Join Neurologist, Dr. Barbara Giesser and Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Eric Small for an exploration of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for the yoga practitioner and teacher.
Based on over 50 years of specializing in MS as a clinician, educator and advocate, Barbara will present an overview of MS, pathology and treatment.
Eric will share wisdom gleaned from over 70 years of yoga practice and study with BKS Iyengar to address his MS diagnosis. Among topics covered will be the value of therapeutic inversions and other specific practices, the appropriate use props, and sequencing for students with MS. For teachers of yoga, Eric will share how to understand the level of disability of your student, how to conduct a valuable intake interview with your student and how to integrate an MS student into a class.
The recording of the workshop will be posted to union.fit the day after the live workshop. It is available free of charge to all registrants for two weeks after it is posted.
Props
Recommended props: 3 blankets, 2 bolsters, 2 belts, 2 mats, 2 yoga chairs, 1 eye wrap, 2 blocks (preferably foam).
Prerequisites
Participants should have at least one year of Iyengar Yoga practice.
CE Credits
Continuing education credit with IYNAUS is available. If you’d like to receive CE credit with IAYT, visit
here for instructions on how to petition for non-APD credit for this workshop
Eric Small
Eric was diagnosed with MS at the age of 20 and at 22, began practicing yoga to manage the symptoms of MS. He studied directly with BKS Iyengar over a period of 60 years.
Eric is a Level 3 Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, specializing in yoga therapy for MS and other neurological conditions. At 93 years old, Eric continues to teach yoga classes and guide yoga teachers. He helped to establish the Eric Small Optimal Living Well Program at various locations throughout the United States and has been recognized with honors from the MS Society. He conducts yoga workshops and seminars with his Eric Small Adaptive Iyengar Yoga Program, one of which is at the UCLA Neurological Center in Los Angeles.Barbara Giesser
Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA ,Dipl. ABLM, is a neurologist who has specialized in the care of persons with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982. She has been faculty in the Departments of Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Arizona Health Science Center, and the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine, where she is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Neurology. She currently directs the MS Comprehensive Care Clinic at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, California.
In addition to a career as a clinician, Dr. Giesser’s is an educator and advocate. She has created curricula in MS for trainees at all levels as well as peers and lay audiences. She has been recognized for educational and clinical achievement at local, regional and national levels.
Dr. Giesser has been an investigator on several clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents for MS, and has also conducted peer-reviewed exercise related research. Her CV includes over 100 peer reviewed publications, books and chapters.Pricing
Fee: $60. Note that we do not supply separate invoices and that workshop registration is non-refundable.
