Megan Sicheri puts a few twists into her yoga classes, figuratively anyway.  Introduced last summer, the Yoga and Mindfulness series was so popular that it continues in 2023 as part of a lineup of healthy living programs that AARP Pennsylvania offers to keep people over 50 moving. The yoga classes are designed to be equally suitable for people with disabilities and those without.

Pittsburgh is a city of many delights, but accessible spaces and activities for kids who have mobility impairments are true treasures for kids and their families.

Marissa is an experienced literary and special education teacher, and the Founding Director of Open Up Pgh, an organization that provides inclusive classes for people of all ages in both yoga and improv in the Pittsburgh region. They specialize in teaching movement and mindfulness practice that center people living with disabilities.

“It’s been impactful to me because I wasn’t coming from a space of working in the disabled community, but I recognized the commonality we all have. I learned to really understand that accessibility for all is not something that we as a society focus on intentionally at all. For me, it’s taken that veil off my eyes. It’s been exciting to do this work and support the community. It’s work that’s not work.”

The nonprofit Open Up, which is moving into a new studio at 3711 Butler St. in Lawrenceville, is reaching out to expand access to yoga, mindfulness and movement programs, and even improv classes.

#LetsMakeASEEN is an occasional piece for the SEEN column that highlights small organizations in Pittsburgh making a big impact.

As the body positivity movement grows in Pittsburgh, people are looking for more inclusive alternatives to the often toxic culture familiar to the fitness scene. This is one of the reasons why Marissa Vogel turned her attention away from running her vintage lingerie shop Calligramme to focus on her other venture, Open Up, a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering those with disabilities through yoga and theater games like improv.