Woods at Canco Senior Living Community: December Partner Spotlight

“It seems like such a long walk to get to class, but going up and down the stairs is getting easier these days. It always feels good when we do yoga.” -Woods at Canco resident

The residents at the Woods at Canco, an independent senior living community in Portland, have been enjoying a new Sea Change Chair Yoga class since October 2021. SCY teacher Aleksandra Townsend teaches this class twice a month to a dedicated group of seniors. 

Aleksandra, who is in her final year of the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Kennebec Valley Community College, has a special interest in working with people with chronic pain and limited mobility. “I teach this class with consideration for various limitations, and I adopt the shapes to make them accessible for everyone. I choose movements which help build strength and flexibility for daily activities like bending and picking up an object, getting dressed, etc.”

One resident shared that though he’d been physically active all his life, just getting to yoga class can be challenging. “It seems like such a long walk to get to class, but going up and down the stairs is getting easier these days. It always feels good when we do yoga.”

A few residents tried taking Chair Yoga classes on YouTube during the early days of the pandemic, but are so grateful to now be taking a class in person. “It makes such a difference when the teacher can see our residents, make suggestions, and explain WHY each movement is important,” says Morgan LePage, Resident Enrichment Coordinator at The Woods at Canco. “Aleksandra is able to give the residents modifications if they have limited range of motion. The seniors really appreciate this personalized approach.”

This new program at The Woods at Canco joins the weekly online class with AARP as our two Chair Yoga program offerings for seniors. Sea Change is delighted to be serving our Seniors through our intergenerational vision of community support and care.