The early morning yoga group: Back row left to right - Carol McDonald, Glenda Chapell, Liz Cochrane, Betty Bennett, Kim Henzie, Margo Lee. Front Row - Caroline Owen, Fiona Wagner, Katherine Helmer, Sue Prentice, Joan Donaldson.

Early birds get yoga start to morning

reprinted from The Sheild EMC, Norwood Edition, Friday April 3, 2009
By Bill Freeman

Norwood - Some local early birds have given their mornings a yoga boost. Neighbours near the Pine Street Centre in Norwood must have wondered what was happening last week when the street was filled with cars before 6:30 a.m.

What was going on was a week’s worth of yoga that attracted 11 people who started their day learning a little bit more about the “art of living, moving and breathing.”

“Most people don’t know very much about yoga except for maybe some pretzel type poses,” says instructor Caroline Owen. “In fact, yoga has very little to do with making your body do weird and uncomfortable things,” Owen notes.

The group got a taste of what yoga really is. “Yoga is about life and relationships, primarily,” says Owen, whose yoga classes in Norwood and Peterborough have become very popular. “By paying attention to your body moment to moment, listening to its feedback and its stories you learn to pay attention.” This is called “being present.”

Owen says “coordinating your breath with movement brings a sense of ease into your body and specific breath techniques can either calm or energize, depending on the technique.

“Yoga is about relationships because when you are healthy, happy, and relaxed, everyone around you benefits.” Its greatest potential is only realized when the correct practice is done over a sustained period of time, she adds.

Yoga is best learned from a qualified teacher and not from a book or DVD, though Owen says those can be “useful tools to supplement learning in person.”

Classes are available in Norwood through Wavelengths Yoga taught by Owen and Margo Lee. The classes include gentle, intermediate, athletic and moms and babies as well as special workshops like the early morning series and retreats at The Robin’s Nest.

For more information contact 705-639-8937 or www.wavelengthsyoga.com. The next early morning session takes place in June.

© Copyright 2007 Wavelengths - Photos © Copyright 2007 David Makepeace