Sitting in a circle, they begin with some lighter movements.
Moving their fingers, rubbing their hands together like they’re warming up at a campfire.
From there they move onwards to larger motions, but nothing strenuous or damaging.
What’s going on is called Chair Yoga, and it’s led by Frank Da Silveira.
Or as he insists, “just Frank.”
He said the goal is to focus on gentle exercises that involve a chair and a ball.
He hopes that by leading the class, which is open to all and run Wednesday mornings at the Snowflake Seniors Centre, he can ensure those who participate can continue to live independently as long as possible.
The guiding principle to his class is that each joint gets a gentle work out. It’s an effective activity against conditions such as arthritis.
Frank insists he’s not ‘leading’ the group in the traditional sense of the word, but rather just giving suggestions and letting people do the workout in ways comfortable to them.
It’s clear that he’s mainly having fun with the group as he softly explains each new exercise to the group.
Frank is 75 years old and he’s happy that he’s as active and independent as he is, and credits that to his philosophy of just moving as much as possible.
He says health, ultimately, is the most important thing to people.
More important than money or possessions.
“All these things, without health, means nothing.”