BOSTON -- The ancient art of yoga can help heal stress and bring balance to life. Its effects on the body are proven, but it also effects the mind in ways experts still don't understand.
This is the case for a special group of participants in Boston.
The warrior pose is an expression of power and courage, and it's empowering Alzheimer's patients.
The yoga session is offered every week to members of the Boston Alzheimer's Center.
"I thought, well being an Alzheimer's class, I could teach the same class every week and of course, they wouldn't remember. What was interesting is they might not of even remembered I was there before or remembered me but they did remember the poses. I had a set sequence and what I noticed is they'd automatically start going into the next pose, which made me realize the body had a memory of its own," yoga instructor Patrice Flesch said.
In a traditional setting, yoga teaches deep breathing for relaxation and gentle movement for overall joint health. But for those with Alzheimer's, the benefits may reach even further.
"If you have a dementing condition, the best thing you can do is be engaged in the body and the mind and also engaged in social interaction. That will help people maintain their level of function better than anything else that we do," Rogerson Communities spokesman Jamie Seagle said.
"If you're an old guy who has Alzheimer's disease, you don't have a whole lot of things that you can do in the world. Talking to your friends is one of the most important things. It's entertaining and it brings us all together," yoga participant Bill Orme-Johnson said.
Staff members say those who participate show greater concentration in everyday activities. They also seem at more peace.
"Things happen here that don't happen at my other classes, like a lot of hand movement, a lot of this type of movement as though they're trying to bring some type of energy to them that they're sensing is there," Flesch said.
"It's really exciting. You know, sometimes I get goose bumps watching what goes on," Seagle said.
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