I became a yoga teacher (200RYT) in 2021 to share the benefits of accessible slow mindful yoga with others. I believe yoga is for every BODY – you need not to “flexible enough” or “strong enough” or “meditative enough” – every BODY is ENOUGH! I specialize in Chair Yoga, which is for anyone with mobility issues – whatever the reason. My in-person classes in Birmingham, Alablama are beneficial, engaging, fun, calming, AND energizing. I recently created a Frannie James Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon channel in order to make a consistent chair yoga practice more financially accessible and easier to fit into your schedule. My Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon channel includes a FREE membership, as well as membership tiers. It’s easy to join here.
What’s on the Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon Channel?
At the time of this writing (early July 2024), my Chair Yoga Patreon channel includes: one 10-minute reset, six 20-minute practices, three 45-minute practices, one 60-minute practice, four breathwork practices, and one special 30-minute practice for people living with Dementia. If you join as an Early Adopter ($15 a month), you’ll have access to every video currently there. And, I’ll be adding at least three new chair yoga videos each month, which you’ll also have access to. The free membership currently includes: two 10-minute resets, one 20-minute gentle practice, and one special 30-minute practice for people living with Dementia. I’ll be adding to the free membership at a rate of at least one new video every month. I invite you to check out this 20-minute Gentle Chair Yoga for the Whole Body practice to get a sense of my teaching style and see if it’s a match for you or someone you care about.
Why Patreon and not another platform?
I realize I am in a minority, but I am not a fan of YouTube. I don’t like the ads and how sometimes a video from another channel pops up and takes me away from where I intended to be. I’m aware that it’s possible to pay for an ad-free subscription, but I still find the lack of organization on YouTube to be distracting. If a channel only has a dozen or so videos, no problem. But once a creator has more than a dozen videos, it can be distracting to scroll through to find what I’m looking for. And, if I’m wanting to practice yoga, I don’t want to spend time and energy trying to find a practice that’s appropriate to me at that point in time. If I’m wanting to practice yoga, I’m looking for less distraction – not more! Patreon is not only ad-free, but it’s also possible to organize material into “collections.” My Chair Yoga for Every Body channel is currently organized into collections based on length of practice: 10-minute, 20-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute. I also have two special collections: Chair Yoga for Dementia and Breathwork. I may at some point organize by focus of practice focus (i.e. Chair Yoga for Neck & Shoulders or Chair Yoga for Sciatica). But, for now, I feel that time markers are more useful for someone coming to the channel with a specific amount of time to practice. The titles of the videos within the collections indicate their focus. For example, within the 20-minute Practices collection, there are Focus on Spine and Focus on Shoulders. The organization of my Chair Yoga Patreon channel makes it easier for a person to develop a consistent yoga practice.
Another reason I prefer Patreon over YouTube is that Patreon allows the subscriber to directly support the creator. Of course, Patreon takes a cut (currently at 8%). But, YouTube doesn’t allow for monetization until a creator has 1000 subscribers! So, when you subscribe to my Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon channel (or any Patreon channel), you are immediately and directly supporting the creator. When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, you are only indirectly supporting the creator via the ad income the creator earns by having a large number of subscribers.
That being said, I did cave to the pressure to create a YouTube channel: Frannie James Chair Yoga. It has the same content as the free membership on my Patreon channel (but with ads and without the organization).
The Importance of a Consistent Yoga Practice
As I wrote about in June 2024, the shift in how I feel (emotionally, mentally, and physically) came when I started practicing yoga at least three times a week. And, I soon noticed that how long I practiced each time didn’t matter – even a ten or twenty minute practice helped shift me into feeling stronger, more flexible and (most importantly to me) calmer. However, I realize that there are many life factors that can make it difficult to attend three in-person classes a week. So, I created Frannie James Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon channel has in order to make it easier to practice multiple times a week. It includes 10, 20, 45, and 60-minute practices. Each month, I’ll add at least three new practices. And, I’ll always be just an email away to answer any questions you may have about how to use the channel to develop a consistent yoga practice.
The Importance of Financially Accessible Yoga
As I wrote about in September 2023, any discussion of accessible yoga must include financially accessible yoga. And, unfortunately, yoga is not always financially accessible. My Chair Yoga Patreon channel is currently $15 a month. That is roughly the cost of one yoga class in a studio or any other setting where payment is collected. It is not free, but my hope is that it is more financially accessible to more people than a gym membership or paying for studio classes. And, there IS a free membership option on my Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon.
Why Frannie James Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon?
I earned my 200RYT in June 2021 and have since completed three Chair Yoga Teacher Trainings – one with Yoga Heals Us and two with Subtle Yoga. I teach 8-10 in-person chair yoga classes weekly in the Birmingham area. Prior to becoming a yoga teacher, I spent most of my adult life teaching (ESL, Global Studies, Intercultural Communication). I am thus well-trained and experienced in teaching a variety of students in a variety of settings. I hope you will give my 20-minute Gentle Chair Yoga for the Whole Body a try to see if I’m a good fit for your personality and learning style. You might also try this 10-minute Gentle Reset. And, if you think I might be a good fit for you and your needs, please consider joining my Chair Yoga for Every Body Patreon channel, with its free or paid membership.
If you’d prefer in-person classes (or at least some in-person classes) in Birmingham, AL, please check out my offerings or contact me.