Yoga fans find flexibility, friends at the library

Published on May 11, 2026

Nancy Howard used to walk a lot before she developed arthritis in her feet, which now makes walking painful.

Now she enjoys chair yoga, a form of yoga that adapts traditional poses to be performed while seated in a chair. Through regular practice, participants often find it improves their flexibility, strength and reduces stress.

The Fort Worth Public Library offers chair yoga at five locations across the city.

“It’s not that hard. It’s not about what you can and cannot do, there’s parts of it everybody can do,” Howard said. “Any kind of movement is better than no movement.”

Howard said the Wednesday chair yoga sessions fit perfectly into her schedule. It has restored the habit of visiting the library on a regular basis.

“I’m not very good at keeping up with a routine at the house,” she said. “If I have to get up, get ready, get in the car and drive here at a specific time, I’ll do it.”

Gwin Grimes, the branch manager at Riverside, first offered chair yoga when she worked at the Golden Triangle Library. Now she leads two sessions per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

“I saw how much the students enjoyed it, so it seemed like a natural to bring it to Riverside,” Grimes said. “I’ve been practicing yoga for about 25 years, but was inspired to become an instructor to make yoga as accessible as possible for as many people as I could. The library is the perfect place to do that.”

Stretch goals

Grimes herself is a draw to the Riverside sessions.

“I started with Gwin with the very, very, very, very first class at Golden Triangle. I followed her here to Riverside,” said Laura Danner, who rarely misses a class.

Besides the physical benefits of chair yoga, Danner said the sessions provide a reason to leave the house and socialize with others. The classes being free is a bonus, too. “This is really good for the community,” she said.

Danner said she regularly visits several Fort Worth Public Library locations to experience various adult programs.

Ann Kollmorgen has also attended chair yoga at Riverside since the program started there.

“I was particularly interested when Gwin announced she had started this. It works for me,” Kollmorgen said. “I like the fact that I move and I don’t have to get up and do stuff.”

Her favorite part is the end: each session finishes with meditation. “It’s really what I come for mainly,” she said. “I’ll go through all the stuff you have to go through with the exercising.”

She said that afterward she feels like she’s done something worthwhile.

Take a seat

Micah Yarborough helped launch the library’s chair yoga program by leading a few early sessions when he worked at the Southwest Regional Library. He is now on Grimes’ team at Riverside.

“I just read about it and thought it might be a cool way to introduce some low-impact movement and exercise strategies in the minds of our public,” Yarborough said. “And shamelessly, for myself!”

Now he helps promote chair yoga and dares patrons to participate. Sessions might be stocked with regulars, but the group is supportive of newcomers.

“They’re so great, especially to each other,” Grimes said. “They’ve built a community around their yoga practice. It’s so inspiring.”