By Karen Couf Cohen
Mindy Eisenberg founded Yoga Moves MS, a nonprofit adaptive yoga organization, over 20 years ago, providing free classes to those impacted by multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neuromuscular disorders. Her inspiration? Growing up with a mother with multiple sclerosis who spent the better part of twenty-seven years in bed paired with a profound belief in the healing impact of a regular yoga practice.
Karen Couf-Cohen: Yoga classes are ubiquitous. You can’t go a block in any direction without seeing a yoga studio. Why is Yoga Moves different?
Mindy Eisenberg: The most important thing to remember about Yoga Moves is that it is adaptive Yoga. Our teachers adapt poses to meet the needs of our students with neuromuscular conditions such as MS or Parkinson’s. Our recent rebrand now encourages anyone with any kind of neuromuscular issue to join our classes, including post-rehab, people with osteoporosis, and seniors looking for a slower, less rushed class with more personal attention. We are unique in assigning several teachers to each class. Our class structure is collaborative: the lead teacher guides the session, assistant teachers provide individualized support, and students participate in the practice tailored to their needs.
Mainstream yoga classes book on the hour and they teach to the average level of ability with one teacher. There is a pre-assumed plan for each class, and it usually isn’t modified. Yoga Moves classes do the opposite.
Karen Couf-Cohen: Why don’t regular yoga classes provide more time?
Mindy Eisenberg: Mainstream yoga classes book on the hour and they teach to the average level of ability with one teacher. There is a pre-assumed plan for each class, and it usually isn’t modified. Yoga Moves classes do the opposite. Our classes are smaller and last 90 minutes to two hours. You won’t be rushed.
Karen Couf Cohen: What journey or experiences brought you to create Yoga Moves MS?
Mindy Eisenberg: My mother is the inspiration behind Yoga Moves MS and my guiding light. I watched her experience MS for over twenty-seven years where she spent most of my childhood (and her adulthood) in bed or in a wheelchair. In the 1990s, I worked as a health administrator at the University of Michigan while maintaining a regular yoga practice. I was invited to teach a yoga class for individuals with MS. When several participants asked to continue meeting, I started offering adaptive yoga classes. Very soon I realized how transformative this practice could have been for my mother as her MS progressed. Conventional wisdom before the 1990’s held that MS patients should not move! It was, as I became more informed from MS specialists, that I saw how profoundly wrong that advice was. There is a large body of empirical evidence demonstrating the benefits of yoga for people with MS.
KCC: What About Yoga Moves gives you joy?
ME: Seeing the look on the students’ faces and watching the magic that happens between them. We’re more facilitators than teachers. We provide the environment, and the students create the magic. The “magic” is when students see other students that are experiencing the same thing as them. They are not “identified” by their condition in our classes but are simply one and the same–that gives me joy.
KCC: What are the biggest challenges to running a program that offers free services?
ME: Funding! We believe yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. We do not charge for classes, but donations are appreciated. Our costs to run the classes are often misunderstood. Each class is led by two to four paid instructors. These teachers tailor the class to individual needs, allowing for personalized attention and a flexible flow.
As medicine has advanced, our referral model has shifted. While doctors and nurses still refer us patients, referrals from infusion centers (where patients receive their medication via IV) have declined as newer medications are more effective and last longer. We hope to strengthen our presence in the physical therapy community.
Securing free or affordable class space also remains a challenge. While we often look to churches and synagogues, rental costs can be prohibitive. This makes sponsorships—and our annual fundraising gala—essential to sustaining our programs.
KCC: What keeps you going?
ME: The feeling of connection from the community that we have created. People become friends inside and outside of class. It becomes a support group and it’s fun. I relish the expressions I see on our students’ faces. When I see improvement—and I see them move in a new way that they couldn’t before our classes—that gives me incredible satisfaction. Many of our students want to help with our organization and get involved with YMMS, which is gratifying since we are primarily volunteer run.
KCC: Who inspires you?
ME: My students! When I see students who want to feel better, I’m inspired. When I see them do something they thought they couldn’t do when they first walked in and poof they can! Amazing. I also find it inspiring to see our teachers in action, brainstorming how to adapt poses to meet students’ needs. Based on what the student says, the teacher may respond with, “Why don’t we try this? Or next time let’s try that.” As I said, it’s a collaboration between the student and the teacher. It’s a team.
KCC: Tell me about meeting Selma Blair and what that meant to you.
ME: It was a dream come true. For years, my students and I have planted seeds and dreamed of meeting Selma and inviting her to join our Yoga Moves MS community from her hometown. It was pure serendipity that last May, the City of Southfield invited her back to present her with a “key to the city” and invited Yoga Moves to be the recipient of an MS fundraiser she would appear at that same day. Everything in the universe aligned!
Our whole Yoga Moves MS community was there. It was wonderful to see how she made sure to meet everyone and was so interested in hearing their stories. It was surreal for me. I always thought it would be so cool to meet someone with MS who was a big advocate. And Selma is that person. She is a role model and people look up to her. She creates hope.
KCC: How did you make the connection?
ME: We tried to connect to her in a variety of ways, including Facebook, and other social media sites, and one of our students who grew up with her in the Detroit suburb of Southfield also tried to reach out. Finally, a contact forwarded me her attorney/manager’s contact information. I began to develop a relationship by reaching out periodically.
KCC: Yoga can be intimidating: everyone seems to know the moves. What would a student attending your class for the first time expect?
ME: A new student at Yoga Moves MS would be warmly welcomed by the other students. Our students would want them to feel the same benefit, love, camaraderie, and dignity that they do, and not to be identified by their condition.
For more information on Yoga Moves MS, contact Mindy Eisenberg at (248) 417-5985 or visit yogamovesms.org. Classes support individuals at all levels. Available live online, on demand, and in-person in Livonia, Troy, Grosse Pointe, Southfield, Franklin, and Farmington Hills.
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Mindy Eisenberg founded Yoga Moves MS, a nonprofit adaptive yoga organization, over 20 years ago, providing free classes to those impacted by multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neuromuscular disorders. Her inspiration? Growing up with a mother with multiple sclerosis who spent the better part of twenty-seven years in bed paired with a profound belief in the healing impact of a regular yoga practice.