When Audrey Stefenson, a resilience educator and therapist who works at The Women's Initiative, gave a virtual presentation through our At Home with JABA program about the mindfulness and self-care classes she facilitates, Crystal Donovan, the director of the At Home with JABA program, recognized an opportunity. So did TWI's program director Laura Snyder Brown.

"I noticed that most of their programs were after work or target a younger crowd," said Donovan, “so I told them we’d love to have some programming that would focus on older adults, and that we could provide the participants."

"As Audrey and I were brainstorming how to reach more participants through her Resilience Program offerings, we reached back out to Crystal, who said that virtual chair yoga would be of interest to folks," says Snyder Brown. "So, we added chair yoga to our quarterly line-up of Resilience Programs on the day and time that would be convenient for JABA senior center staff and members."

While JABA's community senior center members and At Home with JABA participants will sign up as a group for the chair yoga sessions, Snyder Brown points out that these sessions will also be available to anyone who registers.

"The goals for our Resilience Programs overall are to provide opportunities for people to connect with one another, learn new skills for self-care, and develop resilience practices," says Snyder Brown.

Those are goals that align with the mission of the At Home with JABA program, which is to provide seniors a virtual way to connect with each other and the community, develop new skills, and prevent feelings of isolation.

"We are very excited about this programming," says Donovan.

"If there is a lot of interest and participation in chair yoga, we’d love to offer it in conjunction with JABA in future quarters," says Snyder Brown.

Virtual chair yoga sessions are on Mondays, 11–11:45 am, on April 3, April 17, May 1, May 15, June 5, and June 26. Click here to register.

About At Home with JABA

Last year, At Home with JABA won an Aging Innovations and Achievement Award from USAging, the national organization representing and supporting Area Agencies on Aging across the country. "Programs can be accessed via telephone or internet and are designed to include relevant education and activities catered to a wide range of backgrounds, identities, religions and cultural practices," read the award citation. " At Home with JABA participants, including CSC members, home-delivered meals clients and other older adults in the community, are connected to meals and receive referrals to JABA departments, community partners such as Social Services and the Food Bank, and local health practitioners. As a result, overall community health is positively impacted."

About the Women's Initiative

The Women’s Initiative provides vital mental health services regardless of ability to pay. Their counseling, social support and education programs serve more than 2,500 women annually. Their therapeutic support groups and social support opportunities offer safe, welcoming group environments. And their Education and Outreach program aims to provide evidence-based mental health and wellness skills to the community, decrease stigma around mental health issues, and increase access to care.

About Audrey Stefenson

Audrey (she/her) received her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from West Virginia University where she also worked with the Office of Wellness & Health Promotion as Coordinator of Stress Management and Mind-Body Programming. For over a decade, she has been serving in a range of capacities dedicated to community well-being and mental health, and since completing her yoga teacher certification in 2016 has also been facilitating yoga and mindfulness programs in a variety of settings. In her clinical work, Audrey utilizes trauma-informed, mindfulness-based approaches with a focus on Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. In her approach to community resilience and education work, she is passionate about bringing self-care alive through experiential practices and honoring each person's unique background, response to stress, and needs. Whether providing therapy or facilitating a class, Audrey believes in the power of compassionate presence — towards our internal and external worlds — to foster connection, safety, healing, and growth. She loves to play outside in her free time and has a special interest in exploring different avenues of nature connection.