Therapeutic Playful Yoga for Diverse Abilities

Founded on the virtues of INCLUSION and ACCESSIBILITY, TheraPLAYoga is changing the SHAPE and VIBE of yoga in Lansing.

Through trauma-sensitive, body-positive adaptive movements; social consciousness, and creating affirming, anti-ableist spaces where people of all ages with complex needs, diverse abilities, and backgrounds can safely and autonomously explore the mind-body benefits of yoga.

A Care and Wellness Modality

Yoga isn’t about contorting your body into graduated poses to, one day, be “good enough” to register for an “advanced” class.  It’s not about being thin, White, able-bodied, or having a brand-name mat, and wearing spandex pants.  But you wouldn’t know that by what’s dominantly portrayed by yoga teachers, studios, and social media.

If you or your child experience disabilities, neurodivergence, trauma, chronic pain, illness, limitations, or are People of Color- then you’ve likely experienced the disconnect when you know you aren’t included, feel unsafe, unseen, or unheard.

Adaptive Yoga

Yoga is an ancient mind-body practice supported by scientific research on its transformational benefits. Through physical movements (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and meditation- yoga connects the mind, body, and spirit.

Adaptive yoga uses props and modifies physical movements for people with disabilities, injuries, and limitations.

By modifying yoga’s physical movements and breathing practices to accommodate contraindications and conscious cue phrasing, TheraPLAYoga makes yoga safe, effective, and accessible to people with diverse bodies, brains, and abilities.

THAT’S WHERE I SLIDE IN.
NOT NEARLY AS SMOOTH AS TOM CRUISE IN RISKY BUSINESS.

TheraPLAYoga is Lansing’s Premier Radically Inclusive and Truly Accessible Yoga Studio for Children, Youth, Adults, and Caregivers with Complex Needs, Diverse Abilities, and Backgrounds.  Located in Eastside Lansing; offering therapeutic, playful yoga as a modality of self-care, community care, complementary care, and alternative care in private and group environments.

Adaptive Yoga Studio in Eastside Lansing

Lansing’s FIRST and ONLY trauma-sensitive, adaptive yoga studio optimized for disabled and neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults. TheraPLAYoga inclusively serves individuals and families who experience sensory processing disorder, autism, ADHD, health conditions, trauma, and physical, mental, and developmental disabilities.

TheraPLAYoga supports people of all shapes and sizes and limitations due to pregnancy and pain.  As well as supports overwhelmed and stressed caregivers in tending to their nervous systems and exploring a peaceful pathway to parenting with compassion, intention, and respect.

A Few Things Supported by TheraPLAYoga :

Students will discover ways to reflect, engage, regulate, and connect more [play]fully in their lives and communities. Above all, empowered to practice yoga and mindfulness off the mat with confidence, curiosity, and compassion.

Group and private practice includes sensory integration, therapeutics, somatics, breathing, meditation, relaxation, anatomy, yoga philosophy, and adaptive poses.

Hello! I’m Gloria.

EMPOWERING PERSONAL GROWTH and SOCIAL CHANGE

Different is just my cuppa tea…

I started my business when I realized the practice I shared with my son was our transformation.
As a neurodivergent, mixed-race woman with invisible disabilities, adverse experiences, chronic pain, and health conditions; and a full-time, solo parent/O.G. homeschool mom to an autistic child with complex developmental disabilities, medical conditions, and adverse experiences- I know what it’s like to live on the edge of chaos and exhaustion.

Yoga and mindfulness have supported me and my son through a lot of challenges and changes the past several years (and still do). With intention and deliberate practice, I took my table-for-2 family from that edge to a safe place within ourselves to regulate, build resilience, and connect.

Then realized there was a hole in the yoga community and in local therapeutic programs for families like mine.

AROUND HERE, INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY GO BEYOND OCCASIONS AND EVENTS. TheraPLAYoga is FOUNDED ON THE VIRTUES OF INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY.

Through my words and actions, I seek to disrupt the systems of privilege and power that contribute to and maintain disparities and social inequities in the yoga community and my local community.

I take a different approach than most yoga teachers and studio owners out there:

Adaptive yoga is my thang!  That’s why you’re here, right?

Through therapeutic, playful yoga I…

• empower kids teens, and adults in becoming their own best advocates by cultivating self-awareness, regulation, and resilience
• help people safely and effectively manage stress and chronic pain, who experience disabilities, injury, limitations, and health conditions
• coach discerning parents, who live on the edge of chaos and exhaustion, in tending to their needs and building unshakable confidence in parenting with compassion, intention, and respect.
• teach people with diverse bodies and brains, who hold self-limiting beliefs or experience gatekeeping, ways to practice yoga that honors and is compassionate to their body and mind
• offer non-intimidating and accessible tools for explicit compassion, empowerment, and resilience– and share them through group experiences, one on one, written articles, and social platforms.

And hey, I’m looking for co-conspirators just like YOU. But before we roll out our mats, let us first plot. Ya know, to be sure it’s a Cinderella fit.