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CANADA'S LEADING HEALTH, WELLNESS & EDUCATION MAGAZINE FITNESS EXPERTSYOGA ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE YARD CELEBraTEs it’s 10th ANNIVERSary!! THE YOGA HAVEN MarION MCCONNELL: A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE SOUTH OKANAGAN YOGA AcadEmy EQUILIBRIUM PILATES & REHABILITATION INC. ›› FEATURE: YAA THE YOGA ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA V04 SASK CDN $5.99 17 0 74470 27859 7 well-being and self-care NEW! Pure Classical Ayurvedic Massage Oils For over 5000 years Ayurvedic oils have balanced body, mind and spirit PURIFICATION, HEALING, BALANCE, STRENGTH, ENERGY • Our natural formulas have been prepared by the same family for generations. • No additives, preservatives or fragrances. • Prepared with labour intensive process at low temperatures. • Made with wild-crafted medicinal herbs, natural substances and cold-pressed sesame oils. • Our amber-colored glass bottles ensure stability. "In deep meditation the flow of concentration is like the flow of oil." PATANJALI massage therapy ORDER ONLINE www.mtso.ab.ca 1.800.875.9706 supply outlet VISIT OUR SHOWROOM AT 9206-95 Ave EDMONTON YOGA SUPPLIES • PILATES MATS • SALT LAMPS • BOOKS • LINENS • TABLES • OILS • LOTIONS • MUSIC • CHARTS • SPA PRODUCTS SUPPORTING YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND BODYWORK PROFESSIONALS ACROSS CANADA YARD CELEBRATES it’s 10TH ANNIVERSary!! THE HISTORY: ›› ur studio was the first yoga studio in Red Deer. It was started privately under the O name of More Yoga, by Jim Moreau in 2000, with approximately six instructors. After almost two years, Jim came to the decision to let go of the stu- dio, at which point, the instructors and students rallied together in order to keep the doors open. They recognized and understood the challenges of running a yoga business, thus it was decided to cre- ate a non-profit organization. An instruc- tor’s husband, Don Simpson, who hap- pened to be a lawyer, stepped forward to look after the legalities of establishing the society and a Board of Directors was formed. Our first Board consisted of five directors, with one of the students at the time, Trish Campbell, taking the role of President – she has been such an inspira- tion to all of us that we have not let her resign! All day to day tasks of running the studio were covered by the volunteer ef- forts of the Board and members… from cleaning the toilets to creating the web- site! Yoga, means unity or to yoke togeth- er and unity is the founding principle of YARD. Karma yoga and unity was and still is at the forefront of the operation of our studio. We came up with the name, the Yoga Al- “ liance of Red Deer, because as a group of passionate yoga practitioners & teachers, we literally “aligned” together in order to maintain that warm, inviting space to practice that had been created YOGA: THE ART, SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPH“ Y IS ABOUT by More Yoga. We were excited about the acronym of our new name “YARD” HEALTH AND WELLNESS ON All levels of one’s being. – our “yoga yard” to grow, play and prac- IT IS A WHOLISTIC APPROACH FOR HEALTH tice in. Up until the formation of the More Yoga Studio, all yoga in the city AND WELLNESS. had been taught in cold gyms, libraries, even lunchrooms of junior high schools. Not that one can’t practice in those spac- es but it is a little more challenging to re- lax in Savasana (corpse pose) when you feel as if you are lying on an iceberg or to practice “hot yoga” when you actually feel like that iceberg. FITNESS EXPERTS MAGAZINE . ISSUE 10 . 2012 3 Hence our name is pretty much our man- ditional asana classes - Hatha (beginner, date - Studio space dedicated to Yoga …all intermediate, gentle), Integral (from the kinds of yoga …promoting and providing traditional of Satchitananda), Yin, Prena- yoga to the community that is affordable tal, Kundalini, Vinyasa, Cancer Recovery, and accessible. and Restorative classes, plus Pilates Yoga. The original lease expired in the fall of Have we changed since our inception in 2002, so the summer became a trial run 2002? Yes and no – perhaps it is best to to see if this new operation was manage- say that we are growing up. We have al- able. The doors were opened in June for ways been diverse but now we are more the Summer session as YARD, the Yoga diverse with 29 classes to offer instead of Alliance of Red Deer, offering five weekly the original five. classes, featuring nine teachers. To the joy of us all, it was a success; we could pay OUR INSTRUCTORS: the rent, lights and our instructors! And Our instructors are growing too - four of YARD could continue on! them: Maxine Winchester, Bette Chan, GROWTH: Adele Ohama and Ann Waschuk have been teaching at YARD from the beginning and From the fall of 2002 to the present, YARD it goes without saying that their personal has grown from offering thirteen classes/ teaching styles have evolved through those week to now offering 29 classes/week! It ten years. Many of our students, Trish started with a blend of traditional Hatha Campbell, Wanda Oster, Connie Walker- and hot Power classes. Dymianiw, Anomi Bearden, Kyla Belich, Sharon Hamilton, Selina Hicks, Suzanne CLASSES: Blackwell & Randy McMullen have grown into teachers with us. YARD has always been very inclusive of all teachings of yoga throughout the years, YARD encourages our instructors to con- offering classes, which are very physically tinue their professional development and oriented to those that are more esoteri- support their recertifications by subsidiz- cally oriented. From the understanding ing some of their training costs. Our in- that there are many paths/styles in Yoga to structors regularly participate in further- inspire, YARD sets out to provide as many ing their knowledge and training, which opportunities for self-improvement and reinforces our commitment to continue to self-exploration as possible. share yoga to the best of our ability. Over the past ten years, YARD has offered We are very pleased with our dedicated in- a wide range of classes and styles including structors, who are well trained in their areas classes of Power of the Ashtanga tradition of specialty (i.e. Hatha, Restorative, Power/ (beginner, intermediate, Mysore), Tra- Ashtanga, Kundalini, Yin, Sattva, Nidra, Pre- 4 FITNESS EXPERTS MAGAZINE . ISSUE 10 . 2012 Natal, Cancer Recovery). Many of whom YARD is very pleased to be able to offer have been inspired by wonderful senior these workshops to their instructors and teachers & gurus such as Yogi Bhajan, Guru members at a highly discounted rate. Venkatesh, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Swami Veda Bharati, Namadeva Acharya, Maya Margo OUTREACH: Balog, Rosemary Antze, Paul Grilley, Sarah Aside from holding classes and workshops Powers, Erich Schiffmann and Grace Little. within the studio, we also have an outreach At our studio we have grown from having program. We have several schools here in five instructors in the spring of 2002 to the Red Deer region where our instructors eighteen presently. teach on a regular basis. As well, we pro- vide the schools and other organizations WORKSHOPS: in town with teachers for any workshops that they may request. We’ve also grown with our workshops, of- fering them more often than the early years We also give back to the community both and with more recognized teachers. in the form of free classes at our studio to running classes outside our studio. Barb We have offered workshops for students Breau, one of our teachers at the studio and teachers bringing in international has been formative in developing a karma instructors such as Doug Swenson, Na- outreach program – providing free teach- madeva Acharya, and Guru Prem Singh, ing to organizations such as the “The Gath- as well as many national and well-known ering Place”, Canadian Mental Health Peer local teachers such as Rameen Peyroux, Support Centre and since this past fall, we Troy Lucero, Rosemary Nogue, Susi Hat- have instructors teaching a weekly class at ely, Oda Lindner, Marcia Langenberg, and the Remand Centre. YARD recompenses David Wilson. these teachers by providing them with Monthly Teacher Training workshops are credits for workshops held at the studio in offered for students enrolled in the Yoga lieu of salaries. Association of Alberta's (YAA) Teacher We have no actual “partners nor sponsors” Training Program by two of our long-term – at least on a financial level or a traditional instructors: Paula King & Ann Waschuk. understanding of that term. We are very Both of these teachers sit on the board of happy to say that over the past 10 years the YAA, and Ann sits on the YAA teacher as an organization we have been self-suf- training committee as well. ficient without the need for government grants or financial aide of any kind. Quite Sanskrit Mantra and Yoga Anatomy work- unusual for a non-profit organization! shops are offered regularly throughout That being said, we have been blessed with the year as well as other assorted “home- the generosity of the community and our grown” offered fare such as pre-natal for members. Quite frankly, without the re- couples to meditation. FITNESS EXPERTS MAGAZINE . ISSUE 10 . 2012 5 “ OUR CLASSES ARE SUITABLE FOR “ ANYONE WHO SEEKS A WELL-ROUNDED YOGA EXPERIENCE FOR THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRit… duced rent in the early years and all the vol- music, books and sundries. We have never schedule and class descriptions, visit our stu- unteer hours provided by our members and been of the thought to run this as a mon- dio, talk to our instructors and our students, teachers, we simply wouldn’t exist. eymaker, nor as a major focus but rather; or call us. we offer the items simply as a service to our Perhaps it should be noted that last year we members.