I still remember the very first time I tried yoga. I hated it. Which is not what most people, who know me now, expect me to say, but it’s the truth. It took me some time before I really started to dig yoga. Before I truly just let go of expectations and preconceived notions. That’s when the magic started to happen. To this day I am still so grateful that yoga somehow kept finding its way into my life, even when I was resisting it most.

I’ve been sharing the benefits of yoga for people with CF for what feels like years, usually just by sharing my own journey and encouraging others with CF to just give it chance.

Often times people came back with the same thoughts I first had:

“I’m not flexible enough.”
“I can’t follow the breath cues.”
“I can’t keep up.”
“I’m not strong enough.”
“I’m embarrassed about others seeing how bad I am at this.”
“I don’t want to disrupt anyone with my cough.”
“I’m afraid someone will come to class sick and then I’ll get sick.”

And so much more. All the reasons I heard about why someone ‘couldn’t’ or didn’t want to practice yoga I’d said myself at some point.

I get it. And that’s why I’m so excited to share all I can about CF Yogi with our amazing CF community.

What it is...

CF Yogi is a virtual yoga studio just for the CF Community, shared and taught by the CF Community! I’ve dreamed of something like this for years, and thanks to the amazing Katie Malik (Executive Director, RYT 200 Yoga Instructor, adult with CF) and Myra Giaffoglione (Development Director. Kids Yoga Teacher, CF mama) it’s a reality.

Katie and Myra have worked tirelessly to bring yoga to our community in this way and in 2018 CF Yogi received an Impact Grant which helped bring all their hard work to life.

Who it’s for...

These classes are open to anyone in the CF community. Adults and children with CF, parents, partners, siblings, etc. And all classes are taught a registered yoga teacher who is also a part of the CF community, whether they have CF themselves or are a loved one to someone with CF.

How it works…

Through our virtual yoga studio we are able to share yoga with people in their own spaces, in their own homes. Unlike many other livestreamed yoga classes we have technology set up for two-way communication between the instructor and students. This allows for us to connect as a community, share any concerns we have, ask questions, and get a feel for what those attending the classes could use.

Just like in an in person yoga studio, we are able to create community and connection, all while providing yoga classes specific to the needs of the CF community.

Classes are taught live once per week (hopefully more often in the very near future) and are also recorded and made available for a period of time, for those who can’t make it live, or those who wish to take the class again.

Each month brings a different yoga teacher and different class style so we can meet the needs within our community. So far we’ve had multi-level vinyasa classes, kids yoga, gentle yoga, and this month is focused on alignment-oriented yoga.

We also just recently added one of our most popular kids yoga classes to our Youtube channel which you can find here. Be sure to give us a follow so you can stay up to date as new classes are added to our channel.

You can register for free here. 

Why Yoga for CF...

A regular yoga practice helps improve strength, balance, flexibility, and can even help improve lung function. Yoga can help us to learn to be in the moment and be more mindful which in turn can help reduce anxiety and bring peace of mind. Yoga can help us improve our physical health, our mental well-being, and our quality of life. It can also help us to connect with others, and even ourselves, on a deeper level.

To learn more you can visit our site here.

We would absolutely love to have you join us and hope to see you in class real soon!

 

Help Others Live STRONGER and LONGER- 

   

   

 

 

Aimee Lecointre is 33 years old with CF and is currently living in Salt Lake City, UT. She is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and registered yoga teacher. She is passionate about helping the CF community through movement and nutrition. In her free time you can find her hiking the beautiful mountains in UT, creating in the kitchen, doing yoga, skateboarding, writing, or reading! She’s a  yoga teacher with CF Yogi, a virtual yoga studio for people with CF. You can visit her website at www.thenourishedbreath.com, follow her on Facebook at The Nourished Breath or find her on Instagram @thenourishedbreath

 

 

 

 

***Views expressed in the CFLF Blog are those of the bloggers themselves and not necessarily of the Cystic Fibrosis Lifestyle Foundation*** 

***Please speak with your physician before making any changes to your CF management***

 

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