Sundre teens are being offered free yoga classes this fall as long as they do something good for someone else in the community.
The Healing Hand Wellness & Yoga Studio in Sundre will be offering a weekly program called Karma Yoga in September for teenagers aged 13-15.
“So they do the yoga and then it's like a pay it forward so they have to do something for the community or for their family,” said Brenda Cox, registered massage therapist and doula at the studio. “It's free but they have to do something good and they have to keep track of it in their journal.”
The studio hosted a session from April to June before school was out to see how it would go over and it was really popular.
“It's teaching the kids to have responsibility and to care for somebody other than themselves,” she said.
Isabelle Guilbault, owner of the studio, said she came up with the idea because she wanted to create a mentorship for young girls in the community.
The class is not available to boys because there is no male instructor, she noted.
“I wanted to put in people's heads that you need to be kind to others. So I started the karma program because I wanted to open the lines of communication with these kids and have them journal,” said Guilbault.
“They have a mission every week. So one week it's to thank anybody who does anything for them. Another week it's for them to observe how many times people say thank you to them.”
The program has become so popular that she is booked solid and is looking for another yoga instructor to host another session. There is only room for 10 girls in each class.
“It started with an idea and then it kind of grew into this and it's to the point where I need help,” she said.
She believes she saw a difference in the girls who attended the last session.
“The girls were elated at how when they thank somebody for something that person always looks surprised and it really triggered something in them,” she said.
“It brings them awareness that these things aren't as common as you think, but they need to be. I mean people shouldn't flinch when you say ‘hi, how are you?'.”
Officials at the studio are also organizing a community fitness challenge for September through the studio's Facebook page. Each participant will be required to do a yoga pose and various cardio exercises every day of the month.
“It's just a way to encourage fitness and get people moving,” said Cox. “I think it's always good to give people a reason to be active.”
Guilbault said whoever accomplishes the challenge will have their name entered in a draw at the end of the month.
“Whether it's increasing the pace of their walk or jumping jacks – it doesn't matter as long as they have an increased heart rate for 20 minutes a day for 30 days,” said Guilbault. “It's not as easy as it sounds.”
There will also be a four-week infant massage class held in September at the studio.
“It's about bonding with your baby and it just gets the moms in the community out and meeting each other,” said Cox.
To register for any of the above, call the studio at 403-638-2828 or email [email protected].
