By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

As residents of Huntington Commons in Kennebunk settled into their chairs in the recreation room, yoga instructor Sue Bunis greeted them with a calm smile. 

“Namaste,” she said, invoking the traditional Hindi greeting for which the class returned.

Bunis, who volunteers her time teaching a yoga class for seniors, started practicing yoga on her own 15 years ago. When her mother, Lee Morse, a resident of Huntington Commons, expressed interest in learning yoga, Bunis spoke with the executive director to set up a program. 

Since January, Bunis has been leading a yoga class for the elderly residents at the assisted living senior community, whereas traditional yoga requires a floor mat, Bunis has learned to modify yoga positions, such as “warrior,” “ballerina” and “mountain posture,” so they all can be done in a chair or wheelchair, and has recently taking a training course to enhance her teaching abilities.

She said most participants face serious physical challenges that have developed with age, including arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, vertigo and residual effects from strokes, but they all enjoy modified yoga from a seated position. 

June Fraser, an eight-year resident of Huntington Commons, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 15 years ago and has been wheelchair-bound ever since. She said she joined the yoga group in March. 

“While it doesn’t help my Multiple Sclerosis, the yoga has helped me with fatigue,” Fraser said. “It is stress free, and I find the relaxation and meditation very helpful [in reducing fatigue].”

Georgie Fisher, 82, is a regular in the class and is the only participant who had previous experience with yoga. 

“My children were in high school in the 1960s, and after I sent them off to school I would tune into public television every morning for a yoga program,” Fisher said. “There were some things I couldn’t do in the beginning, but little by little I could do more. The only thing I never could do was the head stand.”

Bunis guided them through various yoga positions, encouraging calm breathing and emphasizing what stretches are helpful for certain aches and pains. As the group pressed their hands together in prayer position, Bunis instructed everyone to press their palms together and spread out their fingers. She said the pressure helps stretch out the joints and can relieve pain caused by arthritis. 

“Start in mountain posture, nice and strong. Hands come together in prayer position and then we raise our arms up to salute the sun, leaning back. Slowly bring arms forward into a bend, and coming back up lifting the right knee as much as you can, and now the left knee. Then we bring our arms back out, salute the sun again and return to prayer position,” Bunis said as she instructed the group through a series of positions called “sun salutation.” 

Halfway through the class, the group took a break from yoga to share their thoughts as part of a “positively speaking” session. 

“Sometimes it is good to leave the crowd, sit alone and rediscover your dreams,” Fraser said. “Sometimes it is good to put aside the have to’s and just do the want to’s.” 

Class could not go by without a quick discussion on actress Cloris Leachman’s latest appearance on “Dancing With the Stars.” Leachman, 82, recently appeared on the silver screen in “The Women,” and is now cutting up a rug on the ABC primetime show. Bunis said Leachman was not happy with her low scores and caused quite a stir on the show, but the yoga group was still impressed.

“She’s our age,” Morse said. “How many of us could get up there and do that?”

While most won’t be ballroom dancing anytime soon, the group will continue to attend Bunis’ yoga class has to offer. The class is only available to residents of Huntington Commons and begins promptly at 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday for the hour-long yoga session.