Yoga for the Mature Body 30 hour YTT

Registration for Summer 2026 opening soon

At Asheville Community Yoga, we believe that diverse groups of people with different backgrounds and experiences make for a richer learning experience and open us to a broader understanding of the world we share. This broader understanding is an essential quality of a dedicated yoga practitioner. To achieve this goal, we have tried our best to set up a tiered pricing system that hopefully makes this immersion accessible to a wide and diverse range of people.

Our three distinct tiers are…

$375 / Community Rate: Discounted spaces for those in our community who represent marginalized populations and have and/or have limited access to financial resources.

$475 / Sustainer Rate: This rate pays for you and allows for Asheville Community Yoga to run operations in a way that is truly sustainable.

$575 / Supporter Rate: This is an opportunity for those who have more access to resources to pay it forward and support others on their Yoga journey.

Achieving accessibility for all is dependent on leveraging privilege in our community. If you can afford a price point above the Community Rate, please consider paying more for the benefit of all. Payment plans are available for every pricing option.

Refund Policy: We understand that life happens and unforeseen circumstances come up. If life offers up an unexpected event and you need to withdraw from the program:

• A full refund (with the exception of a $50 registration fee) will be reimbursed if you need to withdraw up to one month prior to your program start date.
• If you need to withdraw less than one month prior to your program start date, 50% of what you’ve paid will be refunded.
• No refunds will be given after the start of your program.

Registration for Summer 2026 opening soon

Topics to be covered

• Common physical, psychological, and emotional challenges specific to older
  adults
• Asana practice for the aging body
   Mixed class
   Floor class specific to older adults
   Chair class of older adults
• Postural alignment
   Modifications
   Adjustments to include students living with joint replacement
• Languaging
   Physical cues
   Energetic cues
• Class structure
   Sequencing
• Pranayama (breathing technique) and Meditation
   Breathing techniques specific to cardiopulmonary challenges
• Yoga ethics with respect to Aging
   How to teach yoga to adults living with cognitive challenges
   Why teach yoga to this specific population
   Honoring teacher/student relationships/boundaries
   Class labels and studio policies
     Dementia/Elder Abuse/Self Care challenges

• The Business of Yoga
   Branding and marketing to older adults
   ADA compliancy
   Age Friendly practices
• Health Challenges in Aging
     Socioeconomic challenges facing older adults
   Lifestyle, societal factors that affect aging
   Baby Boomer statistics and why this matters: The Cost of Aging
   Falls Risk
   Common Chronic Conditions for Adults 65+
   The rise of Dementia related Disease and Cost of Caregiving
   Elder Abuse: How to Identify, Report and providing Resources
   Joint Replacement Challenges facing older adults
• Practicum
   Student teaching

Techniques, Teaching and Practice
Total Hours: 20

Asana:
Through discussion, active demonstration, and use of the trainee handbook, we will
identify alignment and cuing for stable and safe movement and postures.
Since Chair Yoga practices focusing on adjusting the practice to meet the needs of the
student, these lessons dive into many of the most commonly practiced Chair Yoga
postures and provide more in-depth information on modifications and variations of the
asanas. We will also review the benefits and contraindications for each asana.

Body Mechanics and Teaching Tools:
Understanding how our bodies function and how proper alignment affects function are
especially important in Chair Yoga classes. We will cover common body mechanics and
how to help our students move without injury. We also review how to properly
communicate with our students, how observing and reading your class is important, and
how to assist the different students that you will teach.

Sequencing:
We will break into groups and discuss possible Chair Yoga sequences that will be
implemented in class. Possible sequences can range from focusing on a certain parts of
the body (upper back, knees, shoulders, etc.) to particular goals (recovering from injury,
balance, building endurance, boosting immunity, etc.) to mental health needs ( cognitive
challenges, depression, anxiety, stress).
We will identify how key muscle groups affect flexibility and strength in these poses.
Conversation will focus on how to cue based on the energetic effects of these postures
and the risk factors inherent to practicing them incorrectly.

Pranayama:
The Pranayama techniques that are used during a Chair Yoga class are an important
part of helping students prepare their mind and body for class. Multiple techniques will
be covered in this section, however, the main techniques covered, will be Three-Part
Breath, Ujjayi, Alternate Nostril Breathing, Bhastrika, and Sitali.
Students will engage in discussion with how physical, mental, emotional and sometimes
spiritual effects from incorporating mindful breathing can help older adults live a more
balanced life.

Meditation: 
We will review meditation practices and how they fit into a Chair Yoga
class through various techniques used for meditation including mantras and
visualizations.

Non-Contact Hours: Total Hours: 10
Prior to the beginning of the training, the Yoga for Mature Bodies 30 hour YTT
Prerequisite Pre Course Material will be handed out to all attendees.
This instruction manual go over topics specific to the aging community that you will
need to understand and be prepared to take your first exam on the first day of training.
Through this understanding, you will be able to create lesson plans better suited to your
student(s) needs.

1. Yoga for Arthritis: The Complete Guide by Loren Fishman, Ellen Saltonstall
2. Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide by Loren Fishman, Ellen Saltonstall
3. Empowered Aging: Everyday Yoga Practices for Bone Health, Strength and Balance
   by Ellen Saltonstall
4. Get Fit Where You Sit: A Guide to the Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Method

Recommended Readings:

1. Being Mortal: by Atul Gawande
2. Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being by Baxter Bell (Author), Nina
   Zolotow

Asheville Community Yoga
8 Brookdale Road
Asheville, NC 28804

Diane Saccone

Diane has been in the practicing yoga for over 50 years in tandem with her passion for living close to the calling of nature. She learned the medicinal arts as a child and found being in nature was much more enriching than playing with her friends as it brought her immense joy. She finds yoga and nature as one entity, seeing nature as the ultimate teacher of non-attachment and being one with the Divine Truth.

She began teaching yoga in 1999 receiving her RYT 200 and followed the journey of Therapeutic Yoga. She completed her 500 hr. training in 2008 with the Asheville Yoga Center and continues to study therapeutic yoga with Dr. Loren Fishman M.D., and Doug Keller among others to hone her skills and continue to incorporate the latest scientific breakthroughs that support healthy aging practices through yoga. She uses her background in clinical laboratory medicine along with her subject matter expertise with aging services to make yoga accessible to everyone.

Cindy Taylor, Chantilly Virginia

“This was among the best trainings I have ever attended.  I had no idea prior to this training of how a yoga practice can improve the way of life for older adults simply by engaging them in a yoga community where they can feel safe, welcomed and valued. Diane gave us wonderful ideas on how to work with our local community aging resources to partner with our respective yoga studios so older adults have more options to stay active and reduce their falls risk. The training was extremely well thought out, easy to follow with many footnotes to incorporate into my senior classes.”

Anna Hyde, Burke Virginia

“I can’t tell you how much, almost on a daily basis, I remember tidbits from one of your classes. . .  the training I had with you both probably made more of an impact on me than any other yoga training that I’ve done.”

Pamela Burns, ERYT 500 Tampa Florida

“Thank you Diane for offering such a professional and well executed 3 day workshop. I learned a tremendous and unexpected amount of information. Your knowledge of anatomy, the importance of postural alignment, ~ I could go on and on about that ~ and most importantly, how to creatively work with a student’s individual needs to make them feel empowered to continue their practice was invaluable. I’ve taken other workshops for seniors–and they left me (and many others in the group) feeling unqualified to handle the issues that crop up when working with an older population.  This program gave me new confidence and a much better understanding of working with our elder community.”