By Jacob Courteny

Photos By : Liesa Hackett

One can feel sore by just looking at the scene . The low perspiration and holding positions of elderly exercisers . Chairs being used as props to help with balance . The calm tones of an instructor who reinforces progress with each word from the stage .

He will tell the crowd in an upbeat manner how each exercise will help their balance , prevent falling or the importance of not going too far with a stretch . Some wobble or smile at themselves while trying to reach to their limit .

Instructor Jim McDermott and organizer Liesa Hackett founded Yoga for Seniors last February at the

H . E . A . R . T . S . Veterans Museum . They celebrated its one-year anniversary this month in the First United Methodist Church Community Center growing from six members to about 80 .

“ I only do this because I feel so blessed and I ’ m grateful for the opportunity ,” Hackett said . “ But were it not for Jim and First United Methodist Church , this wouldn ’ t be happening .”

Hackett is a retired United States Army criminal investigator who had not thought much of the exercise yoga provided when her son tried to sell it to her during her 40s . Since retirement , she had been on the board of the H . E . A . R . T . S . Veterans

Museum and on the local Honor Guard .

Honor Guard was where she met Jim McDermott a retired Air Force pilot who flew missions in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s . He earned the 200 hours necessary for a yoga license in 2020 through the VETOGA program . McDermott was in his 70s and realized that there was a niche to fill in his community .

“ When I took the course , most everybody else was in their 20s and 30s ,” said McDermott . “ My purpose is to teach chair yoga to seniors .”

Chair yoga is about as simple as it sounds – using a chair to help with balance and maintaining long stretches found in a typical yoga

class . McDermott brought the idea to Hackett who said she was willing to give the idea a trial run of three months in the H . E . A . R . T . S . museum conference room .

“ We were just talking one day , he had gone through the class , and he asked me if he could do it at the museum here and I said yes ,” Hackett said . “ I don ’ t know why I said it because I hated it .”

Hackett would soon change her mind . The original six who attended the first class said they loved the way it was taught , telling friends to come to the next meeting . Soon they had to host class in the hallways . Hackett moved the group to the storm shelter when it became available . Their