Virtual Yoga with West Garfield Park Conservatory
Photo credit by Wikimedia Commons
Garfield Park Conservatory (GPC) is mainly known for its plants, its love for nature and all things green, but did you know about the ongoing different activities that are provided from the conservatory, specifically yoga?
Since COVID-19 stopped a lot of organizations from doing most things, such as in person contact, GPC, located at 300 N. Central Park Ave., found a way to deliver the same yoga sessions but in a virtual, safer way.
“We’ve been doing this [yoga sessions] for the past 5 years but due to COVID, we had an idea to do it virtually,”said Mattie Wilson, director of programs and interpretation at the Conservatory, accompanied by Jennifer Van Valkenburg, who is the president of GPC.
The benefits of practicing ongoing yoga is better sleep quality, reducing chronic pain, and even teaches better breathing, but most importantly, it relieves anxiety, which is GPCs’ goal to achieve. GPC chose yoga because there are lots of benefits of doing yoga around nature.
“I've been the instructor since we first started doing yoga,” said Natalie Schilke, who has been doing yoga for the past 10 plus years. “Right now, everything is radical, so doing yoga during times like these are one of the best ways to relieve anxiety and to especially destress”.
Schike said she is grateful to teach yoga in the community and shared GPC is her favorite class to teach.
“We get all the people from the neighborhood or from different neighborhoods and use the benefits of yoga, the surroundings of nature and that will all connect in a way that will tie together at the end. That's why we provide yoga,” Schike said.
Courtesy photo by Garfield Park Conservatory Instagram.
Courtesy photo by Garfield Park Conservatory Instagram, gpconservatory
In person or even virtually, lots of people from all different communities, especially West Garfield Park community members, joined the yoga sessions. It does not matter age, race, gender identity and so forth. Even children joined the sessions.
“There were some youth that joined us when we did host the in person sessions. We never ask the ages of the participants because all is welcome,” Mattie said.
“We love seeing different people from different backgrounds showing interest and participating in the sessions. We love seeing the community tell us how the sessions help them with whatever problems they face.”
Do not worry, GPC teaches all levels of yoga. Mattie said, “We do all levels of yoga. We want to be able to provide all levels of yoga to the community so no one feels left out.”
What are the plans for the yoga sessions when GPC is fully reopened?
Mattie replied, “When the Conservatory is fully opened, we will have to count how many people can be there with of course six feet apart rule, but virtual still may continue”.
continued, “I feel grateful to have the opportunity to teach yoga to the community. I teach a lot of yoga to different organizations but GPC is my most favorite class to teach.”
GPC provides free hourlong yoga sessions twice a month on alternating Saturdays starting at 9:00a.m. Pre-registration is required. For more information visit https://garfieldconservatory.org/events