Yoga instructors in Melfort adapt to COVID-19 challenges

McDonald normally offers classes out of MindBody Balance Therapies but with two metre distancing that would only allow for about four people to attend in that space.

Currently, the instructor of about 10 years is offering one class per week, on top of her full-time job, but she hopes to increase that.

Yoga as well as health and wellness in general have become more popular over the years.

“People are just realizing how good it is for their bodies, we want our joints to last as long as the rest of us,” McDonald said. “It’s a really good way to maintain or create better flexibility, not just in muscles but joints as well.”

The popularity of it has increased even more over the course of the last months with schedules being less busy.

“I have had calls of people asking why they don’t feel good,” McDonald said. “They are really recognizing that they aren’t feeling well because their busy schedules stopped.”

McDonald found it important to offer free virtual classes at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Saskatchewan.

“I wanted to give back to my community in a way that I could,” McDonald said. “It was something I could do from my home that kept my brain working and my body moving and people were so thankful that it was there.”

The classes were posted to the Untamed Balance Yoga and Wellness Facebook page from live videos so people could go back and re-do any of the classes they really liked.

“There are not a lot of spaces in Melfort to rent for an hour or two a week, so I’m not sure yet what the future is going to hold,” McDonald said.

The yoga classes by McDonald happen every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Indigo Yoga co. with Roxane Danberg has also been offering classes outdoors, and those will move inside as well with limited participants.

Roxane Danberg of Indigo Yoga Co. with the City of Melfort hosted a free outdoot yoga class in Rotary park in June. (Facebook/City of Melfort)

“We are excited to offer in-person indoor classes again,” Danberg said. “It won’t be as big of classes as we had in our old studio so we will be limiting class sizes for spacing.”

Danberg has a schedule of four classes per week including Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening at 7 p.m. as well as a Thursday yoga session at 12:10 p.m. There will be 10 spots available in each class being held at 102 Crawford Ave. E. which is a former Melfort Cooperative Daycare Space.

“We have been offering in studio classes regularly for the past four years and it has grown every year and then this last year we had our biggest schedule offering and biggest classes but then had to shutdown,” Danberg said.

Online classes were also offered by Danberg while in-person classes were cancelled.

“I teamed up with another studio in Prince Albert so we could offer more to our students,” Danberg said. “Most people do prefer the in-person classes to online so we are looking forward to getting back at it.”

Pre-registration is required for the upcoming classes with Indigo Yoga by email at roxane@indigoyogaco.ca or through the website Indigo Yoga Co., or on Facebook and Instagram.

“Our most popular class is the Align your Spine, which is a back class for people that have back, neck and shoulder issues,” Danberg said. “It’s great for those working at a desk all day and just physically allowing them to be more comfortable in their bodies day-to-day.”

Yoga can really help with stress management which holds a great deal of importance during the changing times of the pandemic, according to Danberg.

Both instructors are required to keep a record of all participants in their classes in the case of any sort of contact tracing should someone test positive for COVID-19.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser

by Angie Rolheiser

Yoga instructors in Melfort adapt to COVID-19 challenges

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