Adaptive & Yin Yoga trainings elevate inclusive practice at PC Yoga Collective

PC Yoga Collective instructor Abigail Atkinson. Photo: PC Yoga Collective

PARK CITY, Utah — Abigail Atkinson traces her life’s second act to a medical emergency in the middle of a lunch‑hour yoga class on Jan. 25, 2012.

“I had a stroke, actually right in the middle of teaching a yoga class,” she said of the cerebellar event that sidelined her for months. “My yoga practice became the key foundational tool for my physical, emotional, and mental recovery.”

After a month in the hospital and a year on disability, she traded her corporate job for a mission: making yoga accessible to people of all abilities. Today, she helms two specialized teacher-training tracks at PC Yoga Collective — one in adaptive yoga and the other in yin and restorative practices.

Plugging a gap in teacher education

Standard 200‑ and 300‑hour certifications, Atkinson said, “don’t teach you how to adapt yoga postures … for people who live in a wheelchair or use a walker or cane.” She studied with adaptive yoga pioneer Matthew Sanford and completed biomechanics coursework to refine walking stability techniques.

“There’s a big hole in the yoga community for people with different abilities,” she said, noting that more than 12 percent of Americans identify as having a disability. “That number is growing.”

Atkinson’s 20‑hour Adaptive Yoga Teacher Training — the only program of its kind in Utah — returns Oct. 3‑5 and pairs classroom work with hands‑on practice alongside volunteer students who live with disabilities.

“You learn how to adapt a class to any body, any ability — even inversions,” she said. “But the most important aspect is creating a space safe enough for people to feel comfortable exploring what it’s like to live whole in their body, even if it works differently.”

Yin, restorative and the right to rest

Stroke recovery also reshaped Atkinson’s pace. “I led a classic busy American life,” she said. “Slowing down saved me.”

She now co‑leads the studio’s Yin and Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, another 20‑hour module woven into the 300‑hour curriculum. “These are slow practices, in yin we hold postures three to five minutes; in restorative, we’re in a held, supported shape for 10 to 15,” she said. “Rest is your birthright. You show up for life better when you allow yourself permission to rest.”

A studio that says “come as you are”

PC Yoga Collective operates heated and non‑heated rooms with classes ranging from vigorous vinyasa to gentle yin.

“If somebody with a disability shows up at your yoga studio, it means you’ve created a welcoming, inclusive space,” Atkinson said, recalling a recent training weekend when an amputee joined class and teachers immediately applied adaptive techniques.

Life off the mat

Born in Idaho and raised in Utah’s Carbon and Salt Lake counties, Atkinson now lives in Orem and drives to Park City for trainings. Hiking has become essential; she and her youngest son have visited 14 national parks to date.

“I know what it’s like to lose the ability to walk, and I will never take it for granted again,” she said. “I want to walk all over the face of the planet.”

Atkinson teaches studio classes in Utah County and leads a free adaptive‑yoga session every Thursday at 4 p.m. Mountain Time via Wasatch Adaptive Sports. Learn more about Abigail here.

“Whether you use a wheelchair or you’re a teacher curious about adaptive work, you’re welcome,” she said. “Come as you are. You deserve a seat at the yoga table no matter what body you’re in.”

If You Go

• Adaptive Yoga Teacher Training (20 hours)

  • When: Oct. 3‑5

  • Where: PC Yoga Collective, 1154 Center Dr D210, Park City, UT 84098.

  • Register: pcyogacollective.com

• Yin & Restorative Yoga Teacher Training (20 hours)

  • Dates announced during studio’s 300‑hour program

  • Details: pcyogacollective.com

• Free Weekly Adaptive Class — Thursdays, 4 p.m. MT, via Zoom (Wasatch Adaptive Sports)