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Adaptive yoga teacher training recap
Twice a year I have the opportunity to help out with adaptive yoga teacher training weekends at my yoga studio Mind Body Solutions, a great non-profit. My yoga studio is one of the few yoga studios in the country that teaches adaptive yoga and they were the first to teach it in fact. My studio was founded by this amazing guy: Matt Sanford As you can see, Matt uses a wheelchair. He was paralyzed in a car accident when he was 13 years old and discovered yoga in his 20’s while living in California. He decided to found a studio in the early 90’s to teach to others what he figured out…
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Awesome hands-free dog walking system
Walking your dog while you’re sitting down just got a whole lot easier thanks to this brilliant idea, the Hound-a-bout, invented by C. John Stanchina, a crafty paralyzed guy with a love of dogs. Love this invention! Now where can I find the $119 to purchase one? Read this entry
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Wheelchair travel tips you can’t won’t find anywhere else
When I flew in a plane the first time as a wheelchair-user 5 years after my accident, I was so nervous. I didn’t want it to be a hassle, or rather “be” the hassle. I was hoping and praying it’d be quick and seamless. It’s really too bad this video wasn’t available, showing how a wheelchair-user boards a plane (no you don’t stay in your chair. FAA regulations), when I was freaking in my early days. Had I seen this video, it would’ve calmed almost all of my nerves for sure. And this video is loaded with wheelchair travel secret after another wheelchair travel secret; shared by seasoned traveler himself, Mark Schmidt, paraplegic…
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My behind the wheel therapy
When I’m behind the wheel of my vehicle, no one can tell I use a wheelchair (no disabled plate, only a placard). And I gotta say that feeling is pretty hard to beat But the anonymity of being just another driver on the road is one of several reasons driving my has become the best form of therapy I‘ve ever run across. When you’re disabled and depressed, doctors tell you to take pills, or to meditate, but no one ever mentions the therapeutic benefits of getting behind the wheel and being fully in control of a car (and for the life of me I can’t figure out why!). They’ll mention…
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So excited – Push Girls sneak peak
The Sundance Channel aired a 12 minute sneak peak of the Push Girls last night, and holy crap you guys, it looks better than I had hoped. It’s not cheesy, it doesn’t have that “whoa feel sad for these girls” type of feel. No, the show has hit the nail on the head. I officially love the Sundance Channel for making this show. There I said it. Hitting on guys when you’re out at the club, real life with your man in bed (“Yes I can have sex. Lots and lots of sex”) to being obsessed with wearing high heels even if you can’t walk, seeing all of this glossified on the…
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My dream kitchen has landed
I’ve seen some gorgeous accessible kitchens in my day. Beautiful, custom kitchens to lust after with cut-outs under the counter tops for plenty of knee space, huge slabs of granite cut-out to fit the countertops perfectly, stainless steel appliances with bottom loading freezers and pull-out shelves to reach things easier. But going from point A, a completely inaccessible kitchen to point B, a fully accessible kitchen where everything is thought of from top to bottom, usually takes a qualified ADA building expert or some kind of universal accessible consultant. And if you don’t hire one of these people, the likelihood of forgetting an accessible feature is almost guaranteed. This is why I am…
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Aussie wheelchair tennis players explain the game
I’ve been blogging for SPINALpedia.com, a very cool video site that contains thousands of spinal cord injury-related videos, for a couple of months now. What I love about this site (other than it wass founded by my friend Josh Basile, a really smart C4-5 quad from Maryland who’s studying to be a lawyer) is that the videos are categorized by movement – full hand movement, partial hand movement, no hand movement, and for all the other body parts too, making it easy to find a video that would actually work for you without wasting too much time (gotta love that). My latest post for SPINALpedia.com highlights some of my favorite sports…
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Burn those calories: Insane wheelchair pull-up
A crazy wheelchair pull-up and the easiest at-home workout for quads. Check out these awesome videos
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Ever hesitant to complain about access?
A Georgia mom posts a photo of some of the worst inclusion recently witnessed in public schools, but shies away from venting fully. What prevents you from complaining about access? Read this post
