Article submitted by Kate Casey, Owner, Cats on Mats Yoga, LLC
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before:
- “Yoga would be so good for you.”
- “You should really try yoga sometime.”
- “I always feel so much better after my yoga class.”
But for some of us, trying something new—especially physical movement like yoga—can be quite intimidating. There anxiety about whether you’ll fit in at (or even find!) a local yoga studio. Then, there’s the struggle of trying to understand what the instructor is asking you to do (god forbid the class is taught in sanskrit, a dead language). Not to mention worrying about whether the instructor is adequately trained to keep you safe. Plus, on top of all this, you also have to figure out what style of yoga is right for you (there are different kinds?!!).
We’ve all seen images as we scroll on our phones of thin, young people wearing tight clothes doing seemingly impossible acrobatics and contortions. While these images can be inspiring (or terrifying depending on your perspective), I’ll let you in on a little secret—It’s likely that those folks with their knees behind their heads (and noses way too close to their own butts) posting photos of themselves on the internet are likely not really doing yoga.
Yoga is not about looking cool to others nor is it about abusing your body to the point of pain in order to get into an arbitrary shape that someone randomly decided is now the latest trend. The true heart of yoga—REAL yoga—is a longstanding tradition going back thousands of years. The original yoga pose is simply a comfortable seat, in which the practitioner observes their breath. That’s it! That’s yoga! If you have a body and you’re still breathing, you can do yoga.
For many years, people have known me at Manitowoc Public Library as the “cat yoga” person. And while “Cats on Mats” will always be dear to my heart, my real passion is bringing the calming, contemplative practice of yoga to people who have never tried it before. I like to say that I specialize in ‘beginners,’ but really all yoga practitioners are beginners. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done a pose 1 time or 10,000 times. Each visit in that pose is a new experience, one to explore and observe with rapt excitement. What new thing will you learn about your body, your breath, yourself today?
New to my roster of classes this year is Chair Yoga with two classes held on April 8 and September 23, both at 6 PM, in the Balkansky Community Room. Chair yoga is designed to be even more accessible than any other type of yoga class. Oftentimes, I hear from hesitant students that, “Oh, if you put me on the ground, I won’t be able to get back up.” The great news is that with chair yoga, that fear and hesitation can be eliminated.
With an emphasis on seated movement, those with chronic pain, weakness, limb differences, or balance concerns can let all that fall by the wayside and enjoy a yoga practice that is inclusive of ALL people and ALL levels of mobility. Chairs will be provided and you don’t even need to invest in an expensive yoga mat. Simply bring yourself and a blanket or towel that you can fold as a cushion for your seat. That’s it.
Actually, there are two more things that I need to mention. First, this is an Adults-Only class, which means that you must be 18-years old or older to attend. The second as that class size is limited and registration is required. Register beginning at 9 AM on Wednesday, March 25 at 9 AM (for the April 8 session) at www.manitowoclibrary.org/event/chair-yoga.
Now you can be ready to attend a yoga class confidently! You know where the class will be held (Manitowoc Public Library). Class will be taught in English and every movement will be demonstrated right in the room with you. You can trust that my level of training (RYT-500) and experience (teaching for 10+ years) will keep you safe and that class has been designed specifically with you in mind. What are you waiting for? Pull up a chair, take a seat, and join me in feeling more present, calm, and at-home in your body.
