26 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 

M

indy Eisenberg believes that 
yoga should be accessible to 
everyone.
The certified yoga therapist and founder 
of nonprofit adaptive yoga organization 
Yoga Moves MS believes that yoga, among 
other holistic health remedies, can help 
alleviate symptoms of certain conditions 
like multiple sclerosis, a disease of the 
nervous system.
The power of yoga, among other topics, 
will be at the forefront of the annual Yoga 
Moves Holistic Health Forum. The virtual 
forum, taking place on Nov. 6, will feature 
panel discussions with experts on MS 
sharing their insight on how to manage the 
disease through holistic ways.
“When somebody has a condition, a 
lot of times, they disassociate from their 
body,” Eisenberg, 57, of Franklin and 
a member of Adat Shalom, says. “Yoga 
is a way to get back in there again and 
appreciate what the body can do.”
Through yoga, Eisenberg believes that 
people coping with and managing MS — 
regardless of their age — can experience 
a variety of physical and mental health 
benefits. But yoga, like many other exercise 
classes, can often be expensive. It’s also not 

covered by medical insurance.
To alleviate those costs and help people 
access yoga as a tool for their health and 
wellness, Eisenberg launched Yoga Moves 
MS in 2005, a program that offers free 
adaptive yoga classes for people with the 
disease and their caregivers. 
The classes are 100% funded 
by donations.
Unlike traditional yoga, 
adaptive yoga modifies yoga 
postures to accommodate 
the needs of people with 
MS. These small-group 
classes incorporate props like 
blankets, chairs, yoga straps 
and blocks to make different 
yoga poses easier, often with 
one-on-one instruction.
For Eisenberg, whose 
mother had Primary-
Progressive MS, she knew 
firsthand the challenges of both the 
financial costs of the disease and how 
essential it was to address the pain and 
other symptoms that it can bring on. Most 
important was the idea of finding support 
groups.
“I realized that small group classes were 

very therapeutic,” Eisenberg says of Yoga 
Moves MS classes, which see anywhere 
from 8-12 people and now hold virtual 
sessions as well to accommodate the needs 
of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People who 
participated were able to see all of their 
challenges because of the 
condition like a map.”
That’s because each Yoga 
Moves MS class starts with 
a brief check-in to see how 
participants are feeling. They 
take time to discuss their 
symptoms that week and 
what areas they want to work 
on. For example, if foot pain 
or foot issues are a common 
concern, the class that day 
will focus on yoga poses or 
stretches that help alleviate 
foot discomfort.
“We’re making the practice 
our own,” Eisenberg says, “so it fits our 
body and what we need at that moment.” 
This, she says, is a significant mental 
health benefit because it gives power back 
to those with MS. “We’re so used to going 
to doctors and they make health decisions 
for us. But with something like yoga, we’re 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MINDY EISENBERG

Yoga for Everyone

Mindy Eisenberg makes yoga accessible 
for people with multiple sclerosis.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mindy Eisenberg

Participants practice the 
“Leg Up Wall” pose.
WOMEN’S HEALTH

continued on page 28

