If it seems like yoga is everywhere you look these days, you aren’t mistaken, and Thompsonites are taking up the activity in locations all over town.
Kylie Matechuk opened Mo Tus Nua Wellness in Thompson because she loved the feeling after yoga, and wanted others to feel the same way. “Yes, doing yoga increases your flexibility, strengthens major muscles, and connective tissues and all that awesome physical stuff that draws us to it, but, wow, the mental benefits are indescribable. You have a new hunger for living. I knew I couldn’t live without that feeling, and I wanted to share that with everyone else, because of that feeling. I want everyone to feel good about their life, and yoga, I promise, will help you feel that. Maybe for the first time in your life, or maybe to find it again.”
People do yoga for different reasons, but one of the most important reasons is because it’s a mind-body connection, and a holistic practice. Matechuk says it’s a way for someone to release the negative energy within while strengthening his or her body.
The Thompson Public Library has also joined in on the yoga movement. Library assistant Amanda Sanders says children participating in story time in April were practising yoga. Matechuk visits the library once a month and teaches a class, and Sanders says she even leads a class here and there.
The story time group took part in the Mo Tus Nua’s Spring Into Yoga Challenge. Matechuk started this challenge at the beginning of April. “Our yoga challenge #MoTusNuaSpringIntoYoga has surpassed our expectations. Our goal is to connect everyday average people with yoga. We want people to realize that everyone can do yoga. No matter your size, gender, age or ability. All you need is someone who can take a picture or video of you, and post it on social media along with the challenge rules. A yoga challenge on social media connects people in a really fun way. We’ve had people from as far as Milwaukie join our challenge.”
Sanders says yoga gives the children a good break from the usual books and crafts during Thursday and Saturday story time. “It gets them thinking about mindfulness, proper breathing and most importantly what their body is capable of when they challenge themselves and break out of their comfort zone. I find that the first few times we did yoga in the library the kids were really shy and hesitant to try the poses, but at this point the kids get excited and are eager to try the poses. When Kylie comes in she has such a great talent of bringing in a story that has a great lesson to it, and teaching the kids fun songs and poses that they just love! Also here at the library we are all about bringing literacy to children in different formats, and sometimes that is incorporated with physical activity of some sort, working the body and the mind, which are fundamentals in yoga.”
The library has added a large number of yoga-related books to the junior section, and Sanders says yoga might even be added to the summer reading program.
But if that’s not enough yoga for Thompson there’s more being offered. Classes have been offered at R.D. Parker Collegiate and Juniper Elementary School, and take place at St. James Anglican Church on Tuesday and Thursdays. Linda Toews, instructor for those classes, say it’s about teaching others what she’s learnt. “When I listen, my yoga practice has shown me where fears hide and where love resides. Yoga invites me to be present every day, to pay attention, to let go of what I don’t need anymore, to flow with life and not struggle against what is. My physical and mental suffering have been greatly reduced. I hold yoga classes to pass on the teachings that have been given to me in hopes that they may make a difference in another being’s life.”
