Adaptive yoga is changing lives—and Rodrigo Souza is leading the movement. After becoming paralyzed from the chest down due to a spinal cord injury, Rodrigo used yoga to recover, heal, and reclaim his life. Today, he teaches yoga in a wheelchair and trains other yoga teachers to do the same through his powerful adaptive yoga certification.

​In this episode of The Yogalebrity Podcast, Rodrigo shares how wheelchair yoga helped him manage PTSD, chronic pain, and emotional trauma—and how it can support others living with disabilities.

Adaptive yoga is a style of yoga that modifies traditional poses to suit people of all abilities, including those with physical disabilities. Whether someone is recovering from an injury, living with paralysis, or managing chronic pain, adaptive yoga makes the practice accessible, safe, and empowering.

For Rodrigo, wheel chair yoga began with one simple stretch during rehab. That stretch led to deeper practices, which ultimately transformed not just his body—but his entire life.

Rodrigo never planned to become a yoga teacher. But when a group of newly injured students asked him to share the practices that helped him heal, he said yes—and something clicked. That first class, filled with collective grief and transformation, changed everything. Rodrigo realized he had something powerful to offer: wheelchair yoga poses based on lived experience.

Rodrigo now offers a 10-hour adaptive yoga certification through the Accessible Yoga School. The course trains yoga teachers to:

Teach adaptive and wheelchair yoga poses

Use inclusive language and trauma-informed practices

Serve marginalized communities with compassion and skill

👉 If you’d like to work with Rodrigo or become certified in adaptive yoga, visit:

https://www.accessibleyogaschool.com/trial

Yoga shouldn’t be limited to the able-bodied. Rodrigo’s work reminds us that healing, connection, and empowerment are for everyone. Through adaptive yoga, he's helping people return to their bodies, manage pain without overmedication, and find peace in the present moment—no matter their physical condition.
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​Listen to the full interview on the Yogalebrity Podcast to hear Rodrigo’s incredible story—and learn how you can become part of the movement bringing adaptive yoga to the people who need it most.