By Rachel Zarrell

Before she became injured about five years ago, Shari Zakim said she used to take yoga classes. But it wasn’t until the Spiritual Life Center sponsored adaptive yoga Friday, geared toward people with physical disabilities, that Zakim had an opportunity to try it again.

Zakim, a junior sociology major, said she relies on a wheelchair for mobility and has limited movement in the lower half of her body. She said at first she was skeptical of doing yoga again, but it has helped her connect with her body.

“I mean, not being able to move your legs is kind of different,” Zakim said. “The one I did [before] was power yoga, so this yoga was a lot more relaxing. It was more like detox.”

Adaptive yoga, which can be done in a chair or on a mat, is specifically geared toward people in wheelchairs or people who have physical limitations, according to the Northeastern website.

Last week’s class was the first to be taught on campus, and was brought to the Spiritual Life Center as part of the fourth annual Spiritual Wellness Week, said Shelli Jankowski-Smith, the director of the center.

“I think sometimes we get so tied up in the body part of yoga that we don’t consider that not everybody may be able to engage in the regular yogic moves if they have some kind of physical limitations,” she said.

Last summer, Boston yoga teacher Diann Siegel came to Jankowski-Smith and told her she had been certified to teach adaptive yoga, and suggested it be taught at Northeastern, Jankowski-Smith said.

“I thought, this is a great way to bring yoga to a community of people who might not otherwise be able to experience it,” Jankowski-Smith said.

Siegel, who usually teaches Kripalu (spiritually focused) yoga, said she originally became certified to teach adaptive yoga in a program geared toward people with Multiple Sclerosis.

“I think people with physical challenges