Gentle Yoga Teacher Training Manuals & Workbooks

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 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.

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.

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!

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.

I truly love the fact that Yoga Vista Academy offers a platform where the materials and videos are always available. I am a big fan of e-learning through pre-recorded videos and written materials. I am currently enrolled in a children yoga teacher program that is offered by video conference. Although, it’s fun to be able to interact live with my teacher, I would much prefer to be able to watch the video a few times as I find that I forget information especially if it’s new. I need to hear and experience it more than once for it to sink in, hence the beauty of Yoga Vista Academy online certification programs.

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. 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.

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!

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!

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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 class videos.

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.

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 learned thus far with the geriatric patients I have on my caseload. Thank you!

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.

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 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 at 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.

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.

I really loved the weekend with you and Sherry. About 5 years ago I was hired to bring yoga into a wellness center run by 4 orthopedic 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 academy. 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!!!

I wanted to widen my experience and was really interested in all the anatomy and physiology on your site too. So I registered and undertook the Yoga for Corporate workers and worked my way through the course which I loved. I initially started writing because I was really interested in the Wheelchair Yoga course – and I am, but it has given me the courage to introduce myself and let you know that thousands of miles away there is someone who has learned so much from you, gets daily inspiration from your courage and spirit and lots of warmth and laughter too

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 was great. I really enjoyed the live portion with Jane and learned so much in the few times the group met. Love the videos with the various teachers and styles. The thing that I learned most is to remove EGO and that not all bodies are the same. I really love all of the feedback.

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.

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 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.

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.

I LEARNED SO MUCH from this course! Justine beautifully presents high quality information here that is particularly special because it is infused with her own personal experiences with herself as well as her clients. I am truly inspired and cannot wait to get out there and work with and help people with back pain. I have chronic back pain as well so that was my first motivation for taking the course; to use it for myself. It has made me so much more aware and present in my own body and has definitely helped strengthen my core. Often after a course I might still feel not very confident with the material to start using it, but the homework assignments and teachback final really make sure you are ready with at least a good amount of the material. I am sure I will refer back to it over the years and will always find something new and useful. Thank you Justine, for sharing your knowledge, your humor, and your heart!

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.

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.

You are AMAZING! I love what you offer for this wonderful community. I am loving all your brand new videos on YogaJP. I watch every one 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 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 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.

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.

Last November I begun the Dual Certificate in Chair Yoga and Gentle Senior Yoga. With work, family and Christmas I had to put it to one side until January and all the materials I had read I decided to start again to refresh everything as I was near the end of the anatomy section and really wanted to absorb it all. I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I am LOVING this course the delivery and presentation of it all you really have ticked all the boxes. With your videos I feel I know you more as your personality shines out in each clip. The amount of work you have put into your courses is phenomenal, but you have made it so accessible for a student to learn and you set us up for success. You are my inspiration and hero and I just wanted to say special thank you for this gift of knowledge. I have lots more to finish on the course, and like my favourite lunch I’m savouring every bite.

I felt compelled to write after watching your online 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.

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.

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!

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 Sherry, Justine, and everyone at the academy!

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 Justine’s 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 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 tutorials, Dvd”s and courses completed with you.

Writing to say how grateful I am for you & all the positive, creative, life-inspiring things you share with yogis. Had to admit – initially I felt yoga chair dance was a bit “hokey”–coming from a fitness background “I” wanted “my” classes to be “yoga”. But your YouTube dances have been tweaking my interest & I gave it a try the past 2 weeks in several seniors chair yoga classes & WOW was I wrong!!!! My yogis absolutely LOVE the chair dances & when it’s LOVE it’s all YOGA!!!! Thank you so much for opening me to something new!~Namaste, Kim

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 anatomy it helps me to understand more deeply the benefits of the posture. The illustrations are explicit and facilitate the learnings.

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

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 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!

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.

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!!!

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!

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 fantastic 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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

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!!

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

This 60 Hr Chair Yoga Teacher Training course with Sherry Zac Morris of Yoga Vista Academy was a highly informative and most enjoyable course. Each topic is discuss in full detail and is backed up with a full color handout and backed up again with full educational videos. There are test at the end of the units that put you to the test but excellent to do. It has made me highly knowledgeable in Teaching Methodology, Techniques, Training & Practice, Anatomy & Physiology, Yoga Philosophy and Lifestyle & Ethic which I now carry with full confidence to my own classes that I teach.

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 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 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’.

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 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.

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 a part 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 totally loved the handouts and videos and will use them for years to come. I have two private clients right now. She has SI joint instability and he has chronic sciatica! This info makes me look like I know what I’m doing. Thank you!!

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.

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.

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 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!

I just wanted to share with you that today I did my first full chair yoga in a nursing home. Todate I’ve taught to the Parkinson Association, then set up my own chair yoga class in my home town for the active retired, but today I took it to a whole new level where every one was in wheelchair, several amputees, deaf and even one blind man. Now! you’d swear I was doing this all my life as it was one of the most enjoyable, rewarding and humbling class, and boy our seniors love a laugh, they had me sing Joe Dolan-More And More, Neil Diamond-Hands Touching Hands. It was fantastic! Everyone engaged and love it.

So I guess I was so excited about it all that I just wanted to share it with you. This was all possible thanks to you, your team and all your invaluable handouts, videos, tests and teachbacks even though it’s an overwhelming amount of material. Love, love, love you and your Vista Team xxxxx

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!

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.

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 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!!!

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!!!!

A BIG thank you to all of you! I learned so much through this program and now I have great resources (videos, manual, YOU) I can turn to when needed.

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 was able to control the pace, access the information any time and remain focused. 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.

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.

Awesome on line course! Sherry has been so helpful – Great Hands on Guidance! I never expected Sherry to actually call me and walk me 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!

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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!

Thank you so much for the nice comments and thank you for sharing your knowledge of chair yoga, it is truly appreciated. Everything that I have learned from you has made me a more confident instructor and I will continue to research and learn more on your website. Thanks again for everything you do and for being my saving grace.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Thank you very much for the detailed feedback. It is very helpful. I’m really enjoying the course, especially the practice videos. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into creating this. I can only imagine the many, many hours that went into planning, filming, and editing it. I’m grateful to have them as a resource even after I complete the certification.

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!

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.

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 a more insightful teacher as a result. I highly recommend this course for yoga teachers who want to vastly expand their knowledge of proper low back care when teaching a yoga class.

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.

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 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.

“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 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.

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 been following you and Justine now for a couple of years now and really love your caring and engaging teaching style. You are both so knowledgable!

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 professional 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 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 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!

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

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.

You know that the only reason why “I got it”, is because your videos and handouts are exceptional and that I viewed your materials at least 3 times. In some cases, I used your videos for my personal practice and then taught your sequence to my students as a way of reinforcing what I learned from you. My students love your teachings and keep coming for more.

I recently gave up my job to teach more classes and set up a lovely chair yoga class in my home town Tramore for the active retired, and a nursing home has asked me to start this Tuesday so I start your module on Teaching Chair Yoga in Senior Care Facilities before I started on the Teach back. It’s so great to have each and every module, handout and video to help us yogis along in their journey to help others. I will be eternally grateful to you and all your time, effort and love in creating these online courses.

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.

Mahalo, Justine. I am re-watching your group practice for the knees right now and had to stop and say it is so informative and also brings a smile to my face and heart. I so love you dear one. Thank you again for your contribution to Yoga and humanity at large. You are a joy and make a difference to me.

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 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.

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 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.

Truth be told I refer ALL of my students to you and your amazing team-whether they are chair yoga students or chair yoga teacher training students because you are amazing!!! You are truly offering some incredible things to our community and I know when I first started out, you (your videos) were there for me every step of the way. I’m deeply grateful for the support they gave (and continue to give) 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.

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.)

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.

Yoga Vista academy emails are always packed with information, videos and inspiring insights from Sherry 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!

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.

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.

Each unit had a fully color detailed handout, easy to follow videos and an abundant of yoga pose library to suit each body part or a personal injury or condition. I especially loved the Anatomy so much fantastic information and illustrations throughout.

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 Courses. 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.