SCI Superstar: Mary-Jo Fetterly

“If you can breath, you can do yoga.” This is one of the awesome quotes Mary-Jo Fetterly likes to share when she’s teaching yoga. A yoga teacher for over 20 years and an adaptive yoga teach for nearly 10, Mary-Jo, of Vancouver, Canada, came upon the world of spinal cord injuries from a skiing accident 10 years ago.

Since her accident, she’s decided to look at her injury as a project in healing, something her background in natural therapeutics could potentially heal. Initially a C4-6 ASI A complete spinal cord injury, Mary-Jo’s techniques have helped her regain use of her arms and even her hands, when doctors were sure it was impossible. Read on for her incredible story.

Why She’s Fearless

Mary-Jo was raised by one of the first yoga teachers in North America. Naturally, she started doing yoga at a young age. When she grew up, she had two daughters and went on to become a lauded vegetarian chef and yoga teacher. But in 2004 when she was 46 years old, Mary-Jo was in a skiing accident, and completely severed her spinal cord.

At first, like we all do, she thought her life was over. With two teenage daughters, Mary-Jo wasn’t sure what was ahead, but she quickly learned yoga techniques could help her through this tough period, realizing right away she didn’t have to stop doing one of the things she loved the most. “Movement is life,” she says.

Even after the moment she was injured, Mary-Jo used pranayama to strengthen her breathing while waiting for medical personnel to arrive. Once she came home, in addition to PT she made sure she was very consistent with her stretching, listening to her body too.

She also used a combination of physiotherapy, acupuncture, Ayurveda medicine, hydro therapy and forgoing traditional medicine as part of her at-home therapy program, in addition to traditional outpatient PT and participating in activity-based restorative therapy, like going on the walking treadmill Locomat whenever possible.

Mary-Jo was so impressed with her body, she wanted to share it with the world. In comes Trinity Yoga, her yoga studio that teaches both able-bodied and disabled students. Her yoga studio has certified hundreds of teachers across Canada. Mary-Jo also works part time as a therapist and a dynamic facilitator.

What’s Next?

Mary-Jo has blazed an amazing path in the adaptive yoga world. She has a video channel where she shares her at-home adapted yoga techniques, showing the world adapted yoga can be done anywhere, as long as you have a willing set of hands to help.

Mary-Jo has become an expert training PCAs how to help with her at-home yoga program, which is one of the best things she shares in her videos. Knowing how important daily stretching is, her “at-home” yoga tips for wheelchair-users can’t be beat.

If you’re interested in learning yoga from Mary-Jo, she teaches adaptive yoga in Vancouver. When she’s not doing yoga, Mary-Jo is either hanging with her daughters, her beloved dogs or horseback riding or swimming. Showing the world her injury hasn’t stopped her one bit is something she lives for, and she does it fabulously.

– Her site: Mary-Jo

– Follow her on Facebook: Mary-Jo

– Her adaptive yoga studio: Trinity Yoga