“Variety is the very spice of life,
That gives it all its flavor.”
From William Cowper's poem, “The Task” (1785)
When is the last time you tried something new? Such as: eating a different food, visiting an unfamiliar city, or taking a class with a different teacher?
We all have our favorites, and it can be uncomfortable venturing out into the unknown. However, when we open ourselves to trying new things, we may discover things we couldn’t have anticipated. Or we may just learn what we DON’T like, which is also valuable.
Embracing diversity can be:
Good for the brain
Good for the body
Good for personal growth
An adventure
In yoga, for example, each teacher brings their own personal style, background, and energy to teaching. One may resonate with you better than another, but you can learn from each one. I know I have, and I’ve tried many different classes over the years.
In that vein I want to introduce my friend Deeann Kelly to you. I met Deeann when I lived in the DFW, Texas area over 7 years ago, and we’ve stayed in touch (mostly through Facebook). Recently I discovered that she was offering chair yoga on Zoom, to a very nice and dedicated group that followed her since the pandemic. I took one of her classes and loved her style. She is very calm, welcoming, casual, and knowledgeable. I had the opportunity to substitute teach for her while she took vacation, and will again in the future.
If you’re interested in virtual live classes that you can attend from home, Deeann offers chair yoga on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST, all by donation.
Here’s more about Deeann, in her words:
After decades of living the stressful lifestyle within an army family, raising three girls and moving every two years, the effects of the stress started to manifest in my body to where my doctor suggested I try yoga! (Thankfully, because I love the holistic approach whenever possible). Ever since that first class, I've been hooked on yoga. I was drawn to help others achieve the same relief that I found through yoga, I initially studied adaptive yoga for people with all sorts of limitations.
I've always been fascinated by the body's healing abilities from being a medic in the army to getting a degree in Health Education, then furthering my yoga studies beyond the 200hr training in a 300 hour yoga therapist Level I program, along with several other trainings like the Science of Happiness, Mindful Meditation, Silver Sneakers, Yoga for Parkinsons, better balance, hip limitations and Connected Warriors for trauma conscious yoga...combine that with my love of Iyengar and Viniyoga styles and you have a blend in the yoga classes that I offer.
Worth mentioning, although it's not yoga, are my trainings as a Parkinson's fitness coach with Rock Steady Boxing and Parkinson's Wellness Recovery that help to build my repertoire of activities that help with balance, coordination, neuromuscular improvement and fun.
If you want to practice with Deeann, please reach out to her via email at healingyoga101@gmail.com, phone # (817)367-8411. Her website is:
http://deeannkellygentleyoga.weebly.com/classes-offered.html
If you want to practice mindful yoga with me, I provide many options, including group classes or 1-on-1 sessions via Zoom or in-person, and video recordings.
Be Well,
Eva