There have been yoga classes I attended that left me feeling as if the instructor, when not on her yoga matt, performed with Cirque Du Soleil. And, yes, I know yoga is not about comparing my body’s ability to stretch and twist to those around me, but there have been times I’ve been in a yoga class and felt as if I just didn’t belong. As if I wasn’t “good” enough to keep up with the fast-paced poses that sometimes worried me because I felt for sure I might get hurt as I attempted to wind my body into pretzel shapes. And I did get hurt. I learned my own hard lesson some years ago, when I tore the meniscus in both knees in yoga classes while trying to be “good” enough.
At the Yoga for Adults classes at Dance Fusion I’m reminded to honor my body and pay attention to its strength and, yes, some of its limitations. I’m not a circus performer. I never was. And the yoga teachers don’t expect me to be.
The dance studio two’s experienced yoga instructors, JoAnn Augor and Kate Malloy, teach classes that are welcoming to all levels of yoginis. That’s a fancy word for people who like to find flexibility through a variety of poses with names like tree, and warrior and pigeon. Don’t worry. JoAnn and Kate will teach you all the poses in a kind and patient manner. The studio yoga classes are not about exclusion but rather inclusion.
Now don’t get me wrong. Both JoAnn and Kate challenge students. I’ve been taking yoga now for more than thirty years and I didn’t leave their classes feeling bored. Instead, I felt stretched and refreshed. So, don’t assume there is only going to be snoozing on the matt to pretty music. Nope. Both JoAnn and Kate lead students through a variety of poses, but safely and with respect for each person’s limitations and strengths. And that’s what good yoga should be about. Caring for oneself.
Modifications are provided, sometimes knees need extra padding, or a shoulder needs to be treated with care. And, there’s encouragement to move or stretch just a little bit beyond what a student might believe is possible.
The resumes of both JoAnn and Kate are impressive and listed on the Dance Fusion web site. JoAnn is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor who continues to take courses to expand her body knowledge. In addition, she is a talented artist whose work has graced the walls of the Dance Fusion Studio.
Kate is a certified yoga teacher as well, of course, and has two hundred hours in Yoga Therapy Training. What a wealth of knowledge in body understanding.
Both women are interested in providing approachable yoga for all body shapes, sizes and levels of abilities. The Adult Yoga at Dance Fusion is not about competition, but more about a community.
