PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Blue Awning Yoga and Wellness Yoga instructor Vivian Bowser helps people reset their nervous systems with all the breathing techniques and movements in the form of a yoga class.
“I just loved it. I thought this was a whole different side of fitness that I didn’t know about,” Bowser said.
As I lean further into the class, I see that it is being led by a legally blind instructor.
“When I was 14, I was told that I would be completely blind by the age of 19, but that wasn’t the case,” Bowser said.
Although Bowser still has some vision, doctors diagnosed him with rod-cone dystrophy. This means that Bowser will gradually lose his eyesight, making it difficult for him to cook and unable to drive.
As for losing her vision, Bowser said, “It just makes you feel a little bit left out and having to take extra steps to walk in buildings like everyone else is doing.” he said.
Her eyesight gradually disappears, meaning that teaching yoga becomes even more valuable to Bowser.
“I don’t take for granted what I see today, it will be different next year, even two years, five years, 10 years from now,” she said.
A person who claims she has become very good at verbally explaining how to do yoga during classes because she has experienced vision loss, thanks to Pittsburgh’s nonprofit Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services. There may be some.
“Yoga is not very visual. Yoga is all about how you feel in your body, and all cues are given verbally, telling you to adapt to what feels good in your body.” Erica Petak said. She is the president of a non-profit organization.
Each year, we serve 14,000 people in our region, including pre-school vision screenings. This yoga program is just one of his 13 programs that teach visually impaired people how to regain their independence.
“What we teach is not rocket science; it’s the small changes people can make to be able to do the things they always did before they lost their eyesight,” Petak said. “They just have to do it a little differently.”
While the various classes teach participants how to cook, clean, work, and navigate life, the yoga studio is changing lives as the nonprofit begins to focus on fitness.
In gyms, blind people are told they can be a liability, and fitness instructors don’t know how to instruct blind people. Here, visually impaired and able-bodied people can watch the training together. Bowser said her clients have said, “It’s the same reaction as anything else, but it felt so good, I can feel my whole body now.”
This is a game changer and a gift to the community.
“There’s a common misconception that blind people can’t do many of the things that you and I can do, but the more people we have in the studio, the more we see and not just hear.” We’re talking about, it’s a game changer,” Petacci said.
Classes are available online for as little as $5, and no transportation or child care is required. Free passes are also available for people living nearby. Yoga exercises lower blood pressure and diabetes risk, and promote overall health.
Now, thanks to Pittsburgh Blind Rehabilitation Services, teachers like Bowser are building safe communities that add Namaste to everyone’s lives and bring yoga to everyone.
Pittsburgh Blind Rehabilitation Services also began going into nursing homes and holding yoga classes for them. In addition, the Pittsburgher also conducts free classes for the community hosted by Uptown Partners.
Eventually, they hope to add more yoga classes. Currently, classes are held every day, but there are only a few classes per day.
For more information about the class or how to get involved with the nonprofit, please visit the nonprofit’s website using this link.
If you would like to see your organization featured on KDKA’s Sunday Spotlight segment, please email Megan Shinn. mshinn@kdka.com!
