Reviews

The Chair Yoga session was a refreshing break in our workday- accessible and energizing. It offered a moment to reset both physically and mentally, and our team really appreciated the positive impact. Highly recommended for any workplace!

We had the pleasure of working with Chair Yoga Ireland in May, when Hazel hosted two fantastic online sessions for our colleagues at Certa Ireland. Hazel was an absolute delight to deal with from start to finish – professional, friendly, and accommodating, which made organising the sessions so easy.

The classes themselves were engaging, accessible, and really well received by our team. With colleagues based all across Ireland, it was brilliant to have a virtual option that allowed everyone to join in together, no matter where they were located.

We would highly recommend Hazel and Chair Yoga Ireland to any business looking for a fun, inclusive, and energising wellbeing activity for their teams.

It is with great pleasure that I write this reference for Hazel.

Hazel is an outstanding instructor. I have attended a couple of her classes on Zoom and found that it was hassle-free to get online. Hazel will let the clients know well in advance of when the next meeting is and supplies all of them with the necessary details in good time. She is ready and available to help all of the clients if necessary and looks for feedback from them in order to ensure that she is meeting everyone’s needs if possible.

Hazel is also a very friendly woman and makes everyone feel welcome and relaxed. She is an asset to any and all who avail of her skills and expertise in chair yoga and we hope that she will be able to continue with us well into the future. I not only speak for myself as Manager of the centre but also for all the carers who attend her class.

Hazel is an excellent yoga teacher who creates a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. She is approachable and puts people at ease straight away, which is especially important when working with adults with intellectual disabilities. She demonstrates adaptability in her teaching, adjusting poses and routines to meet the different abilities and comfort levels within the group.

Her responsiveness to individuals’ needs ensures that everyone feels included, respected, and successful in participating at their own pace. The combination of patience, encouragement, and clear guidance makes her sessions both engaging and accessible. She has a natural ability to balance structure with flexibility, making yoga a positive and meaningful experience for all.

She demonstrates great empathy in her practice which helps to provide clear, individualised approaches. Her genuine passion and approach comes across in her success in building relationships in an inclusive and engaging environment.

I have worked with Hazel of Chair Yoga Ireland since January 2021, when we first contracted her to provide a 12-week online course of chair yoga for members of our Online Family Carer Support Group. Due to the amazing feedback from our members, we have continued with Hazel, and are just starting our 4^th run of the 12-week course. I have found Hazel to be a pleasure to work with, she is extremely professional but also warm and friendly. She genuinely cares about the members of her class and our members really enjoy taking part each week. I would have no hesitation in recommending Chair Yoga Ireland and look forward to working with Hazel in the future.

Hazel facilitated a 6 week yoga session on Zoom with a group of young people.

Hazel was very accommodating towards the young people’s needs and goals and strived to make the yoga sessions as beneficial as possible. Hazel ensured she always listened to the young people’s requests and altered her sessions based on their feedback. I found the sessions to be very relaxing and uplifting, this was even achievable through using online platforms like Zoom. The chair yoga was very interesting because I learned many techniques I can use when working at my desk or have limited use of space. Hazel has a very calming tone to her voice. I loved how she included different mantras and themes in her sessions as we all came away with a positive message at the end.

We thoroughly enjoyed her chair yoga sessions and I hope to work with her again in the near future.

I’ve been attending classes with Hazel for several years now.

Before joining, I had no idea what Chair Yoga was until the Carers Association sponsored an online course. Since then, I’ve joined both face-to-face sessions and Zoom classes — and each one has been a joy.

Hazel explains every practice clearly and thoughtfully, in a way that is both instructive and deeply relaxing. After each session, I feel I’ve gently used every part of my body while becoming more connected to the world around me — and more grateful to my body for all it does every day.

It’s impossible to recommend Hazel highly enough. Her practices are suitable for all ages and abilities, and her warmth and care shine through in every class.

Thank you, Hazel, for all that you give.

I participated in the Chair Yoga Sessions that Hazel organised and delivered on Zoom for a group of Family Carers Members which started in the autumn of 2020.

Hazel delivered the sessions with great thoughtfulness and kindness and went out of her way to do so at a pace that suited everyone.  The exercises she taught us were very suited to our ability and along the way she made a point of frequently checking on our comfort as we tried the movements and advised any of us who experienced any discomfort in limbs or muscles to sit out those exercises for a few minutes. She introduced new movements very gradually.  She always gave very clear demonstrations of each of the movements so that we had no difficulty following her example. She talked us through each step required for each movement and explained how this would help our body. She also included some minutes of relaxation at the end of each session, which was greatly appreciated.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hazel’s Chair Yoga on Zoom and looked forward to it from week to week. During the lockdown, it was the highlight of my week, and an added bonus was that we could have a little social chat with Hazel and the other participants before and after the sessions, which meant we didn’t feel so isolated and that meant a lot to the group.

I am really enjoying Chair Yoga, I look forward to it every week. Hazel has a lovely way of setting up classes with a different theme every week which I can refer back to when feeling anxious to bring me back to the present. When I practice this it works for me.

It is wonderful to be able to connect with the group. I miss our coffee mornings in the Carer’s Centre since the pandemic started. It looks like we won’t be able to meet up for a long time to come.

Thank you to all involved in making this possible for us.

I wish to let you know how important the weekly Chair Yoga classes are to my 82-year-old mother and to myself also as her carer.  Having been diagnosed with Dementia there is not a lot my mother does on her own accord but once I have set it up she participated in the exercise class. Hazel is a great host and provides a friendly and happy setting for those attending.  It’s the one hour in the week that my mother has something planned for her and we would love to see it continue.

My Husband Joe has advanced Alzheimer’s. As I have no relations living in the southeast of Ireland I look after my husband 24-7. He has a carer a total of 3 hours weekly, so I have very little time for myself. I look forward to the Wednesday Chair Yoga with you. I hope that the Yoga classes will continue in the future. It is a great bit of diversion from the challenge of caring for my husband. Thank you so much for the past classes.

Hello, I have just completed another course with Hazel. I am really finding these classes very helpful during the lockdown. It’s nice to have the hour just for me to relax and let go and put everything else to the side. The breathing techniques that Hazel shows us are great. I find myself using them throughout my days. When things get rushed or on top of me, I think of our class and take some deep breaths, in for 4…out for 5 and I relax and slow down. Hazel has such a warm voice, it is easy to listen to her. The stretches that Hazel shows us I find are great for me. Its just the little things that I forget to do for my body, as my day is always a rush. If we could have more classes I would be really interested. Thank you very much.

My name is Mary Finnegan.  I am a 73-year-old woman caring for my husband full time who has M.S. and C.O.P.D.  I also have C.O.P.D.

I started attending these virtual yoga classes in October 2020.  I found these classes beneficial for a number of reasons which I will outline.  I found them beneficial for both my physical and mental health over the last few months.  Firstly I would not be that active a person before covid as in I am not a walker or I don’t attend any gym.  This virtual yoga has allowed me time to work on my physical health.  I do feel stronger from doing the classes.  I also feel like I can now start walking or taking up more exercise from this class.  Emotionally and mentally this class has really benefited me especially as this is a time where I can not go anywhere or meet anyone.  This class has given my Wednesday a bit of structure.  It has allowed me time where I don’t think of anything else but be in the moment.  It has allowed me to see and talk to other people like myself.  It has really allowed me to reset every week and it is something I look forward to.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Hi Hazel, thank you for your lovely Class last Week. I have been doing the beautiful Flower Hands Movement and showing my Grandchildren how to do it. I would be delighted to share how much I have really enjoyed the classes and it is great news that I will have you and the Class “Visit me each week” through our online class. I look forward to it so much, and as you were the first person to guide me onto Zoom, I have gone on to do a few things on Zoom I wouldn’t have had the courage to do. My latest adventure is Online Dancing. Our second class was last week and some of the students were complaining of painful ankles. I’m sure I would have been the same but because of my Exercises with you, I didn’t have a problem. My feet are very flexible thanks to your Guidance. Your advice about Breathing is so good, whenever things are getting me down a bit, I remember to slow down and “Breath”. It’s Marvelous that we can look forward to more classes with you. God Bless you and I am looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

My name is Ger Reilly and I’m a family carer (I have two lads with special needs). I have been doing chair yoga with the beautiful, kind, serene, Hazel for the past few weeks and I just wanted to drop you a line to say how much I have enjoyed it. That one hour a week is something I look forward to so much and I live off the benefits of it for days after. Hazel is a wonderful instructor,  full of love and gentleness and really seems to understand why we’re all there. So I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to you for organising the class and also I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there may be more of the same at a future date!

If you are wondering whether Chair Yoga might be the way to achieve a sense of calm, improved mobility and flexibility, easier breathing, and an overall improvement to your health, I would strongly recommend Hazel’s online courses. I have completed three terms and found her to be an excellent, friendly and calm teacher, whose classes are most enjoyable and beneficial