01 November 2006

Mathew Sanford, Yoga Instructor

Matthew Sanford and his son, Paul, enjoy a trip to the zoo. (© Jennifer R. Sanford)

By Phyllis McIntosh

Phyllis McIntosh is a Maryland-based writer who frequently contributes to Department of State publications.

At age 13, Matthew Sanford’s life changed in an instant, when a horrendous car accident killed his father and sister and left him paralyzed from the chest down. After 12 years of regarding two-thirds of his body as an object, living as he says “like a head on a stick,” he desperately wanted to get in touch with his whole body.

Sanford turned to yoga and discovered that its poses and postures gave him a renewed sense of energy, a “buzz” or “hum” throughout his body. In 1998, he began adapting yoga movements for people with a range of disabilities, including paralysis, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. At the same time, he realized that his unique perspective was a valuable asset for teaching able-bodied students as well. “Living vibrantly through one’s whole body, whether paralyzed or not, is a powerful part of living,” he says.

Sanford went on to found Mind Body Solutions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the mind-body connection in everyday life. Today, he offers a range of yoga classes through his studio, presents workshops and seminars for corporations and health care and community organizations, and continues to teach adaptive yoga at the Courage Center, a leading rehabilitation facility in Minnesota, where he lives.

Through programs called “Bringing Your Body to Work” and “Yoga at the Desk,” he teaches employees how to use yoga to boost energy, reduce stress, and improve their mental outlook.

A husband and father of a six-year-old son, Sanford also has found time to write a book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, which chronicles his experiences and explores the importance of the mind-body relationship.

He sums up his philosophy this way: “Connecting mind and body is not just a health strategy. It is a movement of consciousness that can change the world.”