Overview
Our gentle style of yoga taught at the Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine is one that everyone can practice. It has been designed in such a way that anyone, no matter age, physical ability or experience level can participate and enjoy the many benefits that yoga offers. Absolutely no previous experience is required.
Each intimate-sized class allows individualized attention and allows the student to focus on the movement, and learning to quiet the mind. A chair is used as a prop to support the body. When the student is ready, floor poses are offered.
Judi Bar, Cleveland Clinic's Yoga Program Manager, developed this style of yoga while learning to deal with her own back problems. While specializing in chronic pain and disease, she learned that this style not only helped treat her patients but aided in preventing some of their physical challenges. She further developed this style of yoga for patients who found traditional yoga classes intimidating.
What are the Benefits of Yoga?
Yoga can make a big difference in your life by:
- Decreasing stress
- Reducing chronic pain
- Enhancing immune response
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving posture and body alignment
- Increasing muscle strength
- Providing a sense of joy and well-being
Community Yoga Classes
Whatever your age, physical ability or health, you can discover yoga’s powerful benefits. Our classes are an hour long and available for anyone in Northeast Ohio. Class options include Wellness Yoga levels 1 or 2, Traditional Yoga or Therapeutic Yoga.
Types of Yoga Classes Offered
All classes are an hour long and are available in Cuyahoga and Summit County:
- Wellness Yoga Level 1 (chair): This class will incorporate postures that are practiced while seated on a chair, or standing, using the chair as a prop. The instructor will be able to guide participants of all ability levels; this is a gentle class, focusing on deep breathing and simple movement for stress management.
- Wellness Yoga Level 2 (chair and mat): This class will incorporate postures that are practiced while seated on a chair, or standing, using the chair as a prop. The instructor will be able to guide participants of all ability levels and may be practiced as gently or strongly as the student prefers.
- Traditional Yoga (mat): This class will incorporate postures that are practiced on a mat, on the floor, and can be done from standing, seated, or lying down on the abdomen or back. While the instructor will be able to guide participants of all ability levels, this is primarily an intermediate-level class.
- Therapeutic Yoga (chair or mat, if needed): This class is specifically designed for participants that feel limited due to chronic illness, injury, or simply being physically out of shape. While mostly practiced from a chair, some poses are done from a standing position. A variety of props are made available to offer additional support. This class is very gentle and is instructed by experienced yoga therapists who specialize in offering simple movement and deep breathing.
- Private Therapeutic Yoga Classes: Develop a home yoga routine tailored to your health concerns or rehabilitation needs. Available for personalized practice and therapeutic needs. $75 per hour.
How Do I Sign Up for a Course?
Due to the challenges presented in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision to postpone our live yoga classes until further notice.
If you are interested in learning more about the different yoga classes we offer at Cleveland Clinic, please email our team at [email protected].
To stay up to date on our yoga program, you can also subscribe to the Cleveland Clinic Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine eNewsletter for the latest information on class schedules and more.
School of Yoga
200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
At Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga, modern medicine meets ancient wisdom. We believe yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, health, or physical fitness. Our training will provide you with a strong basis in traditional Hatha yoga techniques. In addition, you will learn the essence of Cleveland Clinic Wellness Yoga – that simple movements, done mindfully, can have a profound effect.
School of Yoga courses are led by Judi Bar, Lead Yoga Therapist and Yoga Program Manager at Cleveland Clinic. Guest instructors may include Cleveland Clinic physicians and other Cleveland Clinic Wellness professionals.
Curriculum content includes:
- Yoga techniques, training, practice
- Yoga philosophy, lifestyle and ethics
- Yoga teaching methodology
- Anatomy/physiology
- Meditation and pranayama
- Specialty physician talks
How Do I Sign Up?
Due to the challenges presented in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Yoga Teacher Training program until further notice. Cleveland Clinic is, first and foremost, a healthcare system, and we are committed to our organizational goals of prioritizing the delivery of first-class patient care and caregiver recognition. At this time, we must dedicate our resources to those needs.
We plan to restart the program when it can be delivered in the most impactful way, ensuring a comprehensive and hands-on learning experience for our students.
If you are interested in learning more about the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga, please email our team at [email protected] or call 216.448.8537.
To stay up to date on our yoga program, you can also subscribe to the Cleveland Clinic Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine eNewsletter for the latest information on class schedules and more.
Where Are School of Yoga Courses Offered?
All courses are taught virtually using Zoom or on-site at:
Cleveland Clinic Lyndhurst Campus
1950 Richmond Rd
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Free garage parking is available.
Our Team
Judi Bar, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
Lead Yoga Therapist and Yoga Program Manager – Center for Integrative Medicine
Judi is one of the first to hold such a position in the country with a major medical institution. She is certified through the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
After a personal struggle with chronic back pain and adapting yoga for her own self-recovery and care, Judi taught her style of yoga for chronic pain successfully in her own private practice for 15 years. She then was sought out by the Cleveland Clinic as an expert in yoga and chronic pain to co-write a curriculum for a chronic disease reversal program, Lifestyle 180. That comprehensive lifestyle medicine program laid the groundwork for some of the programs currently offered at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative Medicine.
Judi Bar specializes in using yoga to help treat patients with chronic pain and other chronic conditions as well as caregivers and families. Her unique yoga style is a heart-centered approach that is inclusive and accessible to everyone, even those not comfortable in a traditional yoga class for any reason. This style is also used in the Cleveland Clinic’s Caregiver [Employee] Wellness Programs.
She was part of a Cleveland Clinic team involved in a study exploring whether the practice of yoga, breath and meditation could support improved walking and balance of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Judi also developed a protocol for a patient-directed recovery, that is, a cost-effective and drug-free approach for patients after liver transplant and their caregivers. She was voted the Best Yoga Teacher in Cleveland in 2008. She presents nationally as a featured speaker at the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and Integrative Medicine and Women’s Health Conferences. Judi has been featured in Yoga Journal, the leading yoga magazine in the country, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and Yoga Therapy today and regularly on various local and national media outlets, both broadcast and print. She is on the team researching and creating further criteria for Yoga Therapy testing credentials and is on the advisory board for Yoga Therapy Today and yogatherapy.health.
Presently, she is the creator and Program Director for Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga, established in June 2015. Judi sits on the panel of experts for several blogs for social media and events for the Clinic. She has created two yoga DVDs, “Come As You Are Yoga” and “Come As You Are Yoga: in Nature” thus making yoga more readily available to all.
Paula Brown, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
Yoga Therapist, Faculty of Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga – Center for Integrative Medicine
Paula is a valued senior member of the Cleveland Clinic Yoga Therapy staff and is one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga. She is also certified through the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
With a background in psychology and years of research experience in the business world, Paula has a rich and varied background to support her role as a yoga therapist. Her interest in critical thinking and the motivations that drive individual decision-making processes provides her with a unique set of skills to work with patients and caregivers alike. She strongly believes a heart-centered approach in yoga therapy is critical for success.
Paula has had many roles as part of the Cleveland Clinic Yoga Therapy team. She has taught employee wellness and community yoga classes; trained students to become certified yoga teachers; demonstrated yoga as part of overall wellness programs for the community, businesses, and schools; developed protocol for yoga therapy pilot programs for inpatients, and; worked with patients and families in Cleveland Clinic hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Cleveland area.
In addition to utilizing yoga techniques for stress reduction, Paula has an interest in bringing yoga therapy to survivors of trauma/abuse and helping those experiencing anxiety and/or depression to find balance and a sense of peace. She is a firm believer that physical and mental health are inexorably linked. She believes wellness and personal growth through yoga translates into better understanding, connection, and esteem of self which, ultimately, results in a general sense of contentment and overall improved quality of life.
Johanna Goldfarb, MD
Yoga Specialist, Faculty of Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga – Center for Integrative Medicine
Johanna Goldfarb, MD, is Professor Emerita at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, a physician in clinical practice for over 40 years, she is now contract staff at the medical school. She is the course director for Microbiology for year one medical students, and Thread Leader in Infectious Disease.
She trained as a yoga instructor at the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga (CCSOY), YA-200, completing training in 2018. Since then, she has taught yoga anatomy at CCSOY. Other yoga experience includes teaching in the community at the JCC in Beachwood, and online virtually for a non-profit organization, NCJW Cleveland.
She joined the Wellness Institute in 2021 to teach yoga, to help develop wellness programs and to study the effect of yoga on health and wellbeing. This work is important to her, as she is passionate about wanting to share the benefits of a yoga practice for wellbeing, both for patients and the medical staff.
Sally Sherwin, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
Yoga Therapist, Faculty of Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga – Center for Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine
Sally Sherwin is on the Cleveland Clinic’s senior Yoga Therapy staff and is one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga. Her specialties include mindful movement for stress management and chronic pain, breath work and meditation, and heart-centered yoga. She believes in an affirming, accessible, fun, and compassionate practice that meets you where you are. Her teaching style blends traditional and modern forms of yoga that create connections in the body, breath, and mind to help build strength, flexibility, and focus as well as a greater sense of ease and peace.
Sally once had a patient tell her that the only time during the week they didn’t have pain was during yoga class. That says a lot about the benefits of a mind/body practice! She’s always been interested in a variety of relaxation techniques to de-stress and self-empower in creating optimum wellness. Her early training and career as a professional classical musician gave her plenty of opportunity to put those skills into real-life practice. Breathing and moving mindfully provide tremendous benefit to anyone experiencing stress and anxiety whether it’s on a stage, meeting a deadline, public speaking, or just busy day-to-day life.
At Cleveland Clinic, Sally works individually with patients to address specific health challenges, and in small group settings for chronic pain, digestive disease, improving eating habits and nutrition, cancer survivors, and brain wellness. She leads classes and workshops on Meditation and is certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction techniques.
Sally is an Usui Reiki Master and provides individual Reiki sessions at the Wellness Institute. She is also an accredited teacher of T’ai Chi Chih, which is a simple and accessible mindful moving practice based on the development and flow of essential energy.
Tyler Coy, RYT 200
While Tyler (he/him) has been practicing yoga for years, he is committed to lifelong learning and sharing his practice with others. After combatting anxiety and depression for years, regular yoga practice has helped him to be more mindful and enjoy the delicious gift of life. He is a RYT-200 yoga instructor and studied yoga at the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga where he completed training in 2019. He joined the Wellness Institute in 2021 to teach yoga beyond the studio and help develop programs to offer yoga to historically underserved communities.
Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in Medical Sociology and is a current graduate student studying Social Work and Public Policy. Also, a Clinical Research Specialist, he values evidence-based practice and translating human-centered research into practice. He is passionate about health equity and aspires to address the barriers to health and wellbeing.
Tyler embraces that yoga invites us to "come as we are." It not only gives us actionable tools to unite with our individual bodies, minds and souls, but also to be more aware and intentional about our actions to and with others.
Piper Tate, RYT 200
Piper, an RYT 200, completed her yoga teacher training in 2021 through Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga. She is also a certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach.
A career in the field of health and wellness had always been a lifelong dream for her that has finally come to fruition after retiring from a twenty-five-year career in law enforcement. All told, Piper has spent thirty-five years working in the fields of Community Service and Public Safety. She has a passion for connecting with people by what she identifies as The Three “E”s: Empathy, Encouragement and Empowerment. These, she says, are her “superpowers.”
Always possessing a natural love for exercise and movement, what drew Piper to yoga was the mind, body, life-force breath component, coupled with the beautiful philosophy of the practice. As she has grown with age and been witness to the many struggles of the world, she found herself seeking yoga to help relieve and release tension and stress in her body and to help calm and soothe her soul and spirit.
Joining the Wellness Institute in 2021, as a Yoga Instructor, offers Piper the perfect opportunity to share the Cleveland Clinic’s heart-centered style of Wellness Yoga; where you don’t need to know how to “DO” yoga, to do yoga.
She will also be assisting with the development and implementation of yoga programs offered to historically underserved populations within our communities and looks forward to practicing yoga with the experienced, as well as, the newcomer. Not only is yoga for everyone, yoga is for everybody.
We’ll journey together is her model.
Resources
Try a DVD
Judi Bar designed two instructional DVDs with yoga techniques to release muscle tension, improve posture and balance, and breathe deeply and de-stress. It's gentle and user-friendly is perfect for beginners or experienced yoga practitioners. A chair is used for standing and seated postures, no need to change clothes or get on the floor.
- Come As You Are: YOGA - Gentle Yoga Anyone Can Do Anywhere (Total Running Time 55 minutes)
- Come As You Are: NATURE - A Variety of Postures for Beginners and Intermediate Practitioners (Total Running Time 60 minutes)
Stop by one of our stores to purchase your copy or buy online.
Start Using Yoga at Home or Work
| Yoga on the Go | A printable handout with of 8 easy poses you can do while sitting or standing. Hold each post for at least 2 to 5 deep breaths to release tension and stress. |
| 12 Yoga Poses You Can Do Wherever You’re Working | Yoga is a great tool for lowering stress and relieving tension. Take a quick break from your chaotic work day and do these 12 yoga poses at your desk to get through your day. |
| Energizing Yoga Poses to Start Your Day Right | Yoga is a great way to stretch your body and get moving! Try these energizing yoga poses in the morning and get ready for the day ahead. |
| Think You Can’t Do Yoga? You Might Be Believing One of These 8 Yoga Myths | The benefits of yoga range from stress reduction to improved balance and better self-awareness — and nearly everyone can do it. A yoga therapist debunks common things people get wrong about yoga. |
| Can Yoga Make You Taller? | Wish you were a little bit taller? Find out whether or not yoga can actually help from a yoga therapist. |
