MANCHESTER — Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third-leading killer of Americans, robbing them of their breath. Breathe New Hampshire has partnered with YogaBalance yoga studio at 135 Hooksett Road (next to the Puritan) to offer a six-week gentle and chair yoga to those with COPD, to improve their breathing, endurance and flexibility.
Sandi Powers has been teaching yoga for 10 years and has a special connection to the class she will be teaching on Monday mornings for six weeks: her husband has COPD.
The first class is Monday, July 25 from 10:45-11:30 a.m. Additional classes will be held August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. The cost is$30 for 6 weeks
Powers says that in her classes, she shares “self-acceptance. The idea is to embrace wherever you are that day. We all have limitations as we get older. I try to help people realize their potential.”
Alignment is important for safety, she adds: “We modify according to the person. With gentle and ‘chair’ yoga, people with COPD can improve flexibility and movement.”
COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema and is the third leading killer in the U.S., and the second leading cause of disability.
COPD occurs most often in people 40+ who are or were smokers, had long-term exposure to lung irritants and air pollution, or have a rare genetic condition. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, producing excess sputum, or feeling unable to take a deep breath.
Established in 1916, Breathe New Hampshire is celebrating a century as the only nonprofit public health agency in the state dedicated solely to lung health. Breathe NH’s mission is to eliminate lung disease and improve the quality of life for those with lung disease, from asthma to COPD. For more information on COPD, or about support groups or gentle yoga, see www.breathenh.org/copd.
