gentle Somatic Yoga that you offer. I have been using all of James Knight’s GSF’s daily off his YouTube channel as the major source of physiological therapy for my SMA and injuries. All have been a key of my success and healing, as well as an integral part of my daily routine or lifestyle. I am very eager to start the remainder of the 100-120 hour online GSY. Just as with your online Chair Yoga program, I know it will be almost like being there, on the mat or chair, learning. Thank you for the detail that goes into providing such excellent, excellent teaching and for the invaluable resource of information through your handouts and outstanding videos (So many videos!!!). I can hardly wait.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and learnt so much. Information that I can use for my Chair Yoga Classes but also for my regular yoga practices as well. Everything was explained so simply and was easy to understand, its also great that I can keep going back over information and re watch the videos when I need to. I would not hesitate in recommending this course to anyone who is looking to teach chair yoga or yoga for seniors.

So in love with teacher training. I am reading about the Posture Project right now. Everything is so well done.
I have a fantastic group of people in my chair exercise class that are loving all the new exercises I am teaching them. I tell them they are my guinea pigs as I go through Chair Yoga training.
We are having so much fun!

I am so very happy and honored to be a part of Yoga Vista Academy and to be able to help others along their journey. I certainly would not have guessed when I first starting following the two of you and then taking classes thru certifications that I am doing what I am doing now… being an Academy Mentor Teacher!

I have learnt so much from doing your Chair Yoga online course, I have been a teacher for 5 yrs now and a student for over 22yrs and I learnt so much than I did in my main teacher training, I would encourage anyone that is interested in teaching not just seniors but any form of chair yoga to invest in this amazing course. A friend asked me why did I choose Yoga Vista Academy and my answer was easy , I felt like Sherry and I taught along the same path , I like to think I teach from my heart and allow people to shine in their own light and that’s how I experienced doing my training during this amazing course. Absolutely LOVED the whole course, thank you for the experience and sharing your love of yoga with me.

Thank you for putting all of this great information together in one place. I just finished the hip anatomy section. I wanted to tell you that it is one of the best, most concise explanations of the hip joint I’ve seen.

This workshop has greatly enhanced my knowledge on the correct steps to deal with arthritis issues and in each of my classes seniors have issues with knees, fingers and hands being the most common and I have thankfully seen the exercises bring long term benefits to the Seniors through the various exercises Ive learned on the two on- line courses.

“Wonderful info on how to get into corporations. Clear explanations of the ramifications of repetitive postures at work.”

“Sherry is a fabulous presenter. Her enthusiasm and passion is infectious. The material presented was concise, sequential and extremely practical. I felt there were so many tips that I can immediately put into practice. Thank you!”

“Excellent information! I have a ‘bucket sitter’ student at home. I can’t wait to offer him exercises to help with head and neck tension and to stretch those tight hamstrings.”

“Loved all the ideas to bringing Yoga to the desk world… they need it so much!”

The Yoga Vista Academy means many things to me and has completely transformed my yoga teaching skills. Although some aspects of yoga are too subtle to be learned from books or lectures, I had absolutely no trouble developing a deeper understanding through all the videos and tools online with a variety of methods for attaining goals. The Yoga Vista Academy accommodates a wide range of lifestyles and values. The Yoga Vista Academy has changed my skills for the better and continues to transform them every day. I highly recommend this program!

I had 28 people in my chair class Monday 🙂 I might have to cap it soon….Thank you Sherry, for creating such a valuable program, which enables us teachers to go out and help others XOXOXOX

I have been attending Sherry’s Chair Yoga classes twice a week for 7 years. I will be 75 in April and I feel extra energy, happiness and a positive attitude. Sherry is a ray of sunshine!

“Relevant, superbly presented. Clear, concise information. Wonderful humor, Ahimsa, great imaginative visualizations. Lots of ideas to bring to class. Thoroughly delightful. So much information!”

“Wow! Viki is a delight! Her topic was also so relevant to the senior population and working on creating awareness to the pelvic floor health will definitely be a goal of mine. I especially enjoyed the various activities that targeted ‘getting to know’ the various parts involved and the poses and how to use them in this journey. Wonderful Energy!”

“Viki is an awesome presenter and very informative. I just loved her!! :)”

” What a delightful presentation! Loved the humor! Loved the up and down physical practice! Made everything we were learning stick more. Thank you Viki!”

“Viki- Not a moment too soon! I think I can begin to work with my pelvic floor. ”

“FANTASTIC info and presentation. The tools you created and used to teach very complex info WERE GENIOUS! Now I have so much info to use as I move forward on my on-going journey to pelvic floor health.”

“Oh my gosh! Once again, topic presented in such a fun and engaging manner! Viki’s eye contact was outstanding – manual content organized and easy to access….(Actually, the entire manual is SUPER! Thank you!)”

“It was a really interesting education on the pelvic floor and conditions that can be associated with dysfunctional states. Her props were great! Her enthusiasm was contagious!

I wanted to reach out and thank you for putting together such an awesome, awesome training. It not only met but exceed my expectations around the content that was within each section.

I have thoroughly enjoyed your program. I will be doing the final assignments and teach back in the coming months. I can’t wait to say I have completed this and say I am a certified chair yoga teacher! Your program was well thought out and easy to follow. Thank you!

Thank you hugely for sharing your professional insights and business savvy. As a yoga teacher working with fellow seniors, I find your gentle, healing style of teaching, coupled with your va-voom personal style, both inspiring and joyful.

Sherry, Justine are such authentic, caring people reaching out to a worldwide community. I am just one of them, and so very grateful for all of the support they have given me. Having their manuals would be a fantastic asset to share with all of my Creative Yoga Motion students here in Wales, as we can’t fly weekly to attend your classes and workshops in Vista CA.

The mentoring program was truly a stroke of genius. I doubt I would have finished the course without it. The idea of online courses is great but personally I love live, in person learning (probably a factor of age!) The online learning is dry and isolating so the mentoring gave it back the human connection that was so special.

My favorite part of the program is how you instruct us to dissect the song into bit size pieces. The structure underpinning the course is very good…The process you take us through will help me remember your dances and invent my own choreography.

I am teaching Chair Yoga classes and my students loved my classes, yet I felt something was missing and that I needed some basics that had to do with anatomy, safe practices and sequencing. When my plans to enroll in a 200 hour RYT didn’t work out, I decided to do the chair yoga certification with Sherry. This was exactly what I needed!

I had already felt a synergy and simpatico with the yoga vista team. I love teaching and I want my students to be safe, learn and have a joyous time! I want each class to be fresh and an in the moment experience for my students. I also want my students to grow stronger and healthier and be inspired. I felt I’d found a resource in yoga vista that also has the same goals and high standards and with great dedication and expertise.

“Monique’s presentation was so pertinent with the population I work with as they become more sedentary. I loved the use of Yoga and specific poses as disease intervention. The concept that Rest and Relaxation in Yoga allows the body to de-stress and benefit the issues of metabolic syndrome is my biggest takeaway form this presentation and will share it with students, friends and family. Thoroughly enjoyed the practice!”

“10+ Monique is great at explaining things and making it easy to understand. She is way knowledgeable and calming.”

“Loved Monique – MORE MORE MORE! Her presentation was SO simple, clear and easy to remember. Loved the part about prana, apana and brahmacharya. What else can we learn from Monique? LOVED the practice at the end! Thank you!!”

“Monique’s wonderful illustrations and making something so intricate understandable.”

This was a very valuable course and one I can keep referring to. It was an excellent experience working with Peggy, Nelda, Lauren, Kristi, and Moon. I learned something from everyone.

It’s all going smooth and sweet so far. And such a great training! Really good work. Many practical advices, examples, testimonies, shared experiences, all knowledge good and precisely presented, easy to follow (nice handouts!) and very practice oriented. Well done indeed.

This was a fantastic program. The on line piece was very informative. The resources are of tremendous value, and can be used for reference over and over again.

I want you to know how much I enjoyed completing the Chair Yoga Certification course. I learned so much more anatomy than in any of my other Yoga trainings. I loved how the course tied together the anatomy portion with injuries and conditions, and then illustrated specific poses to be used for various conditions affecting seniors.

I am only halfway through Dr. Bell and am AMAZED!!! This information is invaluable not only for our yoga classes but anyone that is alive.
Thank you for making the workshop online so available. I am anxious to share some of the findings with one person in particular in my class. This may be life changing for her.

Justine’s delivery is so casual and down to earth, I hope to be like that when I teach. I came home right away and shared these concepts and new postures with my husband who has a hereniated disc in the lumber area.

I couldn’t imagine myself settling down so quickly in the “Masterstudy” Educational Center without the knowledge and experience that I gained through the Foundation Program

Sherry was so knowledgeable in chair yoga and how to teach a yoga class to seniors or people with physical limitations. I learn many poses/techniques to incorporate in my chair class that could really benefit my students range of motion and make their daily routines smoother.

I am so grateful and delighted to receive your email newsletters. Your frequent updates, videos and ideas add zest and depth to the classes that I teach.

I was concerned about taking an online course because of my need to ask questions. It’s not like you can just raise your hand and say, “excuse me, I don’t understand”, if that’s you, don’t let that hold you back. Whenever I had questions, I emailed Sherry and she responded within a couple of hours, and often even sooner. Her accessibility is remarkable and made me feel as though I had someone right next to me the whole time.

This course really fit my learning style perfectly. My teaching confidence in both chair and gentle yoga has soared since taking this course. I would highly recommend it.

Oh my gosh! What didn’t I learn! I think that twenty hours was more in depth than basic teacher training 🙂 For me, I have a pretty extensive background in Anatomy and Physiology. What I really learned were the variety of postures “to do” and “not to do”. I thought going in that it would be just modifications on traditional but there are so many other important adjustments.

The other thing I learned was to really not be afraid to work with seniors. I love them and have always had a desire to work with them at a deeper level than I have in the past (pharmaceuticals) but I was nervous in not wanting to hurt them so your course helped me so much. You are seriously awesome and so are all of the other teachers you had do the videos and I loved the fun little sayings that popped up thru the videos too 🙂

I just loved how thorough the anatomy part was and also the videos included in the material. I’m a visual person and it was so cool to see an actual class and a description of a sequence or pose video-style. I love your team! James, Justine and others. Really such a great group of professionals. So well done. Both you and Justice were such a hoot to watch. Really showing your true selves and it made me feel like I was already part of the Yoga family without even having met you. Very welcoming presentations. Thank you for this amazing course!!

Wow! What a fantastic program! The information was comprehensive, easy to follow, and very relevant. Just what I was looking for! I’m so excited and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to share this knowledge with others, as so many people will find it very useful in their day-to-day lives. Your support and encouragement throughout was wonderful. Thank you for giving me another way to share the magic of Yoga! With Much Gratitude,

“Fabulous presentation and info as ALWAYS. I really liked the focus on desk workers as I plan to offer Yoga to desk workers…..SOON! I SO appreciate the detail in the manual as I refer back to them again and again and again!”

“Sherry did an awesome job. I feel like I am confident to help technology age workers.”

“Very energetic and engaging. Content is SO applicable to weekly teaching, to personal life, to people to people I know.”

My community has fallen in love with chair yoga because of you and your amazing team!

I thoroughly enjoyed this project. I have been observing postures & various physical conditions since I received my RYT certification 7 years ago, but this course has taken me to the next level of observations, ie. I better understand the ripple effect to the ENTIRE body when a “load bearing” joint is out of alignment.

I now have four gentles a week! We started a Friday 310 PM class that had 18 participants last week!! Who knew?

What a powerful experience so far! I love the online training—so comprehensive! And Jane (the Live Mentor Teacher) is marvelous—I wish I lived in Chicago so I could practice at her studio. I have had some pretty disappointing experiences with yoga training, but you are restoring my faith! Thank you!

But even after enrolling in the course, the task seemed daunting. Enter Corey Stiles, professional mentor extraordinaire and all around amazing woman. Because of her and Sherry’s unwavering positive encouragement during the Fast Track Mentor Program, never giving up on me, even when I gave up on myself for awhile, I was not only able to complete the course, I developed a level of confidence with designing classes and teaching seniors that I truly hadn’t expected.

I just wanted to extend my thanks. I couldn’t have done this without Viki’s support! She is an extremely skilled teacher and a delightful, kind person.

The program was excellent. I can see that it was designed to ensure successful learning. The video and PDF instruction worked well. Your support was beyond expectation and both you and Justine are fantastic at supporting the instruction responding to questions fully and completely, and providing additional information to support instruction to specific mobility or chronic conditions of current students. I really appreciate that a lot and I believe this is something that adds tremendous value to the learning experience. As a relatively new yoga instructor I feel I am learning so much and there is always so much that I feel I don’t know….having your consistent and fully supporting me with quick and thoroughly thought through responses is so helpful.

I have watched a couple times now and found a Log online. Education is certainly empowerment and with your guidance I can proudly say my balloon can hold 18-20 oz.!!! Leaks and accidents are a thing of my past as well as the crazy ‘stresses’ and ‘urges’ I used to battle! Thank you for resolving 15 years of “oh my goodness”!!

“Pertinent, energized presentation of LOTS of material in an understandable, “digestible’ manner. Especially appreciated thoughts about accessing your corporate wellness possibilities. Sherry, you absolutely walk your joyful talk.”

“Always fresh, creative and inspiring! This is such a relevant concern in today’s world. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t present with tech based pain issues.”

“Loved it! Very thorough, fun, enjoyed the stretching exercises. Really appreciate the sample flyers to use for my own marketing.”

“So much useful information! This is such an important topic that is useful not just on a teaching level, but for family, friends and myself. It is always wonderful to practice while learning”

Your handout is well organized, well written and easy to understand. The photos and anatomy charts are very helpful. I appreciate that you included suggested modifications of poses and sample class sequences for our study. Justine, I admired your personal mix of ‘gravitas’ and humor, command of the subject, and skill in giving clear instruction for poses.

I want to thank you for compiling The Online “Anatomy of Ageing & Movement Course.” It has been most beneficial. The course is comprehensive contains much valuable information and videos to inspire – most pertinent to our age group. Have completed the assessment. The videos are a great resource ( still working my way through the videos.). Well done to You, Justine and the Yoga Vista Family..

What I love about all that you do is that you validate what we do as chair, gentle and senior yogis. Even if we cannot stand on our heads or balance on our arms, we are no less yogis. What you have done to promote {this} style of teaching and practicing is amazing. Thank you!”

I would like to extend my thanks to you. I appreciate that throughout the program you touched base with me/ us as students. I always felt that I could reach out to you if I needed to do so because your welcoming personality shines through, even in emails! Your program is a wonderful, comprehensive program.

Did I learn some things I did not know? YES!! Many things! I would have many of the same mistakes you spoke about….start with breathing, using nostalgic music, making my practice WAAAAAY to complicated. Loved the sample class, so helpful! I feel immensely grateful for taking this course before teaching on Monday.

A young man, who has a brain injury as a result of being knocked off his bike, joined my home classes just before the summer break and returned today. He has been having plenty of physio and continues to do so but has practised yoga in the past and is really enjoying getting back to it. In the few classes he did earlier in the summer he just came for half my class which we practise in our chairs but he was keen to stay for the full class once strong enough to manage the transfer onto the z-beds.. so today he did so and his assistant stayed and helped him with the transfer and a few times in positioning himself. It worked really well and he is keen to continue with the full class from now on. He is so motivated, it’s a pleasure to work with him. I really am so grateful Sherry for your part in starting me off on this course.

Just to let you know I am loving this course and so glad to have the Crown membership. What a wealth of information! I had originally wanted to do a 500 hr program but impossible to find one that fits the focus of a chair and gentle teacher who wants to focus on baby boomers and seniors and your program is the perfect solution. Thanks again and I am really enjoying it!

It was helpful that I was teaching one or two classes a week of chair yoga already, and could practice new ideas on my students!! This course increased my confidence and knowledge and helped me to shift my perspective on sharing yoga. What I learned from Sherry and Peggy is how to empower my students to be life long learners and students of the body.

Thank you for the specific feedback on my Teachback. Clearly you took some time to provide that type of detailed feedback and I REALLY appreciate that.

I began this incredible journey of Chair Yoga Teacher Training 12 months ago with the goal of finishing by June. In April, when my accident occurred I was not sure I would teach again and or finish the training. As my recovery progressed, it became very clear to me that continuing with the training would not only benefit me with my healing but enable me to readily understand and relate to the many challenges specific to the senior population. The training was and continues to be invaluable to me personally and professionally and I thank you for the expertise provided in the training, the continued resources of newsletters and videos and your ongoing support.

“There are those whose lives affect all others around them. Quietly touching one heart, who in turn touches another. Reaching out to ends further than they would ever know. ” Your story today, your Yoga Vista e-mails, your you tube videos and CDs, your observations, and sharing, are a true example of the thought written above. I share what you share, my class members share, and so on….reaching out to ends further than we will ever know.

I had my doubts last winter if I could make it through with everything going on in my life but I will say with no doubt that you inspired me Corey to finish. After you helped me with the timing and schedule I was reenergized.

I completed my 200 hour Yoga Alliance Training in 2009. Since then I completed trainings at Duke for Integrated Yoga for Seniors and with Yoga Vista Academy for both Chair and Gentle Yoga. The Low Back Care training has taken me to a whole different level of knowledge and teaching skills providing me with a solid understanding of low back conditions, the poses that empower and help my students improve their back conditions, the associated risks, as well as an ability to use that knowledge and teaching skills for creating a safe and effective yoga practice for my students.

I found this course to be well designed/formatted and very comprehensive.
It flowed nicely from one area of the body to the next.
The Anatomy section was very detailed, and loved learning about the mechanical aspects of the human body.
The Conditions sections associated with the different areas of the body answered a lot of questions I already had about working safely with a wide variety of ailments that seniors may be experiencing.
The Poses section was filled with great step by step information, which gave me confidence, ensuring I was delivering the information to the class appropriately.
The videos were a fun and inspirational part of the class, seeing various members of the Yoga Vista Community sharing their knowledge.

I had taught some chair yoga classes, but wasn’t really enthusiastic about it at that time. After I fell and broke my wrist, I had time to think about what direction I wanted to go in concerning teaching yoga. I love my gentle yoga class and knew I would go back to that. Now having a different perspective after breaking my wrist, I began to investigate chair yoga online. I found Yoga Vista Academy, Sherry Zak Morris and Justine Shelton. Making the decision to sign up for Chair Yoga Certification has been life changing for me and my husband!

I have learned so much about the anatomy of seniors, [which I am One], and how chair yoga can help seniors become more mobile through strengthening their bones and muscles and stretching the fascia through movement and staying hydrated.

Thanks so much for everything. You don’t know what this program has done for my self confidence. I am so motivated working with the seniors and I just keep learning more. My gratitude also to Justine and Viki for all of their cheerleading and kind words.

“I thought the [online] course was fantastic and it took me more than four hours as I could go over things and look in detail at what he was teaching and how he was teaching it. I think Somatics is wonderful!!”

I do love the course materials, You Tubes, newsletters, etc. but somehow I became, in Corey’s nice word, “stalled.” A few days after Corey emailed me, I finished the section on the spine and took the tests. Thank you for creating the mentor/cheerleader position. I feel I’m not alone now.

I am thrilled I took this program! Your On-Line Program was so informative and I have learned so much. The addition of upgrading this program to the “LIVE” option including a qualified/seasoned Yoga Teacher and Location to support, encourage, and educate me made this opportunity complete. Not being a 200 hour, I had my reservations on whether I would be able to complete this program with a successful Teachback. I know I could have not succeeded at the level I did with out the compassionate and honest feedback and support of my Mentor Teacher, Lynda! She watched me come into the program like a deer in headlights and with gentle but firm direction, she never gave me the feeling that I do no less than succeed if this is what I wanted.

Thank you so much!! I’m so very pleased with the online chair yoga course, it has been very insightful and greatly expanded my understanding of yoga asana. The online course webpage was so simple and easy to navigate. It had a nice flow and loads & loads of information and poses! I really enjoyed learning from home, at my own pace. I thought it was really great, so thank you!

I am happy to provide feedback on this great program. You are an innovator in this field.

I completed the posture project for the 50+ this morning!!! I love to watch your videos which are very easy to listen and understand. You inspire me with so many ideas and I’m very excited to prepare my one hour class incorporating hula motion since I live in Hawaii.

I like the Yoga Vista Academy videos best! It’s great that you offer a spectrum of videos from the purely educational ones as well as the yoga class ones. The educational ones ground and inform what we do as teachers and the yoga class ones are fun and creative.

Thank you Sherry for being such an enthusiastic and inspiring advocate for senior yoga teaching and practice!

“Loved Kat and her presentation. She gave me confidence that I can now offer a restorative class to my students, something they want and I want to do. Just have to convince them to buy some props! Her love and compassion is evident. She has a beautiful heart, and a great sense of humor.”

“Gentle Kat – so easy to trust. I melted into all her beautiful restorative poses. Great balance between explanations, answering questions, yet plenty of time to completely surrender in the poses – she was wonderful.”

My love & excitement for what I’m doing with chair yoga is all down to your ‘generosity of spirit ‘Sherry , and your willingness to share all that you believe is good with your students & trainees the world over. You are truly inspiring !

Thank you for your help and time. May I also take this opportunity to let you know that I really have learned a lot during this training. You have provided such a complete experience and I have truly enjoyed it.

What I like best with Yoga Vista Academy ? So many things !! First and most of all, they teach a form of yoga that doesn't hurt your body (ahimsa). From France, I can download valuable videos and workshops (last one on pelvic floor-amazing). I discovered chair yoga with Sherry’s Videos. It was new for me because we don’t have this approach here, so a great source of inspiration. I love Justine’s work too, with this biomechanics aspect, so brilliant !!
And for sure, I will take time to discover the other teachers who seem so interesting too ! Thank you Sherry to answer so kindly to my mails ! Your personality and opening heart is a delight and an inspiration !

I enjoyed the Posture Project, feel like I am more aware of the misalignments in the yoga students and just in the general population! I catch myself looking at people everywhere I go with attention to their posture. I loved the idea of the questionnaire and the before and after photos of the students. The Fascia-nation sequence is a fun way to introduce the students to the fascia netting of our bodies.

I am learning so much thru this certification program! So grateful that I found You and Chair Yoga. I love the gentle yoga classes I teach and look forward to teaching Chair Yoga!

I think this is one of the best online courses I have ever taken. I do teach chair yoga already, and I have already gotten so many new ideas! I am passionate about my seniors, and I know this wonderful course will make me an even better teacher!

A very comprehensive and educational program. Sherry beautifully put together, and covered the most common problems desk workers face (from physical pains to mental stressors) and shared great insight on how we can positively impact these issues to promote wellbeing through a miriad of therapeutic-yoga approaches. If you are serious about teaching yoga and reaching out to the corporate desk worker world you should definitely check this program out!

“Yay for yoga!” And “Yay for Yoga Vista and you, Sherry, as well as Justine and everyone else who contributed to your chair teacher training program! I learned so much from this teacher training and I am so enjoying my chair yoga classes. They give me some of the best moments of my week. I love working with seniors!! We laugh and learn and practice yoga together – and most are learning about yoga for the first time in their lives. And your program has given me so much to share with them. I now have a good, solid foundation to rely on and so many wonderful and fun sequences and movements to use. I appreciated learning in detail about the anatomy of the body and the conditions that seniors can experience. I am planning to go back through these sections – they are so helpful. I have a much better understanding of how the human body works. I can’t thank you enough for this program and want to tell you it has opened up new avenues for me, as well as bringing many new friends into my life.

Yoga Vista Academy continues to embrace and evolve teaching criteria and information for accessible asana. I chose Vista Academy’s Chair Teacher Program because they acknowledge the style of yoga I teach (Anusara) which tells me they are connected to other styles of yoga and collaborate with other related studies (somatics, massage, physical therapy, etc). Yoga Vista Academy is all about community which is manifested in their newsletter. They are willing to share the art of accessible asana through their newsletter and through this Chair Yoga Teacher Training.

“WOW! I received so much personal growth from the Chair Yoga certification course. The teachers are knowledgeable, experienced and supportive which provided for a wonderful learning experience. Each of their unique backgrounds and approaches provided another dimension to the course. The materials were rich with information and well-written. There was so much more that I received from taking this class than I had ever thought possible. Thanks so much for all that you and your staff do to help teachers like me grow in our yogic lives.”

I have gotten so much out of your course and you have helped me find my personal “why”.

I am a AFAA certified group fitness instructor with YogaFit training. I love all of your fabulous tips, DVDs and Utube productions. They have given me so much very important information to make me a better yoga instructor! I began teaching a chair class 5 years ago because I saw a need to modify for my seniors. It has become the largest growing segment of all the various classes I teach!! I feel so much more confident since watching your youtube classes and DVDs. I just took your “Posture Project” online course and loved it! So many great tools and tips to help me instruct an effective, safe and appropriate chair yoga class.

I taught at my first nursing home, and it was very challenging! They could only do a fraction of the movements. I found myself with a one-hour class and 15 minutes worth of material. Made it through okay, but realize I have a lot to learn 🙂 you have a really great program, and I’m continuing to watch your YouTube videos for more info. Thank you for your Compassionate Heart!

I really like the way the course is designed. Taking the a test after each section is brilliant! I have three notebooks full of information that you guys provided throughout the course. Wonderful to have to refer back to. Having access to the teaching videos is something that I take advantage of on a regular basis. A chair yoga teacher who attends my gentle yoga classes when in my area, is so impressed with what I have learned is going to take the chair yoga course you offer.

It was very useful the indications of how to teach in places like homes, where there are patients in wheelchairs and special conditions, since I had felt frustrated, and I understood thanks to your recommendations that even if that although there is apparently a small exchange of energy and others continue sleeping that is amazing, that they understood me even though they could not express themselves, and that reminded me of my father, an intellectual who lost his speech and his mobility due to an illness and I realized that everything was in our eyes and everything is expressed through them, it was very mobilizing. So for me this recommendation was wowwwww, and bring me up a lot of memories.

Let me see…there is so much to choose from. First of all I enjoy your newsletters that keeps us connected to new and practical approaches to teaching gentle and chair yoga. I also enjoy the structure and platform of your online programs that allow me to go at my pace yet feel like I am part of a live course. I often return to materials that I read and practiced from your programs and learn something new from it each time.

” I found the pelvic floor workshop so good that I have mentioned my source of new knowledge to several fitness oriented individuals. My recommendations will help grow your business in the best way, word of mouth recommendations!”

I’ve started my Gentle Yoga Teacher Training about two weeks ago. I just wanted to tell u know that I’ve really enjoyed taking your course. I am just happy that i found you!!! I was not able to find a course like this in Orange County. Your course for Gentle Yoga is exactly what I was looking for past couple of months and thank you for offering us who like to learn, share and spread the love to others!

This chair yoga training was my first real experience receiving good knowledge and training. I loved it so very much!!! Sincerely thanks for doing what you do, and I’m just so blessed that I found you. A big fan.

What I like about Yoga Vista Academy is that want the world to know that yoga can benefit Everyone, and can be modified for all populations.

Cute story from our Polar Vortex Minnesota winter. Last week temperatures dipped into the -30° and less range. I cancelled most of my classes, but my boss convinced me to teach one of the Chair Yoga Classes, totally against my better judgement. I am not a Minnesota native at all, and this weather challenges me, so, I had no desire whatsoever to teach or be out. I sat in an empty classroom for quite some time, until finally 5 brave souls arrived. As I was so stressed about getting to the class, I did not prepare for the class. So, I asked, “What would you like to do today?” Immediately, I heard “Chair Yoga Dancing!”

I really enjoyed it. Learnt a lot and feel much freer in my body already. I am very keen to do the full 100 hr course so please let me know when it is released, as I am in Australia so will have to be online. I am a yoga teacher and yoga therapist and have already started to use little snippets in my classes with great response. After about a week and a half of practicing GSY every other day, I did my regular personal home practice this morning and am feeling like I have a lot more space in my body. This work is amazing!

One of my favorite things Sherry is your great enthusiasm! It is very contagious! And anytime I am watching you with a group of people doing the class together, my heart melts.. it’s so heartwarming watching those seniors following along and moving to the beat. I absolutely love it.

The coursework was broken up into well organized and manageable sections, all very appropriate for the topics – info you need to know. 2- The quizzes were great highlights of more important information.

Viki is a FABULOUS presenter! It gave me a great new appreciation for my own pelvis………just that awareness is so valuable to learning how we access movement in that area. Knowing that I can inhale and expand my sitting bones is VERY interesting!! (: Also, the c-curve importance was something that I know I will emphasize more often in all my classes. Thanks for all you do to share and assist us curious yogis!

I am learning so much from it, and am enjoying it a lot. I’m finding the “Conditions and Injuries” sections invaluable, because it has finally put a real “everyday” human slant on anatomy study!

I’ve learned so much from Sherry and her Chair Yoga Certification course. After teaching chair yoga for a number of years, I felt a little stale and in need of a fresh approach, to bring to my students and a brush up on my anatomy knowledge. The course gave me that and more. It is full of detailed pictures, videos, poses and instruction, and is easy to follow along. I liked the fact that I could work at my own pace around a rather hectic schedule.

You and your co-workers continually inspire me to explore new ways of teaching and sharing yoga with those who over 50. I get so excited to get your newsletter because I know I will be learning something new that I can share immediately with my students. Chair yoga has been a passion of mine since I began a class in 2011 due to an overwhelming demand for yoga that doesn’t require going to the floor. I thought I would have to create this class out of thin air until I found Yoga Vista. Such a find that was!!! Thank you for sharing so much!!

I am sitting here with a smile on my face because you have encouraged me so much. As I have said before, what a wonderful experience this has been to take and complete your course. There is just so much information that I have received and am now able to share with my students.

THANK YOU so much for your excellent program. It has been a life changer for me and many of my students. I hope to continue growing and helping those in this community.

For me, being an online student I haven’t had the opportunity to meet Sherry in person or visit her Yoga Vista Studio. Hesitant at first to sign up for an online course(especially a yoga course) I mean, how good could it really be, it’s online? It didn’t take very long (the 1st module) to realize the high level of Sherry’s yoga knowledge and her ability to relate and transfer that knowledge to us even via online. Any doubt I had disappeared, I knew I had made a wise decision to sign up for the Chair Yoga Training Course at Yoga Vista Academy.

Since I started the course I’ve had a few things come up that have forced me to postpone my training for a bit. Sherry has been so understanding and fully willing and able to work with me as I get my life and training back on
course. Because of her I hope to soon be able to add my name to the list of Chair Yoga Course grads at Yoga Vista Academy.

But for me the most important and best about Yoga Vista Academy is Sherry herself. She has been able to make me feel part of her community and able to send her love for yoga and her students even all the way to the other side of the US. I feel close to Sherry, and I’ve never even meet her. This is the best thing about Yoga Vista Academy. In a word Sherry. Thank you Sherry.

Personally, I thought the program was GREAT, WONDERFUL and AWESOME. I teach a variety of classes and I have used all I have learned in every single class. Whether it is with my Assisted Living clients or my 30 year olds. The anatomy portion was more than I could have expected. I learned so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I took the Online Pelvic Floor Workshop with Viki. I think this kind of workshop that you offer to teachers is very valuable and an experience that yoga teachers are rarely offered. It gave me some very valuable awareness information about a part of my body that I thought I knew. I think that much of what we already do in chair and standing yoga incorporates many good pelvic movements, and I am still studying some of the exercises in the workbook to try to adapt them to the chair.

Sherry, your exercises are helping to correct 30 years of computer abuse. I love your “Sleep Well Yoga” – floor exercises to relieve stress in your body. It is helping my rounded shoulders. I can now get the back of my hands to touch the floor when I am in Cactus pose. Today I presented your Strengthen your core with breath to my Senior Chair Yoga Class. My class loved it.

I have been asked to teach at a Nursing Care Home for the Elderly and was feeling very nervous about it . Your course , however has reassured me and I found lots of points useful.
For example- starting the class by checking which joints are moving, instead of starting with a quiet meditation. I loved the video showing how you do the shoulder and neck massage. Its something that I do not normally do in my yoga class, but will now be added as I feel much more confident with it. I also like the idea of greeting every student prior to commencing the class. I loved the course !

Thank you so much for the absolutely amazing talk you gave on osteoarthritis yesterday for SAYCO. You are a fantastic teacher! Everyone in the room was engaged. I can see why so many of the SAYCO teachers were thrilled to have you provide the CEU workshop; you are such a great speaker. You gave us solid content, made it personal, and made it fun. You are an absolute inspiration!

“10 Oh my God! I never realized what a horrible thing vertigo can be. Information of BPPV – so timely and well explained.”

“10 What a master teacher Kim is! This info is so relevant and important to me individually and for all of us as teachers. I now have the language to explain BPPV in a clear, easy to understand way. Knowing where to go for help is a HUGE relief!”

“10 I’ve never seen a Q&A format work SO well – masterful, informed, compassionate teaching. Thank you! “What you thought of as deficits are truly your gifts to the world….” LOVE THIS!”

I’m so very glad that I decided to take both the Chair Yoga and the Gentle Yoga teacher training courses! I can honestly say that I use something that I learned from these courses in every Chair Yoga class that I teach (and I teach 3-4 every week)! Both courses were so very full of information and ideas! Even though I’ve been teaching chair yoga (and occasionally subbing gentle yoga) for a few years, I learned so much from taking these courses! Thank you, Sherry (and Justine!) for all you’ve given me!

I was fortunate to receive emails from Yoga vista academy and Yoga JP. I always developed a new routine each week from the short clips that you forwarded to me. This allowed me to have a great deal of variety in my practice. Sherry – I wanted to share this with you because you are such an inspiration to not only your students but to the yoga instructors that use your website as a resource for our practice.

The Anatomy of Aging module was fantastic. The anatomical details presented were sufficient for a yoga teacher purposes organized in an understandable and informative format. Insight was given into movement, conditions, injuries and modifications that exceeded my expectations. The self-paced study allowed me to progress at my own rate. The tests, teach back and assignments were terrific learning tools. Overall the organization of the course was an excellent way of presenting a large amount of material.
I would recommend this course to every yoga teacher whether or not your interest is in Chair or Gentle yoga.

It is clear that Sherry has put lot of time, effort and passion in creating this course. I was amazed by all the information that is in this course. It is so complete, detailed and thorough. And it’s fun!