Yoga for Dementia Patients: Day 1
A challenging and enjoyable experience of teaching yoga with constraints.
Earlier this week I started volunteering teaching yoga at a dementia day care centre. This is my first taste of genuine volunteering. Previously when I did volunteer, I didn’t really believe in the cause and did it for reasons other than actually wanting to help. This time the feeling was different. In my very first exploratory visit to the day care centre, I found the people who worked there to be sincere (not the patronising types) and they appeared to care truly about the patients they looked after.
All my previous yoga teaching classes have been with people who could work from a yoga mat. This time it was quite a bit of a challenge as I would have to modify the yoga asanas to make them accessible to people seated on chairs, and with limited flexibility and attention spans. I was excited to do this volunteering but also apprehensive at the same time. What if no one liked it or didn’t want to come?
When I turned up at the centre, there were three gentlemen — Joe, Mark and John* — already waiting. I was about 10 minutes late as I couldn’t find a parking spot. They had been told about the yoga and were eager to get going. I mentally made a note to be early next time in order not to dampen their enthusiasm. In my hurry to get there, I hadn’t tied my shoelaces properly and all the three waiting gentlemen pointed that out to me. ‘Have I messed up the first impression?” I thought to myself. In my effort to please, I went around to shake hands with the three. The first person was fine. The second one offered the back of his hand and I don’t think he was much pleased, and the third one, Mark, went, “Ouch! Too cold.” Another blunder!
The first of the ladies to arrive was Jane, in a wheelchair, followed by Anne, who had an anxious look on her face. She kept asking for Julie as she wanted Julie to sit near her. Julie came in with her walker. Then Nita entered with her helper and she was helped into a chair. I was a little shocked to see Nita as she appeared to be only in her forties. She had a very vacant look on her face and seemed to be quite advanced in her dementia. She did not respond to my greeting at all. Subsequently Hina came in smiling widely. Two more patients arrived and there were ten people in total.
First I asked them to sit comfortably in their chairs and to have the hands in a yoga mudra (hand gesture), or alternatively just palms down on their knees. I was surprised to see them try the mudra. Then I said, “Gently close your eyes.” Some did and some kept staring at my face. We did a few deep breaths. Once they were all nice and relaxed, I introduced them to a few very simple neck and shoulder movements. Joe followed all my instructions to the letter but had limited flexibility. Mark was the happy one. He found something to be amused about always. He tried to do something but not quite what I was teaching. Just for a change I said, “Now let us do a little sitting dance with our bodies. Let us shake our hips.” Mark loved it. So every once in a while I came back to the dance routine. Anne and Nita didn’t do anything at all for the first half of the class while Julie was amazingly flexible. By and by Nita got slightly involved, and when no one was looking Anne did some hand movements. Some of them loved attention while some were best unnoticed.
After about 20 minutes, I asked them if they were tired and would like to finish. Joe said, “Can we do a bit more?” We did a few simplified sun salutations, and then went into our final relaxation. I kept it as short and simple as possible. I said, “Keeping your eyes closed, focus on your breath for a few breaths.” I opened my eyes to see what they were all doing. Nita, Anne and John were staring at me. Some of the others were actually following my instructions fully. We finished the class with a final ‘Namaste’ which surprisingly many of them imitated.
There were some big smiles on their faces when I thanked them and said how amazing they were. Hina was happy to know that I would be coming every week. I really wanted their first experience of yoga to be a very positive one and I do hope it was. Mark’s comment at the end of the lesson reassured me that I hadn’t made a bad impression by my cold hands when he said, pointing to his forehead, “Now I am not cold. I have a sweat here. Park your car close.” He probably meant that I wouldn’t have to walk in the cold and thereby have cold hands. As I left I saw Nita seated on a sofa by the entrance. She returned my smile.
Usually I am sceptical about whether my efforts actually make any difference to other people or if I am just deluding myself. This time I am cautiously optimistic.
*All names have been changed
