WHY SHE THINKS YOGA CAN CHANGE YOUR FAMILY By Bobbe Ann Crouch
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estled in the often from parents heart of St. after they’ve done yoga Matthews in with their kids is that the back corner of after months of not a beautiful, naturecommunicating with filled office park lives more than one word an oasis of peace and answers, the kids open understanding for up and actually talk all Louisville’s youth and the way home!” families. OMies Yoga Studio OMies Yoga Studio opened its doors to the is the brainchild of public in October 2018. Rachel Story. She In addition to Rachel, never set out to there are 12 instructors own and operate teaching kid classes, Louisville’s first and teen classes, prenatal only youth- and classes, family classes, family-centered workshops, and camps. yoga studio, yet it’s “The name ‘OMies’ growing, thriving, came from my kids,” and creating Rachel says, “We liked empowerment daily. it because we say ‘OM’ Seven years ago, before and after each a child she knew class. It’s a form of and loved was unity. ‘OM’ is symbolic experiencing internal of all of the sounds of troubles that needed the universe. In yoga, attention. Rachel we come from a variety wasn’t comfortable of places, talents and hearing about the beliefs, but we all generalized diagnosis come together for one that suggested practice.” medication. “We really Inside the studio are such a ‘quickwritten in large letters fix-it America,’” she across the blackboard says. Instead, Rachel is a saying that speaks researched, studied, to this: “Come as you and learned that yoga are, not as you think and mindfulness could you should be.” Rachel Photo by Patti Hartog OMies Yoga is Louisville’s first youth- and family-centered yoga studio. possibly help. “I ended Story didn’t set out to up traveling to New York become a Yogi or a yoga at different nonprofits such as to help calm anxiety, improve where I became certified in studio owner. The fact that she Gilda’s Club and Home of the concentration, and gain teaching yoga to children. In my wasn’t attached to an idea of Innocents,” she says. “The confidence. “Medication is first class I didn’t even know all what her life was supposed to whole time I was still working over-prescribed as a quick fix the poses, but I loved it! Before be like enabled her to change my regular job, and my kids when often children and youth long I was certified to teach courses in order to fulfill what each participated in other just need to learn to selfyoga to special needs children, she now knows is an important activities as well.” regulate. Yoga can provide autistic children, ADHD need. “It’s work that doesn’t Over time, Rachel started these tools,” says Rachel, who children — all children.” feel like work,” she says. to see positive changes in received positive feedback After Rachel became “A child who learns yoga, the people she was teaching from parents and teachers of certified, she held mindfulness, and relaxation regularly, especially the her students. neighborhood yoga classes will be developing essential child who prompted it all. “I was seeing such positive in her driveway on Saturday skills for a lifetime of health She realized that through changes all around, especially mornings. “At night, I would and wellness in mind, body, practicing yoga the children in the case of family yoga. One take my kids and go teach yoga and spirit.” were developing natural tools of the comments I hear most
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July 2019 / TodaysWomanNow.com