When COVID interrupted state travel in March and locked us behind our front doors we knew we had a new problem.
Everyone was heading online and we thought surely there must be an activity to connect our amputee community, something good for everyone and easily achievable from the safety of our living rooms.
It was about that moment I met amputee yoga instructor Mark Workman. Now Mark had a story to tell of how he had found himself thrown into the amputee universe and how years of yoga practice had given him a toolset to cope with the distress and the
breakdown of his body symmetry.
Recognising the need in his new community and indeed for those with a mobility disability, Mark set out to share his toolset with others, giving rise to his program “Yoga For Mobilty”.
Designed to be done regardless of your fitness, participated from a wheelchair or seated position, Mark’s program was compiled to really bring out the Therapy concepts in Yoga Therapy.
So we decided to trial Mark’s program for some of our amputee members and set about inviting a few locals to give it spin.
Now I could tell you about how Mark lost his leg to a rare blood clotting disorder, I could mention Mark spent years in the east learning yoga from a remarkably pure yoga source. I could describe how the 8 week trial via video conferencing connected us on a peer level and gave more than simple yoga practice. I could say all that and more but it would be simplest to say Yoga For Mobility is available for you right now. Just visit
https://yogaformobility.org/ and discover it yourself.
So we decided to trial Mark’s program for some of our amputee members and set about inviting a few locals to give it spin.
Now I could tell you about how Mark lost his leg to a rare blood clotting disorder, I could mention Mark spent years in the east learning yoga from a remarkably pure yoga source. I could describe how the 8 week trial via video conferencing connected us on a peer level and gave more than simple yoga practice. I could say all that and more but it would be simplest to say Yoga For Mobility is available for you right now. Just visit
https://yogaformobility.org/ and discover it yourself.
Pre accident, he was shy and uncomfortable around strangers. But Khoa decided he not only wanted to walk. He wanted to build his confidence in public speaking by sharing his story with others. After some gentle encouragement from a good friend, he featured
on Network Ten Taboo which showcased disability and found humour in everyday activities. “It’s okay to laugh. I love to laugh and it’s important to remain positive.”
He found High Vibe Project and travelled the world pre lockdown as well as hosting his own podcast speaking publicly about his story.
Khoa said his Podcast has translated to so many people and celebrated similarity instead of difference. “I have no intention of dabbing on the brake in life.”
This year Khoa was co-author of his first book Garden of Hope. An inspiring collection of stories that will make you believe in love, hope, and joy.
Read what Kate O’Connell thought about the Yoga For Mobility program below.
KATE’S EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA FOR MOBILITY
I have been a lower right leg amputee for 18 months. I am 58 years old and have never been exercise-crazy, but I finally realised that I really needed to keep myself healthy, and to do that, I needed to incorporate some type of exercise to avoid further issues down the track. I was lucky enough to stumble across Mark and his Yoga for Mobility sessions that were being held online through Amputees NSW.
Wow, it changed my world.
Mark was unbelievably kind and generous with his knowledge and information. I had been suffering severe sciatic pain since my amputation, especially when driving. I was in a lot of pain, on a lot of tablets, and desperate and willing to try anything.
When I told Mark, he simply said, “Make sure you weight your body evenly when walking and sitting” – it made the world of difference, and my sciatic pain actually started to subside. I couldn’t believe that by consistently making this one slight alteration, my pain reduced and so did the tablets. I was ecstatic, and this encouraged me to engage in the yoga sessions more diligently, and as time went on I became more confident in my ability and took something helpful away from each session.
I must admit I was nervous before my first session, but the classes were adapted to suit all amputees. I am now very conscious of my breathing, which has allowed me to relax and feel more in control when I walk. I also learned about Apana (can you believe that I actually know a yoga word!) as well as the lying twist.
Yoga has now become an important part of my day, and I hope with all my heart that these yoga sessions can help others (particularly beginners!) like me. Amputation or no amputation, by joining Mark’s sessions, you will be thanking your lucky stars, and boy do we all need some luck!
