ENCINITAS, Calif. – The lawsuit that will determine whether yoga is a form of religion or exercise will be heard in court Monday.

Two parents filed the case against the Encinitas Union School District over yoga classes, saying that yoga is a form of religion that teaches Hinduism and other beliefs.

In a lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court, attorney Dean Broyles argues the twice weekly, 30-minute classes are inherently religious and in violation of the separation between church and state. The lawsuit also says that kids who opt-out from the classes are prevented from meeting the mandatory number of PE minutes.

The district is believed to be the first in the country to have full-time yoga teachers at every one of its schools. The lessons are funded by a $533,000, three-year grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Ashtanga yoga.  

The district started the yoga classes at its nine schools in January and Superintendent Timothy Baird says teachers and parents have noticed students are calmer, using the breathing practices to release stress before tests.

Do you think yoga should be allowed in schools?

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Monday, May 20, 2013

KEY WEST

Strike a (yoga) pose for girls education charity

The Key West Yoga Sanctuary on June 1 will help send 200 girls in Africa and Asia to school by participating in a global yoga benefit with Namaste World. The sanctuary will donate 100 percent of donations made during a yoga class to Room to Read’s girls’ education program.

Educating girls is the most powerful and effective way to address global poverty, according to a press release from the Yoga Sanctuary/ Room to Read supports girls so they not only graduate, but also develop skills to negotiate key life decisions. The program provides academic support, mentoring and life skills training to girls in nine countries in Asia and Africa. Finishing secondary school leads to smaller, healthier familes, lower HIV infection rates, and higher wages. Educated women are more likely to educate their own children, thus ending the cycle of illiteracy in one generation. To date, Room to Read has supported more than 20,000 girls.

The class will take place from 1-2:15 p.m. on June 1 at the Key West Yoga Sanctuary, 1130 Duval St. All are welcome regardless of skill level, and donations will be encouraged for the charity.

KEY WEST

Survivors Party adopts casino theme on Memorial Day

Casino in Paradise is the theme of the 36th annual Survivors Party, taking place from 5-9 p.m. May 27 at the new Cowboy Bill’s, 618 Duval St., to benefit the Sister Season Fund. The organization helps keep a roof over the heads of locals in the hospitality and entertainment industries when they are unable to work through no fault of their own. The group has raised and distributed more than $200,000 in the past eight years.

Survivors Party attendees can try their luck at blackjack, Texas hold’em, roulette, pool, poker and a wheel of fortune, along with bull riding, a silent auction, surprise boxes with a total value of $2,000 to win with raffle tickets and a 50/50 raffle every hour.

Musical entertainment will be by Alphonse — and there will be line dancing and lessons.

Tickets are still only $20 and will be available at the door.

Silent auction items, raffle prizes and sponsorships are still welcome and the event calls for 62 volunteers, who will help set up, staff the doors, be dealers and spinners for the games, serve the buffet, bus tables, monitor the silent auction and break down and clean up after the party. All volunteers will receive commemorative T-shirts. To help out, please contact Hanson at 781-956-3189.

Brought to you by

 

By JONATHAN DEVIN

Updated 2:13PM

Those who practice yoga are known to be very flexible, and the new owner of Midtown Yoga is especially grateful for that fact.

Grace Harwood, who purchased the business on Jan. 1, said she is trying to make the transition invisible to a very loyal client base.

“Yogis can be very particular about changes to their studio, and I’m aware of that,” said Harwood, a mother of three who has never owned her own business before. “I think they’ve been very pleased. I think everybody was extremely patient with me during the transition.”

Harwood has a long history with the previous owner, Sarla Nichols, who founded the studio at 524 S. Cooper St., at Cooper and Peabody Avenue, in Midtown 13 years ago.

HARWOOD

Harwood went through Nichols’ yoga teacher training in 2007 and managed a second Downtown location. That location was opened in response to residential growth Downtown, but the client base did not grow fast enough and the studio closed after about three years. Harwood has been teaching at the original location ever since.

Nichols was interested in selling the business to leave behind some of the administrative functions and to free up more time for traveling in order to teach. She is also a new grandmother.

Harwood’s three children had gotten old enough that she too was looking for a new chapter.

“(Nichols) wanted to pass the studio on to someone she was hoping would continue the history of it,” Harwood said. “She wanted it to go to someone who had been by her side.”

Nichols has continued to teach classes at Midtown Yoga every week. She’s one of more than 20 teachers offering about 55 classes each week. About 450 people attend classes each week.

Recently, Harwood hired one new teacher but said she is keeping all of the teachers who taught under Nichols.

Classes are mostly sold in packages like a 10-class package for $110. Unlimited monthly class packages are also available, as is a beginner’s series and community classes, which cost $7 per class.

Harwood said that most of her clients are women between the ages of 25 and 55, but that anyone can practice yoga regardless of age and ability. Some of her clients are in their 70s.

New Midtown Yoga owner Grace Harwood performs the danurasana pose with yoga instructor Geoff Bleech at the Midtown studio.

(Photo: Cate Plekon)

“You can make it be what you need for your body,” Harwood said. “You can make (the experience) more powerful. But if you need to lengthen your muscles, you can do it in the same class where someone else is really sweating it out.”

Senior yoga is offered seated in a chair.

Midtown Yoga has two studios – an 1,800-square-foot studio for larger classes and a smaller one of about 1,000 square feet for hot yoga classes and private lessons.

About three years ago Harwood went to New York to be certified in aerial yoga, which is now offered at Midtown Yoga. In it, participants perform poses while suspended about one foot off the ground in a sling made of looped aerial silks.

It does not involve aerial acrobatics like those popularized in Cirque du Soleil; instead, participants are never out of reach of the floor. It can be especially good for those exploring inversion poses and people living with spinal compression, Harwood said.

More recently she introduced AcroYoga to the studio, which involves yoga exercises performed in pairs. Harwood became certified in it over the summer.

Harwood also introduced computers to Midtown Yoga, which had been an on-paper business previously. She hopes the change will make it more convenient for participants to keep track of their classes.

The eight-week computer transition came with its complications, but those, she said, have been ironed out.

“It’s exciting and terrifying,” Harwood said. “At least I’ve been involved in it for a while so I’m well versed in how it runs.”

Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith hasn’t let his off-the-field obstacles distract him from working to improve this off-season.

Smith gets to the Cowboys’ practice facility in Valley Ranch at about 6:30 a.m. to work out before he attends “teaching sessions” with coaches.

Smith said there’s a comfort level now under second-year offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and the offensive linemen have used the position meetings to review and improve this off-season instead of adapting to a new style.

“We’re steps ahead of where we were last year,” Smith said. “We can make a huge step forward.”

Following in the footsteps of two former Cowboys Hall of Famers – linebacker Randy White and offensive lineman Larry Allen – Smith started individual karate lessons about two months ago and trains two to three times a week.

“They did karate to get their hands quicker and smoother,” Smith said. “It’s more about hand-eye coordination. Right now, I’m trying to get our offensive line into it.”

Like last year, Smith also attends yoga once a week in the off-season to help him with flexibility, balance and hip movement.

Smith said he didn’t get comfortable playing left tackle until about midway through last season. Nine of his 11 penalties came in the first eight games.

Smith said he plans to gain 10 pounds so he can play at 315.

“I just want to be a better run blocker and be stronger and more physical,” Smith said. “There were times last year where I felt like I was too fast and I was a little off-balanced. I just basically want to add a little weight and stay there, be fast and strong at the same time.”

Progress report

Cowboys offensive lineman Tyron Smith showed improvement in his second season despite moving from right tackle to left tackle, a more demanding position:

2011: 9 1/2 sacks allowed; 7 penalties against (Four false starts, three holds)

2012: 3 sacks allowed; 11 penalties against (Seven false starts, three holds and one touchdown-saving horse collar penalty) Source: Sacks allowed is via STATS LLC

Although Weis Ecology Center remains closed, the Highlands Natural Pool will open as planned for the summer. Staff members at the popular local swimming hole are preparing for their 18th season with a full schedule of programs, including swimming lessons, a lifeguard training course, a deep-water aerobics class, and a yoga class. The pool’s season runs from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September.

Opening day will be Saturday, May 25, with hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be special pricing for opening day only. The first adult comes in at half-price, the second adult is free and kids come in for just one dollar each.

The Highlands Natural Pool will also be open Sunday, May 26, and Monday, May 27 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is scheduled to be open every weekend afterward and open full-time on June 24.

The swimming instructor at the facility has more than 20 years of experience. Small group swimming lessons for children will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings beginning July 9. Also available are private, individualized swim lessons for both children and adults.

The Lifeguard Training Course will be held on two consecutive weekends: July 13-14 and July 20-21 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all four days. This challenging course is certified by the American Red Cross and taught by a qualified instructor. It is open to anyone age 15 or older as well as to those who will turn 15 before the course ends. The cost is $350 and includes all materials.

The Deep Water Aerobics Class provides established swimmers with a vigorous, fun workout on Mondays and Wednesdays from July 8 through 24 from 11 a.m. to noon. Cost is $10 per class or $50 for all six sessions. Noodles provided or bring your own.

The Highlands Natural Pool is a stream-fed, freshwater, chemical-free pool surrounded by poplars, evergreens, and stone retaining walls. The area around the Olympic-sized pool features sunny and shady areas. There’s a fenced-in play area for children and a snack stand. Among the grounds’ features are tables for picnicking and grills for barbecuing, access to volleyball and ping-pong, and a grass recreation field. The pool is adjacent to Norvin Green State Forest, which is home to 24 miles of marked hiking trails open to the public year-round.

Day passes to the pool are available and membership is open to all.

Visit the website highlandsnaturalpool.org for specific information regarding hours of operation, classes and group visits, or leave a message at 973-835-4299 with your name and contact number.

– Holly Stewart

Burlington, WI (PRWEB) May 15, 2013

YogaFit, the world’s leader in Mind Body Fitness Education, is in town and actively seeking non-profits that would benefit from the expertise of YogaFit training. Please help in this endeavor by forwarding this information to local media.

The mission of YogaFit is to bring healing yoga to the masses. Yoga is a gift for the body and the mind. YogaFit began by offering classes for donation only. With a belief that if everyone in the world gave one hour per week of community service work, the world would be a better place. That is why YogaFit requires every YogaFit Level One trainee to perform eight hours of practice teaching in a community service setting before receiving a Certificate of Completion. Trainees have brought the practice and benefits of yoga to seniors in long-term care homes, disabled persons, incarcerated persons, the terminally ill, mentally challenged individuals and military servants. The Community Service Program gives trainees the opportunity to practice new teaching skills in a less stressful environment with an appreciative audience.

YogaFit is pleased and excited to present Mind/Body Fitness Conferences. With many tremendous experiences thus far! MBF conferences are excellent events that help students work towards a Yoga Alliance® registry, earn continuing education credits (CECs), or simply deepen yoga practice and transform one’s self. For more information about YogaFit, please visit http://www.yogafit.com.

Interested non-profit organizations should submit requests to media(at)yogafit(dot)com. Anyone with questions, please feel free to contact Miia, at media(at)yogafit(dot)com.

Upcoming 2013 trainings in the area:

The Cathe Center

125 East State Street

Burlington, WI 53105

Anatomy June 15-16, 2013

YogaFit encourages and supports the philosophy of “Conscious Business” believing that socially responsible companies prosper from good will and good Karma. Changing the paradigm of what it means to do good business… really good business.

The YogaFit SPA principles are:

1. Establishing Base and Dynamic Tension. Establish a firm base in the feet and hands, stacking joints for maximum support, and contracting muscles to become stable in a pose.

2. Creating Core Stability. Use the muscles of the trunk (e.g. abdominals, erector spinae) to create core stability prior to moving into and while holding poses for greater strength and internal support.

3. Aligning the Spine. The spine is supported through core stabilization in all applicable poses, and the head follows the movement of the spine. When moving into twists, flexion, or extension, we start in neutral spine.

4. Softening and Aligning Knees. In all applicable poses the knees stay in line with ankle and point directly out over the toes. In general, the knees, when bent, will also remain in the same line as the hips. To prevent hyperextension, keep a micro bend in the knees at all times.

5. Relaxing Shoulders Back and Down. The shoulders are drawn naturally back and down in poses to help reduce tension in the neck and shoulders.

6. Hinging at the Hips. When moving into and out of forward bends, hinge from the hips, using the natural pulley system of the ball and socket joint, keeping a micro bend in the knees.

7. Shortening the Lever. When hip hinging, flexing or extending the spine, keep the arms out to the side or alongside the body to reduce strain on the muscles of the low back.

Beth Shaw, CEO and creator of YogaFit explains that the YogaFit style practices safety first, by modifying traditional poses. For example, in YogaFit, a headstand is practiced with no pressure on the head, Instead of balancing on the head, practitioners interlace the fingers behind the head and press their forearms into the floor, so the weight of the body is on the arms, not the head and neck, allowing the body to reverse the blood flow, and build core and upper back strength.

About

YogaFit is the largest yoga fitness education school in the world, with over 200,000 instructors trained worldwide. Established in 1994 by visionary fitness professional, yoga teacher, entrepreneur and author Beth Shaw, YogaFit hosts Mind Body Fitness Conferences, teacher trainings and retreats worldwide. YogaFit is the exclusive yoga partner for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Town Sports International ( NYSC, BSC, PSC, WCS), GoodLife Fitness, Can Fit Pro, Tiger Rock Martial Arts, Parker Chiropractic College and 24 Hour Fitness as well as many spas and studios. The unique YogaFit style focuses on safety, accessibility and ”yoga for everybody”. Instructors and enthusiasts alike are welcome to attend Conferences and Trainings. Founder and President, Beth Shaw, is internationally recognized as the foremost authority on yoga and fitness, and has been extensively profiled in print and television http://www.yogafit.com/presskit/yfpresskit/home.html. Beth has been featured in and on Oprah, New York Times http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/business-owners-reflect-on-small-vi , CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, Time, Entrepreneur and regularly appears in yoga and fitness publications. Her book, YogaFit is among Human Kinetics bestselling titles and the latest book – Lessons From The Mat will be released in the Fall of 2013. YogaFit is a leader in Conscious Business and supports many causes and community service initiatives.

Contact Miia Mobley at media(at)yogafit(dot)com or 310-320-0110.

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Now into Antigravity Yoga and Zumba classes, the actress says she works out in order to enjoy food, which she loves to post on Instagram

By Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ZUMBA can be adapted to any fitness level such that you’ll never get tired of it. PHOTOS BY PJ ENRIQUEZ

THE ANGEL pose helps open the chest.

If strong is the new sexy, then Gretchen Barretto is both.

The actress is as strong in fitness as she is in screen presence. Barely a month after starting Antigravity Yoga (AGY) and Zumba at Beyond Yoga at Bonifacio High Street Central, she has been impressing instructors and students with her natural agility and stamina.

“I’ve been doing these for three weeks straight. I’m such an addict that I work out twice a day. This is the only time that I have for this. When I’m working on a teleserye,  I just get on the treadmill for 60 minutes before work or when I get home from filming. I would also go to a studio for Pilates,” says Barretto.

She’s taking advantage of the downtime by being more active and socializing with friends after the sessions. “I’ve been dreaming of doing nothing but workout, workout, workout after the teleserye.”

Barretto admits that she enjoys food and has a sweet tooth. Almost every day, friends indulge her with ensaymadas, cheese rolls, chocolates and other desserts. She takes a few bites to savor the taste.

“I don’t deprive myself. The minute I do that, I binge,” she says. “That’s why I work out so I can eat.”

THE CHANDELIER pose opens up the hip flexors.

Antigravity Yoga is her latest foray. AGY is a fitness class that adapts yoga poses for a seven-meter nylon (called “silk”) hammock raised off the ground.  The weightless poses strengthen the core, relieve joint pains and stretch tight muscles. The techniques consist of learning to anchor the feet on the fabric and full-body movements such as flipping, twisting, dropping and rolling.

“Medically, AGY decompresses the spine when you do the inversion postures. It works out the entire body. In the first few lessons, you learn how to set up the hammock,  mounting and dismounting. Then you do tricks such as the Angel Flip, Chandelier and Back Flip,” says certified instructor Paulo Leonido.

Carrying her body weight

He has taught BB Gandanghari and gives private lessons to Judy Ann Santos.

“Gretchen is really strong,” says Leonido. “She can easily carry her body weight.”

Barretto dauntlessly lifts her legs up and hoists herself with her slender arms. While first-timers squeal in the inversion poses, Barretto easily dangles upside down with her feet twisted around the fabric, and flips into a bat-like pose with hands folded in a prayer. Afterward, she slides down gracefully to the mat.

“The more you can easily carry your body weight, the stronger you are; the sexier you are. Strong is the new sexy for me,” says Leonido.

He adds that the workout taps into one’s creativity and liberates students from fears or inhibitions.

After AGY, Gretchen does a mean Zumba.

THE MONKEY pose decompresses the spine.

“This is a Latin-based cardio dance. We have different kinds—salsa, regaton, cumbia and meringue,” says Leonido. “My style is Latin with house clubbing. Everybody can relate because it’s got everything from the ’70s music of Santana to the “Harlem Shake.” You’re burning so much calories and toning your muscles. The dances enable you to go through the full range of motion and you’re having fun. When Gretchen takes Zumba, she’s always smiling. She doesn’t feel like she’s working it. She’s partying with friends.”

One of Barretto’s close friends, celebrity makeup artist Patrick Rosas, joins her in Zumba.

“It makes you feel young. There are no more back pains,” says Rosas. “When you drink, you have to work out the body. Exercise gives the check-and-balance.”

Zumba puts him into an endorphin-release zone. “You feel so good!”

Meanwhile, Gretchen watchers have observed that she looks trimmer. Fitness experts attribute this to metabolic perturbation, a term which means to shake up the muscle cells, nervous system and hormones during exercise.

“The exercises are new to my routine and they shock my body,” she says.

THE DANCE-EXERCISE burns so much calories and tones the muscles.

This implies that when the body works harder than usual, it leaves a big impact on the systems. Even after the workout, the body is still burning calories and the body is forced to use its fat for energy.

Heavy lunch

“We can eat a heavy lunch with friends the first hour after the workout. I don’t take carbs at night,” says Barretto.

The actress feels exhilarated after the classes. “I’m more energetic. They say you have to rest the body but I have too much fun working out. I am not out to lose weight. I don’t want to look too skinny.”

She admits that food is a motivation for the classes. “We all love to work out and we all love to eat. When someone doesn’t have the energy, okay, think of ramen. That’s what we’re going to have afterward.”

Friends are amazed that many of her postings on Instagram are food shots. She explains that when the restaurant orders of her friends are attractive, she takes a snapshot.

ZUMBA takes Gretchen’s mind away from worries and allows her to enjoy making new friends in class. PHOTOS BY PJ ENRIQUEZ

On how she manages to stay great over the years, Barretto attributes it to a simple diet and lots of sleep. Her diet is a staple of sinigang, bangus belly, pinakbet, galunggong, tilapia, tinolang manok, ginataang sitaw at kalabasa and brown or red rice, which she calls her comfort foods. During taping, she brings these foods and have them heated in her special bus.

She also values the benefits of sleep. “I do everything in the morning. After I pick up my daughter, I prefer to stay at home. I invite friends to come over or we go out and have a quick bite,” she says.

On coping with a gruelling schedule, she explains, “When there’s taping, our call time is at 6 or 7 a.m. and my cut off is 2 a.m. Between setups, I sleep in my bus. It is covered so that when you turn off the light, it’s dark and I’ll sleep. The minute I step on the bus, they don’t bother me. They knock on the door when it’s time for work.”

Traveling to and from provincial locations, Barretto uses the time for sleeping, as well.

Ultimately, it’s clean living that has been working for her.

Beyond Yoga is at C2 Building, 7th Ave. cor. 28th St., Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig City. Call tel. nos. 5533799, 0917-6BYYOGA (6299642). Visit www.igobeyondyoga.com.

 

Gretchen and Patrick’s tops by Easyoga and Beyond Yoga from Certified Calm at Shangri-La Plaza Mall (6386434) and Two Parkade, Bonifacio High Street (5569490).

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The Dallas Cowboys’ best offensive lineman is working hard this off-season to get even better.

Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith gets to the Cowboys’ practice facility in Valley Ranch at about 6:30 a.m. to workout before he attends “teaching sessions” with coaches. Smith is entering his third season in the NFL and his second consecutive at left tackle after starting his rookie year at right tackle.

Smith said there’s more of a comfort level now under second-year offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and the offensive linemen have used the position meetings to review and improve this off-season instead of adapting to a new style.

“We’re steps ahead of where we were last year,” Smith said. “We can make a huge step forward.”

Following in the footsteps of two former Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame players – linebacker Randy White and offensive lineman Larry Allen – Smith started individual karate lessons about two months ago and trains two to three times a week.

“They did karate to get their hands quicker and smoother,” Smith said. “It’s more about hand-eye coordination. Right now, I’m trying to get our offensive line into it.”

Smith said three other Cowboys offensive linemen are also taking individual karate lessons this off-season: guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau and his good friend, tackle Jermey Parnell.

Like last year, Smith also attends yoga once a week in the off-season to help him with his flexibility, balance and hip movement.

Smith said he didn’t get comfortable playing left tackle until about midway through last season. That was evident from nine of his 11 penalties coming in the first eight games.

Smith said he plans to gain 10 pounds this off-season so he can play at 315.

“I just want to be a better run-blocker and be stronger and more physical,” Smith said. “There were times last year where I felt like I was too fast and I was a little off-balanced. I just basically want to add a little weight and stay there, be fast and strong at the same time.”

Follow Brandon George on Twitter at @dmn_george.

Here’s an announcement that isn’t often blared over a high school’s loudspeaker: “And for the baseball team … yoga is canceled for today.”

But at Grayslake Central, yoga for the baseball team was in fact canceled one February day as a late afternoon snowstorm wiped out most after-school activities.

“A bunch of our guys were in the cafeteria when that announcement came over the P.A. and I think they kind of just covered up their heads,” Grayslake Central baseball coach Troy Whalen laughed. “They got some good-natured ribbing from their friends for that one.”

These days, however, the Rams are serious Yogis and proud of it, thank you very much.

“Yeah, I got some weird looks that day (as the announcement was read), but now, I just embrace it,” Grayslake Central first baseman Kyle Clark said matter-of-factly. “I just say, ‘Yeah, I do yoga.’”

The baseball coaches at Grayslake Central introduced the idea of yoga as a training method during this past off-season to promote team togetherness in an atmosphere that would also engage their players in unique physical and mental challenges.

“When we were looking at different things to do with the kids, I half-jokingly said ‘How about yoga?’” laughed Grayslake Central sophomore coach Josh Peterson, whose wife made him a yoga believer long ago. “We knew there was some convincing that would need to be done. So I did research and I found articles about Major League players who do yoga. I wanted to convince the kids that yoga was a good thing for them.”

The Rams attended class as a team every week at The Yoga Effect in downtown Grayslake. They went all winter long. To their surprise, many of them wound up loving the experience … so much, in fact, that they’ve continued taking classes there on their own time.

Now, whether or not yoga might be partially responsible for Grayslake Central’s solid season thus far is debatable. But the fact is, the young and inexperienced Yogis, um, make that Rams, are in the thick of the race for the Fox Valley Fox Division title and are closing in on another 20-win season.

Coincidence?

“I think yoga has definitely helped us, and I was very, very skeptical coming in,” Clark said. “I had this image of yoga. I thought it would be a bunch of moms sitting on mats and chatting. I did not want to go.

“But it surprised me. It was a tough workout. I woke up the next day really sore. There’s definitely some really good physical benefits and there are a lot of mental benefits, too.”

On the physical side, the Rams were taught to move and stretch and pose their bodies in ways they never before imagined possible. In the meantime, they were improving their flexibility, alignment, core strength and balance.

“I can’t even count how many positions we put our bodies in,” said Grayslake Central pitcher Kevin Peloza, who is convinced that the flexibility he’s gained from yoga has helped his arm recover more quickly after pitching outings. “At first, we were kind of laughing and joking because some of the poses were pretty crazy. But we got better at the different poses, and I liked it that they kept getting harder and more intense.”

The mental demands of the yoga workouts were always intense. Learning to relax, to let go, to release tension and negativity is more difficult than it sounds.

“When you’re a teenage kid, it’s hard to turn your mind off,” Clark said. “At first, when I’d close my eyes, I’d find myself thinking about our games or things I had to do at home or school. It’s hard to completely clear your mind. It’s a little uncomfortable at first.”

But Anna Ottolino, owner of The Yoga Effect, pressed on with her lessons. She’s convinced that developing a keen sense of self-awareness can be a huge advantage for athletes.

“I really believe that what you think, you become,” Ottolino said. “Your thoughts are so powerful. We all have negative thoughts, but yoga is about letting them go, weeding them out. When you meditate and connect with your breathing and really pay attention to your thoughts, it’s easy to replace a negative thought with a positive thought.

“For an athlete to then be able to naturally do that in competition can be such a benefit. One thing that often happens in sports is that when one thing goes wrong, pretty soon multiple things are going wrong because an athlete panics. In yoga, you can learn to let things go from your mind, you learn to leave what happens to you behind. Yoga is all about letting go.”

Clark has been able to better let go of his frustrations at the plate this season. He says that a bad at-bat no longer defines an entire game for him.

“Before this year, I was a kid who just got really mad after I got out or struck out,” Clark said. “Then, I’d go on the field and still be thinking about it and I’d have a temper and that would affect my next at-bat.

“Now, with yoga, I control that better. I step away, I take five deep breaths and I think positive thoughts. You end up in a really good mood that way.”

Some might call it “Sukha.” That’s happiness in Sanskrit, the language of yoga.

Peloza says his best memory of yoga is the happiness he and his teammates felt as a group as they conquered an “outside-the-box” activity together.

“Just spending time together brought us together, but definitely going through something like yoga together was a big bonding experience,” Peloza said. “By the end, we would finish each class huddled in a circle and talking about our goals and we’d chant our words over and over again. It was pretty cool. It was pretty good for our team.”

To check out yoga and see if it could be good for you, visit The Yoga Effect‘s website at: www.theyogaeffect.net. Packages range from $65 for five sessions to $200 for 20 sessions and students and seniors receive a 10 percent discount. The Yoga Effect is located at 170 Center Street in Grayslake.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com