When Paul Berkey first walked into a Yoga Moves Any Body class in early 2024, it wasn’t with grace or athleticism; it was with uncertainty and low expectations. Multiple sclerosis symptoms had left him physically unable to work, so his doctor suggested adaptive yoga to improve mobility.
“I kind of laughed,” Berkey says. “I mean, I’m a big guy. Me? Yoga?”
But with encouragement from his wife, he tried a class and found more than exercise. He found community.
“I really enjoy it. Now, I look forward to class,” he says. The camaraderie and shared experience lifted his spirit as much as his body.
That sense of connection is exactly what Mindy Eisenberg of Franklin envisioned when she founded Yoga Moves MS (now Yoga Moves Any Body) more than two decades ago. Her mission, rooted in personal experience, evolved through years of adaptive teaching and was strengthened by a philosophy that “every body can do yoga.”
Growing up, Eisenberg watched her mother live with progressive multiple sclerosis. At the time, conventional wisdom told patients to avoid exertion, since it was believed movement would make it worse. The lack of effective therapies and the emotional isolation her mother endured left a deep impression.
After earning a master’s in health services administration and working in health care administration, Eisenberg found yoga, not as a cure but as a profound catalyst for healing.
While practicing more traditional styles like hot yoga, she became fascinated by the way that mindful movement could support people’s physical and emotional well-being.
One day, a simple request from a friend sparked something bigger: teaching yoga to a local MS support group. That initial class eventually grew to become Yoga Moves Any Body, a nonprofit dedicated to adaptive yoga for people with MS, Parkinson’s, and other neuromuscular conditions throughout southeast Michigan.
Unlike mainstream yoga classes that assume a certain level of flexibility and balance, Yoga Moves Any Body is built around accessibility and individual needs. Classes are small and include multiple instructors offering hands-on assistance to ensure that participants can explore movement safely and at their own pace.
Over the past 20 years, Eisenberg’s model has helped more than 70 students a week in small-group classes across metro Detroit. She has expanded into new areas like Parkinson’s yoga and digital, on-demand adaptive sessions.
Eisenberg notes that students form bonds outside of class, check on each other, and become advocates for their own wellness. That impact resonates with health professionals as well. Dr. Martin Belkin, a neurologist at the MIND Multiple Sclerosis Center, notes that yoga can reduce fatigue and improve mood, balance, and overall quality of life for people with MS.
When Berkey reflects on his journey from skeptic to devoted participant, he urges others to take that first step.
“You’re not going to be embarrassed,” he says. “People are going to be super nice. … Take that step and try it.”
And that’s exactly what Eisenberg hopes more people do, one mindful breath, one intentional movement, and one supportive community at a time.
Yoga Moves Any Body’s classes are available live online, on demand (online videos), or at one of several group locations in Grosse Pointe, Franklin, Livonia, Troy, and Farmington. Find a full class schedule at yogamovesanybody.org.
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