St. Thomas University Wellness Committee has organized Yoga, Pilates, and dance classes starting this week at the JB O’Keefe Fitness Centre.
Fully certified Yoga and Pilate’s teacher Zsuzsanna Szabo-Nyarady who is also a movement and dance educator will be hosting three classes in the basketball-court area of the gym.
Creative Dance for Children class begins Jan. 9 and will run until Mar. 19.
The class is aimed at developing children’s coordination, balance, body awareness and musicality. Elements of ballet, yoga, modern dance and directed movement improvisation are conducted in a playful design.
“It’s a basic intro to dance for the little ones,” said Szabo-Nyarady. “They can be bran-new to dance, or experienced, but it’s not necessary. They get introduced to dance in a fun, creative setting.”
Yoga Dance classes begin Jan. 10 to Mar. 20.
“It is a Yoga based dance class that works with the Chakra system that corresponds to glands in the body and energy,” said Szabo-Nyarady.
“Chakra system is Yoga philosophy,” she said. “If there is blocked energy in different areas of the body it will release some of that.”
The class will also focus on stretching, releasing muscle, standing postures for balance, and breathing—for body, mind and spirit.
Yoga and Pilates begins Jan. 12 to Mar. 17.
It is mostly a matt class with the use of small equipment; stability balls, magic circles, and foam rollers.
“It’s mostly for core and body strength. It focuses on breath in special ways,” said Szabo-Nyarady. The class also focuses on flexibility and balance.
In all of Szabo-Nyarady’s classes the equipment will be provided but she recommends that participants wear comfortable clothing. She advises that the gym may get cold so bring something with layers if you get hot during the class you will be able to take a layer off.
Szabo-Nyarady believes that great benefits can come from attending her classes.
“Our bodies are designed for movement. We need to move or we get sick—especially (being) mind-full, where we pay attention to our movement,” said Szabo-Nyarady.
Szabo-Nyarady would like to see more students and faculty taking these classes. “It’s reasonably priced and it’s already here,” she said.
Each course cost $90 and $80 for students. Drop in classes are $15 and $10 for students except for the Creative Dance for Children which is $90.
Taylor Hoyt said it sounds expensive at face value, “but would probably spend that at Tim Hortons or the liquor store anyway.”
Hoyt is a student at STU who attended Szabo-Nyarady’s free introductory class Jan. 7.
“It was good, I’d like to go back. I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Hoyt. “She tried to incorporate all of the three classes into one class. It was cool, it was a little bit of everything. The yoga was my favorite part,” said Hoyt.
Athletics Coordinator Jennifer Burry also attended the free introductory class. She said the Fitness Centre wants to promote health and wellness to the students, staff, and faculty members at STU.
“Whether you are recovering from an injury, stress, it all depends on what you want to do,” said Burry. “Imagine what it does to those at the athletic level. Doctors will recommend Pilates and Yoga for recovery.”
“We wanted a Yoga program and started one in 2008. What we learned was that there is so many types of Yoga. Zsuzsa came to us with a certificate in Yoga and Pilates,” said Burry. “She’s been a great instructor. With her different certifications she has allowed us to expand the program.”
Burry values STU’s partnership with Szabo-Nyarady and said as long as the programs are growing, she plans on continuing them.
Burry said there was a great turnout in the past and the goal is to engage the STU population. “Any participation is better than no participation.”
Szabo-Nyarady said it determines what a person needs that determines what they will gain from attending her classes. “They can improve health, posture, flexibility, body awareness, range of motion, lung capacity, strength,” said Szabo-Nyarady which are just a few of the benefits when attending her classes.
Szabo-Nyarady received her undergrad at York University where she studied modern dance. She received a Pilate’s certificate from Body Harmonics in Toronto and gained a PhD in language. Szabo-Nyaradysaid she would like to see her classes offered as a credited class and expand if the interest is there.
After studying Yoga with a Yogi Master named Vishva from India, she began teaching Yoga as well. “Yoga is thousands of years old and Pilates is relatively new. They are natural companions to dance,” she said.
Yoga and Pilates class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Creative Dance for Children is on Saturdays; 10:30-11:00 a.m., 11:10-11:50 a.m., and 12:00-12:50 p.m. Yoga Dance class is Sunday at 1:30-2:30 p.m.
“21st century lifestyle is not rich in movement. We all need movement. We sit too much using phones, computers, driving—we need to balance it with movement,” said Szabo-Nyaradysaid.
