Chill with yoga
Monday is Wellington Free Yoga day with lots of opportunities to have a go.
THE word ‘‘namaste’’ will be whispered hundreds of times on Monday for Wellington Free Yoga Day.
More than 45 free classes are planned, offering Wellingtonians the chance to give yoga a try.
Classes range from beginner to advanced, with a smattering of specialty classes, including chair, pregnancy, and kids’ yoga.
The inaugural Wellington Free Yoga Day took place last year after co-founder Amber Sturtz was inspired by a similar event in Austin, Texas, in 2011.
Everyone should give at least one of the classes a go, she says. ‘‘Whether you are an athlete, an expectant mum, a new mum, or a total newbie to yoga – there is a yoga class for you.’’
Jeanne Dear will be taking a Mums n Bubs class with her 7-month-old baby boy Schuyler. She has practised yoga for more than 10 years, but decided last year to finally get her teacher’s training certificate.
After finishing touring with a circus, she booked tickets to India.
Dear discovered she was pregnant just weeks before her departure. Given the green light by her doctor, midwife, and the Indian yoga institute, she flew to Trivandrum for a crash course in pregnancy yoga.
‘‘I couldn’t imagine a more mindful way to spend the first trimester of my pregnancy.
‘‘Countless times people have said, ‘Your baby is so calm’. Well, he’s a yoga baby.
‘‘Mums get so little time for themselves, and at least for me, I often feel guilty taking that time.
‘‘I wanted to do something that involves the little ones and gives Mama some benefits too.’’