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Cheryl WiegertI have been taking classes at Sunrise since January, and the very first night of class, another student told me that the studio was a 'very easy place just to be'. I have found her statement to be very fitting of the staff, students, and classes here. Participating in classes at Sunrise has provided a steady flow of 'ah-ha' moments--and I find that my spirit is less restless these days as a result of applying what Valerie has taught both with her words and actions.
Christy HamrickI really didn't think I could take yoga because I have limited range of motion in my right hip, but I loved the concept of connecting body and mind. I wanted to give it a try. After some physical therapy in which I did gain a little bit of flexibility I was encouraged. Fortunately, a friend had taken classes with Valerie and said she was gentle and very understanding, so I took the plunge and signed up. It has been really beneficial for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Learning how to stand up straight, how to breathe for relaxation, and having a scheduled time for meditation have all helped me feel better, and meanwhile I have also gained strength and some flexibility. I may never be photographed for Yoga Journal, but who knows? Maybe I will! Valerie and her classes have been such a blessing for me.
Lisa Wishon, a United Methodist Church ministerWhen I first started going to yoga I had many of the same misconceptions as a lot of people. I thought of yoga as a lot of meditation and chanting and definitely something that I would not be interested in pursuing…however my friend talked me into going and I fell in love immediately!! I have suffered from severe allergies and awful migraine headaches for many years and was hoping to find some form of a stress reliever that would help me cope with the migraines. Very shortly after start yoga I noticed a reduction in the number of migraines I was experiencing as well as overall less stress and muscle tension.
Tatia WootenI am a veteran yogi and have studied several yoga traditions with many teachers. Classes at Sunrise Yoga are enjoyable, informative, safe and very effective. We are indeed fortunate to have Valerie and her staff in our area. I look forward to taking full advantage of all that is offered at Sunrise Yoga. Please tell all of your friends and neighbors.
Larry SchonhofenAbout 10 months ago, I decided that getting older did not have to mean that I would continue losing the flexibility that I had in my younger years. I saw an ad that Valerie had placed and decided I would try yoga. At that point, I did not know anyone who was involved in yoga classes. My first yoga session of 8 weeks was restorative yoga and I was hooked. I would leave restorative yoga feeling so relaxed, no stress and just "plain" feeling good about myself. During restorative yoga, we learned to relax in the moment and to have our mind in class rather than thinking about the world outside.
Kay MillerI started taking yoga for my back. I have scoliosis, and after having two surgeries (one to put rods in and one to take them out) my back muscles were incredibly tight and weak. I was desperate to find something that would help to stretch my muscles out and increase my flexibility (which is nearly non-existent). Yoga has helped do just that; I am able to get through a day without lots of pain, and I can stretch more than before. Yoga has also helped me be more aware of my body and its uniqueness. Even though my poses don’t look like most people’s, I am learning what they should look like for my body.
Vicki JohnsonSo often we think about exercising to help sculpt or shape our bodies and improve our cardiovascular system. Yoga does this along with so much more! It helps me stay healthy and energized. I love the idea that the poses work parts of my body that I never consciously took care of before. For instance when I am doing poses like twists I am stimulating my kidneys and liver and massaging all the muscles up and down my spine. I am caring for my body on the inside as well as the outside and it's amazing how wonderful I feel after a yoga class.
Karen HoglundA co-worker of mine recently commented that I have become much more centered. I attribute this fully to yoga. I have regained flexibility that I had lost. What surprised me was the physical strength that I am gaining. I just love it!
Susanne MinceyMy initial attraction to yoga was the gains in flexibility I thought I could have. I quickly found that the benefits of yoga were much more than bending over to touch my toes. Yes, I have had great gains in increased flexibility, increased strength, and improved fitness levels. But more importantly, I have gained an overall sense of well-being and an improvement to my quality of life. The mental benefits have included the ability to treat myself compassionately which was the turning point for me to get a handle on my depression and weight issues.
Jolynn LloydAs a personal chef, I am on my feet for long hours during my work day. Classes at Sunrise have helped me to develop my own “mini-practice” that I perform when I get home from work that counteracts the negative impact, and reduces the back and foot pain that I had been experiencing. Overall, my posture and balance have improved, and I am learning to accept and work within the limitations of my body to avoid injury.
Liz ReddingAt 87, my mother has arthritis in her back and knees and was beginning to stop doing things because of her pain. Having always been an active and independent person, she had begun to get depressed about her health situation. Since working with Valerie at Sunrise Yoga and beginning water aerobics, she gets up and down from a seated position with much less effort. Her balance and posture have both improved, and she is stronger overall. And, most importantly, she has better attitude about her health - she is learning to accept the things she cannot change and work on the things she can.
Liz Redding: about her mother, AnneAlong with the obvious gains in flexibility, lower stress and overall muscular strengthening, Yoga has brought me to a place where I see things around me differently. I’m far less likely to be bothered by trivial issues that may pop up throughout my day. I am more likely to focus on only those things I know I have control of; not worrying about things that are out of my reach. I also have become increasingly aware of the need and benefits of taking time out of my day for me.
Joseph DixYoga is a gift that I give myself. I’ve said that yoga came and found me, instead of the other way around. I’ve been learning about and practicing yoga for only about 9 months, and I often wish I’d begun as a much younger person. However, I think it’s likely that in my 20’s or 30’s I wouldn’t have been ready to learn the lessons that yoga has for me now, a woman in my 50’s.
Karen KimbrellIf I don't take time to care for myself, I don't care for my family very well. Yoga has helped me deal with some anger management issues and I have a better attitude. Valerie, I'm glad I found you! You have helped me to think about things in a different way and taught me how to deal with stress by using things I learn in class!
Karen EaglestonI started taking yoga classes for the stress-relieving benefits. But once I got into it, I quickly found that my strength and flexibility improved. The strength gains surprised me most of all … I thought I had to go to the gym to lift weights to gain strength. But I now feel stronger than I did when I was going to the gym 3 days per week.
Lorri LivengoodYoga has been more than just another fitness class for me. It creates a deeper mind/body connection. I have a greater sense of peace and ease than I did prior to taking yoga. I have also gained greater body awareness. The stress reduction benefits have helped me in dealing with coworkers, the public (as part of my job), and family.
Sandra WellsAs a teacher and belly dancing performer, I find that dancing and yoga work together very well. They make each other better through the flexibility, balance, and coordination I gain from each of them.
Teresa DickersonAfter practicing yoga once a week for the past 7 weeks, I have already noticed a difference in my posture and I feel stronger in my back. I am a cyclist, and I notice this improvement in that I can ride more in the drops of the bike without discomfort.
John MyrickMy husband says I am happier after yoga class.
Diane BattlesI have regained flexibility I had lost from running 3-4 days per week. From working with my aging parents, I have learned the importance of staying flexible throughout life. I have also improved my body alignment with activities such as weeding in the garden and picking up heavy objects.
Kay TriplettAlthough I have not been an athletic person, yoga classes are easy to follow and give me a good workout. I am much more aware of my posture, and learning good body alignment and mechanics has made gardening easier. I am more balanced with daily activities: for example, I am conscious of not overusing my right arm to carry groceries. The biggest change I've experienced from yoga is sleeping much better. Even when I do have nights where I struggle to fall asleep, I practice a breathing technique I learned in class that puts me right to sleep!
Holly WhiteIt is a great stress relief. I have increased range of motion in my joints with yoga. I feel that my movements are comfortable and not ‘locked’. Yoga has helped emotionally and spiritually. I am aware of my movements and alignment more. It helps me relax during the day when I am most tense.
Lynne SandlerI have found a supportive, caring community at Sunrise Yoga. I don’t feel anonymous and have gotten to know people here. I have always felt comfortable here and enjoy the smaller classes with personal attention. I try to use the relaxation and breathing techniques that I learned in class in daily life as well. My shoulder problems from a year and a half ago are much improved. I have become very aware of her posture and body alignment; I am more aware of places in my body where I carry tension. And I am even more aware of balancing movements in daily life so that I am not always right-dominant.
Nancy ThornburgMy kids were in the high school band, so you can imagine how many band concerts I sat through. The bleachers are hard, uncomfortable, and without back support. Normally, I would shift around for 2 hours during a concert with back and backside pain. After having been a student of yoga for some time, I sat through my first concert without any discomfort and with good posture. Why do I take yoga classes? because I like the way it makes me feel.
Denise HolmesYoga gives me complete sense of well being. The practice in yoga of focusing the mind is very helpful. When I find that my thoughts are no longer jumping around in Savasana (corpse pose), for example, it feels good to not be a worry-wart for a change. The classes have been a fully positive experience. I enjoy that I can do my best at my own level and not compare myself to others in the class. I leave feeling positive about life: the problems are still there, but I can handle them better. I feel like the classes are tailored to me: Each class is adapted to who is there that day.
Steve GonzalesI can always tell a difference between the nights I go to yoga class and the nights I don't. I sleep so much better after yoga.
Linda TaylorYoga is a comfort and a way to treat my body as a friend not an enemy. It is not about appearance; it is never negative. I have learned focus and to lose nagging thoughts while practicing. Yoga is a place where I can surrender the ego and be myself. I love that it is non-competitive yet I still challenge myself but not to the point of hurting myself.
Susan VaughanYoga is the ultimate act of self-love. My yogic practice colors and textures every aspect of my life, allowing me to remain calm, and peaceful, and caring in a world that is often hectic, and noisy, and uncaring. When people ask me what my secret is, I tell them it's no secret and it's no mystery; it's yoga!
Judy IsaksenI have a bone density scan done every two years. During this last two year period, the only change I made was to start weekly yoga classes. I just got the results back from the test, and my bone density actually increased from two years ago! I attribute that to the weight bearing and strength-building yoga poses I’ve been doing.
Susan BarkerSteve [her husband] and I have both really appreciated having you as an instructor. You have such patience for those of us who are new to yoga but want to learn! By example, you teach all aspects of yoga.
Judy KennedyI think the biggest benefit to me is the flexibility. I tend to get very tight in my quads, hamstrings, and upper back when riding my bicycle. As much as I know better, I just don't work on my flexibility very much on my own. Going to a class, especially one like yours, where we really focus on position and relaxation into stretches has been wonderful for my overall flexibility, addressing some issues I was beginning to have with my quads, and generally getting me to relax. The other thing that I am beginning to notice is a balancing of antagonist muscles. I think that most people tend to overdevelop one set of muscles which leads to injury. Yoga is helping me with this.
Lynn BerryThe biggest benefit that I have received from being in the class is the increased flexibility. Prior to participating in the class, I had reoccurring back problems (pain, stiffness, etc.) especially after longer or more intense bicycle rides. While I occasionally still have some problems, they are not nearly as frequent. In addition, there are a lot of exercises that we do in class that I can use outside of class if I do have problems. I would definitely say the class has helped.
Michael BerryYoga is such a part of who I am now, it's like breathing - I couldn't do without it. The first time that I noticed the specific benefits of yoga, I was at work and bent over to pick up something off the floor. When I sat back upright, I realized that I wasn't in pain from that movement. I had been taking classes for only about 4 months.
Lori BeltonI absolutely love the atmosphere at your studio. It's about personal experience, growth, community and triumph in the practice. Thanks again for such a great place to come.
Katie SellersComment for a Kids Yoga Birthday Party: I can't say enough good things about my son's birthday party at Sunrise Yoga, it was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. Sandra went the extra mile in every way, including meeting with my son to get a feel for his personality and what he liked best about yoga. The studio makes a lovely and peaceful party setting. We were able to enjoy birthday cake outside in the courtyard area, which was very pleasant. The yoga portion of the party was absolutely incredible, the children were totally focused and intent from beginning to end.
Susie GatlandYoga is beneficial and improves the quality of my life. It gives me a better attittude to deal with the 'stuff' in life that I can't control
Cathy HoweYoga has been a whole refocusing for me. It has led me to an inner peace I didn’t think I’d have as a cancer survivor.
Joanne JacovecI went walking last Sunday morning with a friend of mine. She is very fit, active, health conscience, etc. We walked for a little over two hours. My friend e-mailed me yesterday to say that she was still sore!! Wow, I didn't feel a thing because I went home and did yoga stretches!!!
Cathy HoweI sleep better, have better posture, am more patient with people, and have learned how to breathe correctly. Sometimes I'll think about not going to class becuase I'm too tired or too busy, but then 5 minutes into class I am soooo thankful I came!
Kristina Lineback
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