“Your left fascia will thank you!”
A look at my (very appropriate) sloth yoga mat before class started.
I should start this post by saying I am not super versed in yoga nor have I ever used the word fascia in a sentence before (that was the first, actually). I do own yoga pants and a mat, but neither of these items have made it to a yoga class.
When I heard HSCA was launching Karma Yoga classes in 2020, I was excited. It was accessible (a short walk from my place with a suggested donation of $5—Calgary Dollars are also accepted) and didn’t require a huge commitment (classes are offered on a drop-in basis).
Last Wednesday, a few of my HSCA colleagues and I made our way to the gym for the very first class. Still recovering from that post-holiday fatigue, I expected the class to be a challenging one. Especially since most of my movement over the holiday season consisted of either scrolling through the ‘trending’ section of Netflix or reaching for a puzzle piece (my husband and I really got into puzzles during the holidays).
The class was an Athletic Yoga Flow (running every Wednesdays 10-11 am in the gym) and instructed by Lisa K. Lisa is a resident of Hillhurst Sunnyside and passionate about our community and offers restorative yoga therapy and massage out of her home studio (Sunnyside Bodyworks) in Sunnyside (check out Lisa’s bio on our Facebook event page to find more about her studies and approach). Within the first few minutes of the class, we were moving through sequences and focusing on our breath. Lisa explained the intention behind each pose which I really appreciated—especially when the pose felt extra challenging for me (I need a reason to do a difficult or uncomfortable pose even if I don’t completely know what and where my left fascia is). There were several poses intended to counteract sitting at a desk (perfect for me) and Lisa gave great descriptions and demonstrations of how to maximize the poses. Before we went into Shavasana (my favourite part!) my body was warm, and I was reminded of all the muscles in my core. I felt great after the class and am looking forward to attending the other Karma classes offered at HSCA, including Pilates Infused Core and Mindful Yin. Check out the times below or go to the HSCA website for more details. I’m happy to say my yoga pants and mat have been utilized for a yoga class and I’m confident (after a quick google search and chat with Lisa) my left (and right) fascia is feeling thankful.
By Stephanie Corbett
