sometimes by using cushions, folded towels or chairs. In Mazzarella’s Thursday night class, some members with MS actively and readily participate in the yoga movements while seated. “Students tell me they feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. They sleep better, their blood pressure issues improve, and their headaches and migraines get better or disappear in time. They say they feel lighter, they can move better and their balance improves,” Mazzarella said. Those tangible benefits and the refreshing camaraderie keep Mazzarella’s students coming back week after week. They roll out their purple yoga mats and, in the process, continue to roll away the stress and frantic pace of the surrounding city. “The great yoga master Vivekananda said, ‘Until you master your inner universe, you will struggle and not be master of the outer,’” Mazzarella said. “Becoming content from the inside out leads to a joyous life in the present. Yoga provides my students with tools to deal with life’s challenges.”
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Mazzarella’s weekly session is one of more than 15 regularlyscheduled yoga classes offered by the National MS Society: Lone Star in Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Pearland, Plano, Round Rock, San Antonio, Southlake, Stephenville and The Woodlands. To find a yoga class near you – and to find other wellness classes provided by the National MS Society, including aquatics, art therapy, physical training, Pilates, Pi-Yo, Tai Chi and therapeutic horseback riding – visit JointheMovementLoneStar.org and click the Programs and Services link in the left-hand navigation bar. You can also call the Society at 1-800-344-4867 for class information. Programs are free unless otherwise noted.
James Black is the editor of MSConnection and Strategic Communications Specialist in the Society’s Houston office. He can be reached via e-mail at james.black@nmss.org or by calling 713-394-2964.