02/12/2026
“Yoga is for every body” isn’t just a catch phrase. It’s a deeply rooted belief based on personal experience.
My youngest son, Sean, was born with severe cerebral palsy. The photos here show him in 2016-17 as our Adaptive Yoga Program was taking root. The one of he and I in Dancer Pose used to hang in the lululemon KOP store – the 1st time they had someone with a physical disability on their walls. The one of he and Brian is after Sean and I presented at the CHOP Conference on Disability – you can see the pride in his face.
Sean showed us what it looks like to live your yoga – to show up on your mat no matter what your day looks like and simply do your best. He didn’t just come to Adaptive Classes - we didn’t have those in the first two years of Yoga Home. He came to whatever class was on the schedule - Basics, Vinyasa, Power Flow and more. Being in the energy of the class, moving his body in the way he could – sometimes seated in his wheelchair, sometimes I would transition him down to his mat – that was enough. Yoga was never about what a pose looked like. It was about breathing, moving, simply being present and being in community.
That’s what I continue to try to provide here at Yoga Home. A space where YOU can drop in exactly as you are. No need to show up a certain way, coming when you’re feeling great in your body as well as when your body or soul is hurting or injured. It’s all welcome. The greatest gift you can give yourself and to those you love is truly being present. That’s what Sean taught me.
Sean passed away in 2017 and I miss him every day. I’m sharing this today, on what would have been his 28th birthday. I know he lives on in so many ways, and I’m so grateful for the path he’s carved for me in helping others find yoga.
Why do I share this here? In the hopes that YOU are reminded that you, too, deserve this gift of yoga. Despite recent efforts to showcase the variety of humanity doing yoga, there’s still the perception that yoga is only for those who look and can move a certain way. We welcome everyone – the practice doesn’t judge you based on your age, size, ability or any other factor – why would we?
Sean also showed me that it wasn’t always easy to show up. Goodness knows there were days we were late to class and some days didn't make it. But on those days where I could see he felt at home in his body – that’s a gift he and will always have. I hope you find it, too. 💜
