family ~ friends ~ community ~ support

A testimonial:​     From the very first YES class I took with Christine Shaw, I felt I was in a place that was so far away from my real life of stress and worry that it was magical.  But that’s exactly what it’s like.  During the deep breathing, the aroma therapy, the mindful meditation, the inspirational readings, the gentle, restorative yoga poses, I sense my body and mind are healing—and I didn’t even know I needed to be healed.      I experimented with Yoga classes over the years and never liked it.  I never found the peace, relaxation, and spirituality I was looking for.  Something was missing—those classes were just pose after pose to try to stay in shape.  It had no meaning.  So when my friend asked me to attend a YES class I had my doubts.  But now, after eight classes, I have a new world-view.  I’m doing something for myself so that I am then able to help others in my life.  Making this time for myself gives me the ability to act with greater balance, especially when encountering stress or pain.      We all carry around at least some emotional and psychological tension; some degree of stress; some kind of trauma either physical , emotional, or both.  In my case, I was feeling the stress of the demands of caring for my 92 year old mother and also dealing with a Stage 3 kidney disease.      The Yes class is teaching me a great deal about what is most difficult for me to recognize and come to terms with from the past—and how I might approach the hurt with kindness to myself. We start class by pronouncing  something we are grateful for and then set an intention—such as “I want to work on patience this week.”  So during the week outside of class, I focus on that.  My husband says he notices a change in me as I work on these issues.      Besides letting go, being grateful, and setting an intention, the class is filled with inspirational readings, aroma therapy, and relaxation poses that are gentle and restorative.  It’s like Christine is talking directly to me, and I am soaking in the positive energy and the stress and worry in my life are melting away. This class helps me see, feel, and believe in my wholeness (even though I only have a fraction of my kidney function) and mends my wounds.  Through this class, I’m learning that my body, my mind, and my heart are resources for healing.  The YES class promotes this healing.      When I do deep breathing and meditation in class, it is a time of inner peace and renewal.  I practice at home and see greater clarity in my life. I’m learning to be mindful of the constant chatter in my mind and to be non-judging when I let it go.       Each of us has to face our own particular life circumstances and cope with them.  The Yes program is one way to develop coping skills.  Christine teaches many  coping skills that class members can take with them and use outside the yoga studio.     Just attending this program for eight weeks has made me calmer, less reactionary, more patient, more compassionate, and more accepting of myself as I am.  It has made me slow down and breathe.  YES helps us come to terms with things as they are in our lives, and that’s the definition of healing.      ~Annette