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Back to Main Testimonials Page
Review
by Shirley A. Brown, MA, CCC-SLP
"Yogability and You" is a "chair yoga" video geared
towards people with MS.
It provides a "soft and gentle" approach to yoga that combines
simple breathing, relaxation and stretching exercises.
It was produced as a tape, that encourages body movement, through a
series of easy movements. It is both relaxing and energizing to watch
and to participate in.
In addition to the videotape Ms. Sidelman has developed a CD, that puts
you at ease, through the use of the calming sound of her voice, as well
as that of the ocean combined with soothing music. It is meant to "release
body stress, relax your mind and rejuvenate your spirit". It certainly
was a most pleasant and relaxing experience to review this video program,
as well as to listen to the separate CD entitled "Relaxation with
Shelley Sidelman" .
About the Author:
Shelley Sidelman is a yoga therapist who has been in private practice
since 1995. Her dream of teaching yoga in the medical community became
a reality in 2000, when she began teaching yoga for the Long Island
Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
She takes great pride in providing her MS students with a year-round
yoga program. She has taught yoga on the Psychiatric Unit of South Nassau
Communities Hospital, Long Island, New York, as well as teaching a yoga
class to the nursing staff. She also takes great delight in teaching
a pre-natal yoga class at New Island Hospital on Long Island. She has
enjoyed giving lectures and workshops for Cancer Care, the Arthritis
Foundation and the Fibromyalgia Society, as well as numerous National
Multiple Sclerosis Support Groups.
About the Reviewer:
Shirley A. Brown, MA, CCC-SLP is a Life Member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. Ms. Brown has pursued her career, as a Speech-Language Pathologist
,in a variety of medical settings; hospitals, rehabilitation treatment
centers, nursing homes and home health care.
She has received numerous professional honors and awards, among them the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation's Award for Outstanding Clinical
Achievement in Human Communication Sciences, as well as, being one of
the first recipients to receive The American Cancer Society's Crimson
Sword Award for Outstanding Contributions in Both Professional and Patient
Services. She was given a Distinguished Service Award by the New Jersey
Speech-Language Hearing Association. She is listed in, "The National
Distinguished Service Registry for Speech and Hearing", "Who's
Who in American Women" and "Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare".
Ms. Brown has worked closely with the Gimbel M.S. Comprehensive Care Center.
She is a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee for the Greater North
Jersey Chapter, National MS Society. For the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis
Centers, she has served on the Editorial Board of the "International
Journal of MS Care" and has participated as a Speech-Language Pathology
Project Leader for the CMSC's Web Site. Currently, she is serving as the
CMSC's Web Site Project Director.
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
The long-awaited yoga video for people with disabilities is here! Called
"Yogability and You." the 60-minute video features Shelley
Sidelman and her 14-member class, sponsored by the Long Island Chapter
of the National MS Society in Hauppauge, NY.
Her soft and gentle approach to yoga is both therapeutic and rehabilitative.
She combines simple breathing, relaxation and stretching techniques
that will enable you to reduce pain, increase your circulation and improve
your flexibility.
All the stretches and poses in the video are modified so that people
with limited mobility and/or balance can do them sitting down. “You
can either sit in a comfortable, safe, sturdy and supportive chair or
you can sit in your wheelchair,” according to Shelley. If balance
is an issue for you, she cautions, please use a chair that has arms.
Yoga increases strength, flexibility, endurance and control. “Yoga
enhances our physical, emotional and mental well being...and helps us
to become more centered and balanced in our lives,” she said.
The video begins with breath work. “By focusing our energy and
thoughts on a soft, slow, quiet, rhythmic breath it helps us to relax,
instead of going around in our head with that cloud of anxiety or negative
thoughts,” according to Shelley.
One of the beauties of yoga is that it is non-competitive...with everyone
going at their own pace...and everyone getting something different from
it. “Always remember to listen to your body and if something
hurts you or if you think something will hurt you, DO NOT DO
IT,” she cautions.
People don’t have to do the entire video at one time. Shelley
suggests, “You might want to start with 10 minutes and if
that is too long for you, try five minutes. The important thing is to
move your body every day, even if it is for only one minute.”
Her students urged her to make the video so they could practice yoga
on days they didn’t have class. “This is the first exercise
program that I've been involved in where you don't have to feel something's
wrong with you if you can't keep up or if you can't do a particular
exercise,” says Harriet Bender of Lake Grove.
Tom Clyne of Smithtown feels good after doing yoga. “Before I
come in, my arms, my legs are very tight. And when I'm done, I just
feel loose, much more comfortable... my hands and feet feel a lot better.”
“I cherish the techniques that I've learned through Shelley and
the yoga that
enables me to get through anything,” says Gerri Cole of Centereach.
Review
by Donna DeLorme
Shelley Sidelman is a yoga therapist who has been in private practice
since 1995. In 2000 she began teaching yoga for the Long Island chapter
of the MS Society. Her students requested a video that they could do at
home, which inspired this video, an easy can-do “Chair Yoga”
program everyone can benefit from.
The first thing I noticed about this video
and CD was how easy they were to unwrap!!! I don’t know about the
rest of you, but decreased agility and strength in my right hand has made
*opening* things difficult and CD’s/videos/DVD’s have always
been a pain for me! These were a breeze and the plastic nicely slid off.
Just thought I’d mention that, it’s the little things that
count!
The first 10-12 minutes of the video is
guided breathing and relaxation which sets the tone for the rest of the
hour. This video is great for beginners and those new to exercise and
yoga, particularly those of us with mobility problems. As you can be seated
the entire time, a wheelchair and balance problems aren’t an issue.
It is an hour of stretching, breathing and gentle movements that will
enable you to reduce pain, increase circulation, and improve your flexibility.
As Shelley says, “The important thing for us all to remember is
to move our bodies everyday… on our best days and on our worst days,
especially on our worst days”. She believes that each of us is unique
and special in our own way, and when we feel connected to ourselves and
to others, our journey through life will be more balanced.
The Relaxation CD makes a great accompaniment
to the video. It is a chance to lay back, close your eyes and unwind after
a long day or in preparation for one. I love the background sounds of
the ocean and seagulls, that always calms me. Shelley’s voice guides
you through the same breathing techniques as in her video, as well as
relaxing every part of your body. The purpose of this CD is to relieve
stress, relax your mind and rejuvenate your spirit.
Review
by Mark Jarman
Shelley Sidelman (who incidentally looks
and sounds a lot like Jane Fonda) leads a group of people with MS in a
yoga class where every move is carried out from a sitting position. Not
all of the people are able to carry out all the moves, but as Ms Sidelman
says, “there is no perfect”. The emphasis is on doing what
you can, to the best of
your ability.
This is a video that can be used by everyone, regardless of the level
of one’s disability. Watching it is actually a strangely moving
experience, not least when hearing the comments from participants on how
the yoga has helped them. These are real people, getting real benefit
from a truly worthwhile therapy.
www.nationalmssociety.org/InsideMS.asp
Review
by Susan Kushner, MS, PT
I personally find yoga a great activity,
be it daily, weekly, or as one’s schedule allows. I look forward
to more scientific research that might shed light on some of the claims
made about the fitness and mental-health benefits of this practice.
In the meantime, yoga is clearly a viable physical activity for most people
with MS. Yoga combines aspects of stretching, strengthening, balance and
coordination training, and even cardiovascular fitness. There are many
levels of yoga intensity and various types of yoga practices. It is important
that anyone—especially someone with MS—first find the practice
that is appropriate for his or her abilities and needs. A yoga instructor
with knowledge of MS would be ideal.
Specifically geared toward people with MS whose physical functions are
limited, Shelley Sidelman’s “Yogability and You” takes
place in a classroom with all of the exercises performed by people sitting
in wheelchairs. There is no mat work represented.
At 60 minutes, this video yoga session may be a bit long for most people,
for whom time and/or endurance may be limited. The quality of the yoga
being taught, however, is excellent, and this tape will likely inspire
people with limited mobility to explore this ancient practice.
It is always recommended to consult with a physical therapist or health-care
provider before starting any new program.
About the Reviewer:
Susan Kushner, MS, PT, an associate professor
at Slippery Rock University’s Physical Therapy Department, Slippery
Rock, Pennsylvania.
