Willow Yoga Set to Open in Willow Street

By Taylor Miles

WILLOW STREET – Willow Yoga will host an open house next Sunday, 23 July from 1 to 3 p.m. to welcome the public to the new space, at 25 Nolt Avenue in Willow Street, Lancaster County. Those interested can meet with the instructors and receive specials on membership plans. There will also be prizes and giveaways, as well as snacks. This new studio, which will merge with Bridge Yoga on Lincoln Highway, strives to be an inclusive space for anyone interested in yoga.

“We want to bring different people in that maybe would have never tried yoga,” co-owner Monica Kirchner said. “We want it to be very welcoming.”

Monica Kirchner and Leah Margerum are set to welcome you at Willow Yoga. (Photo by Taylor Miles)
Monica Kirchner and Leah Margerum are set to welcome you at Willow Yoga. (Photo by Taylor Miles)

Willow Yoga began when Kirchner, the previous owner of Bridge Yoga, wanted to find a larger space for her studio. “It was a great little studio,” Kirchner said, “but it didn’t really have room to grow.” After seeing that her friend, Leah Margerum, had found a building in Willow Street, Kirchner approached her with the idea of a partnership. Margerum happily accepted, and they began planning for Willow Yoga. The studio will officially open on Sunday, 31 July.

The new studio is not only close enough for Bridge Yoga regulars to continue there, but is also easily accessible for people living in Downtown Lancaster, Millersville, Stroudsburg, and the whole Southern End.

With a focus on keeping the studio a welcoming and inclusive space, Willow Yoga will offer a broad selection of classes and workshops. According to Margerum, the studio wants people to focus on what yoga “feels like, rather than what it looks like.”

A free beginner yoga workshop for men will be offered from September 24 to October 22 on Sundays from 3 to 4 p.m. Willow Yoga felt this workshop was important because men are “definitely underrepresented in the yoga community,” according to Margerum. Another free option will be the Yoga Dojo workshop, which will be a fusion of martial arts and yoga. This workshop is from August 23 to October 26 on Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Chair yoga classes will be also be offered for people who have mobility issues and find it difficult to constantly move up and down in a typical yoga class.

On every second Saturday of the month, Willow Yoga will offer free yoga for beginners’ workshops “for anyone who has thought about yoga and wanted to try it, but has no idea what it really is,” Margerum said. These workshops will include informational discussions and demonstrations on poses to ease participants into yoga.

Classes that will be added to the schedule in the future include courses that have participants hold poses for long periods of time to reset the nervous system such as restorative yoga and yin yoga.

Other plans include adding a health and wellness portion to the building, which will eventually include a workshop in Ayurveda for menopause and a workshop in aromatherapy. The studio is also looking to include a massage therapist, an energy worker, and a nutritionist to their facility. The goal is for the studio to become “a little wellness hub,” Margerum said.

To learn more about the studio, visit Willow Yoga’s Facebook page or call 717-617-2128.

Photo by Taylor Miles

My Yoga Journey Continues

By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

Last week I mentioned that I realized that I really needed a place that would be willing to walk me through the various poses from a complete beginner’s point of view. I did some research via the web and talking to various people. I found a place!


Now first I should back up and mentioned my parameters. I live in Lancaster County, PA so I did want something close because I know me. If I found the most awesome place but it was more than say a 15-minute drive, I would find every excuse to skip. I wanted a small class setting so I would hopefully feel less awkward than a large class, plus I know I could use a little extra attention from the instructor. Parking had to be easy. I love that Lancaster City is essentially 15 minutes away but there have been times, especially when I go into class at PCA&D, that I have driven around for a half hour trying to find a parking spot. Parking needed to be easy.

All that said, I found The Yoga Room.

It is located within the Shoppes at Kissel Hill in Manheim Township. Monday nights, at the moment, is a Beginner’s Class. I had spoken to the instructor via emails but I had not met her until this past Monday. I got there early and there was another class going on inside so I kind of hung out in the foyer, not really knowing what to do. By the way, there are some comfy seats down the hall if you should come and get there early.

Laurie Garrett– the instructor – has this gentle soothing voice and the music she played was very relaxing. It was not loud and bouncing like the music in the yoga class I tried before in a local gym. That music made me feel like I had been in a hurry up and keep pace class. Laurie’s music made me feel relaxed before my class even began!

The class was slow moving. It was myself and one other woman, so we had plenty of personal attention to detail, which is one reason I chose this class. Normally this is a four-week course but she let me join halfway through. The course is designed to make the new student familiar with correct alignment and breathing. It is a prelude to the other classes, which she explained. She went through the use of blocks and other supports used commonly in yoga.

The Yoga Room does offer several levels of yoga classes. I am not going into all of them here since this is about my journey but you may check out the website at www.theyogaroomlancaster.com.

So time to roll our my mat and get started moving, right? No. I rolled out my mat and we all sat. Still. My mat was nothing special. I had picked it up awhile back at “that other place” and it was still in the wrapper until I left for class. It is an Ombre Yoga Mat 24” x 68” and it is a boring gray. It is cushioned and should ease stress on my joints and tendons. It is lightweight and very portable, though I should get a mat bag. The only complaint I have about my mat is that, like so many other things anymore, it was made in China. So, if you know of a local place that makes yoga mats, I would love to hear about them!

We began, as I said, by sitting. I think she called this the Easy Pose, or maybe should just meant it was easy. Basically, we sat with our legs crisscrossed, hands resting on our knees. Breathing in deep. Exhaling. Staring at my awkward self in all those mirrors. I get it – the mirrors help you see how your pose looks but they are still a little intimidating for those of us who are not thrilled with our appearance.

I forget the order of the other poses. We did the Cat Pose which flowed into the Cow Pose. We did the Chair Pose and the Warrior Pose. The Cat Pose massages the spine and the organs in your belly, while the Cow warms the spine gently. The Chair is great for the diaphragm and heart while it clearly works the arms and legs. The Warrior was a little harder for me. My feet just would not cooperate! A great reference, by the way, for these poses and more is The Yoga Journal.

yoga down dogAt some point towards the end of class, we did the Downward Facing Dog. By that time, my body was feeling things it hasn’t in quite a long time. I was ready for the Corpse Pose!

One of the last poses we did – I forget the name – looked more like I was in the birthing room again. I knew there was a reason I chose a C-section. How awkward looking and by this time, it hurt my lower back/spine putting that pressure there. I don’t mean that I was hurt but rather one reason I see a chiropractor on a regular basis and want to do yoga now is because of regular back pain.

At times I felt like I should run away and wait til I loose some weight so these poses are less … ugly. A big reason I am doing this though is that I start to gain some energy so that I can do other things and then I will be able to loose the weight. I do also realize that this weight did not come on overnight so it won’t be getting off over one night or one exercise routine.

And so continues my new mindset and my new life …
Namaste

Photo Credit: Metro

My Yoga Journey Continues

By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

Last week I mentioned that I realized that I really needed a place that would be willing to walk me through the various poses from a complete beginner’s point of view. I did some research via the web and talking to various people. I found a place!


Now first I should back up and mentioned my parameters. I live in Lancaster County, PA so I did want something close because I know me. If I found the most awesome place but it was more than say a 15-minute drive, I would find every excuse to skip. I wanted a small class setting so I would hopefully feel less awkward than a large class, plus I know I could use a little extra attention from the instructor. Parking had to be easy. I love that Lancaster City is essentially 15 minutes away but there have been times, especially when I go into class at PCA&D, that I have driven around for a half hour trying to find a parking spot. Parking needed to be easy.

All that said, I found The Yoga Room.

It is located within the Shoppes at Kissel Hill in Manheim Township. Monday nights, at the moment, is a Beginner’s Class. I had spoken to the instructor via emails but I had not met her until this past Monday. I got there early and there was another class going on inside so I kind of hung out in the foyer, not really knowing what to do. By the way, there are some comfy seats down the hall if you should come and get there early.

Laurie Garrett– the instructor – has this gentle soothing voice and the music she played was very relaxing. It was not loud and bouncing like the music in the yoga class I tried before in a local gym. That music made me feel like I had been in a hurry up and keep pace class. Laurie’s music made me feel relaxed before my class even began!

The class was slow moving. It was myself and one other woman, so we had plenty of personal attention to detail, which is one reason I chose this class. Normally this is a four-week course but she let me join halfway through. The course is designed to make the new student familiar with correct alignment and breathing. It is a prelude to the other classes, which she explained. She went through the use of blocks and other supports used commonly in yoga.

The Yoga Room does offer several levels of yoga classes. I am not going into all of them here since this is about my journey but you may check out the website at www.theyogaroomlancaster.com.

So time to roll our my mat and get started moving, right? No. I rolled out my mat and we all sat. Still. My mat was nothing special. I had picked it up awhile back at “that other place” and it was still in the wrapper until I left for class. It is an Ombre Yoga Mat 24” x 68” and it is a boring gray. It is cushioned and should ease stress on my joints and tendons. It is lightweight and very portable, though I should get a mat bag. The only complaint I have about my mat is that, like so many other things anymore, it was made in China. So, if you know of a local place that makes yoga mats, I would love to hear about them!

We began, as I said, by sitting. I think she called this the Easy Pose, or maybe should just meant it was easy. Basically, we sat with our legs crisscrossed, hands resting on our knees. Breathing in deep. Exhaling. Staring at my awkward self in all those mirrors. I get it – the mirrors help you see how your pose looks but they are still a little intimidating for those of us who are not thrilled with our appearance.

I forget the order of the other poses. We did the Cat Pose which flowed into the Cow Pose. We did the Chair Pose and the Warrior Pose. The Cat Pose massages the spine and the organs in your belly, while the Cow warms the spine gently. The Chair is great for the diaphragm and heart while it clearly works the arms and legs. The Warrior was a little harder for me. My feet just would not cooperate! A great reference, by the way, for these poses and more is The Yoga Journal.

yoga down dogAt some point towards the end of class, we did the Downward Facing Dog. By that time, my body was feeling things it hasn’t in quite a long time. I was ready for the Corpse Pose!

One of the last poses we did – I forget the name – looked more like I was in the birthing room again. I knew there was a reason I chose a C-section. How awkward looking and by this time, it hurt my lower back/spine putting that pressure there. I don’t mean that I was hurt but rather one reason I see a chiropractor on a regular basis and want to do yoga now is because of regular back pain.

At times I felt like I should run away and wait til I loose some weight so these poses are less … ugly. A big reason I am doing this though is that I start to gain some energy so that I can do other things and then I will be able to loose the weight. I do also realize that this weight did not come on overnight so it won’t be getting off over one night or one exercise routine.

And so continues my new mindset and my new life …
Namaste

Photo Credit: Metro

Web Exclusive: Yoga Journey

By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

In our Summer issue (June 2017), I announced “exclusive online articles” about my journey into the practice of yoga. The articles will be written in a journal style as I visit various studios and learn poses and meditation techniques. This journey is one I have been aching for, and it also prepares us to launch into our Fall issue (September 2017) in which yoga will be a focus subject.

So first, a word or two of warning! When blogging, especially in the first person (as opposed to a more journalistic article), I tend to write in a stream of consciousness mode. I find that way you the reader can actually follow my thoughts – and my growth – as I find myself on this journey.

Exclusive Online YogaSo, why yoga?

I ache for the self-discipline of yoga. I ache for a conscious and natural relationship between myself and the world around me. Lately, I find myself needing to be still. From a physical viewpoint, I need to loose weight and get my diabetes under control. I do want to be healthy but I need to get myself to that point where I WANT to be healthy. You know that one commercial? “I want purple, but not PURR-PLE.”

My yoga experiences:

A little while ago, I had joined a local gym. It’s a huge gym. They had lots of group sessions but no one on one instructions, no beginning level class. In went to the weekly class anyway and thought I was doing good; that is, until someone told me I was “doing it all wrong” and that I looked like a beached whale. And so ended my attempt at yoga.

That made me realize that I really needed a place that would be willing to walk me through the various poses – there are a few I did get right – to ensure I was doing things right. I have no place at home to really practice at home, plus I don’t feel comfortable exercising in front of my husband.

So, begins my search …