I hope you're having a great week! We're so happy to see more and more people getting back into their yoga groove and coming into class the past couple of weeks. It's always so nice to see familiar faces we haven't seen in a while. If we haven't seen you in a little bit, come back and see us! :)
We have quite a few things going on at the studio right now!
ADA Compliance
We felt a responsibility to make our space fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Accessible after learning about the many challenges people with disabilities face when trying to navigate public spaces. While it's the law that all public spaces must be ADA compliant, the law is not widely enforced. A big thank you to Accessible Yoga, and Ryan McGrawin particular, for bringing this to our attention.
Just yesterday we completed all the requirements to claim full ADA compliance for our studio. We were already easily wheelchair accessible, with handicap parking, ramps from the parking lot to the building, and an elevator in the building. When we designed our space back in 2013, we planned doorways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, a wide hallway, big bathrooms, grab bars, accessible sinks, and lever-style doorknobs. And of course our platforms makes all kinds of sitting and lying postures accessible for people who have a hard time getting down on the floor.
All we needed to do to become fully compliant was to add the required room signage with braille for both studio rooms and both bathrooms, which is now done. It took just a little awareness and a little effort to make our space fully accessible to anyone who'd like to come in and practice yoga with us, and as you know, we want EveryBody to feel welcome at The Yoga Room.
We're Hiring!
Are you interested in working part time at The Yoga Room? We're looking for one or two friendly people to run our front desk on weekday mornings from 8:00 - 12:00. If you'd like to join our team (or know someone perfect who might), please click here to read more about what the job entails. We're accepting applications through Wednesday, June 19th!
Going to India
On a personal note, I wanted to let you know that I'm heading back to India on July 4 to begin the 500+ hour Yoga Therapy program at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. This is the same school where I completed the 500+ hour Yoga Teacher Training Program in August of last year. I'm really honored to have been selected to attend the training and I'm looking forward to formally learning about how to use the tools of yoga for individualized therapeutic applications.
I'll keep you updated about my travel and my learnings through this newsletter and through our Facebook page. Please feel welcome to reach out at any time if there's a particular topic you'd like me to discuss or address.
See you soon!
What We Learned at the Accessible Yoga Conference + Parking Lot Announcement
Pictured: Cherie Hotchkiss, yoga teacher at Your Own Gentle Approach in Minnesota.
Last weekend I traveled to St. Louis for the Accessible Yoga Conference. What is Accessible Yoga? It's yoga that is taught in such a way that all people can participate. Accessible Yoga is inclusive of all people - people with visible and invisible disabilities, people with all body shapes, people of all ages, people of all sexual orientations, people of color, people of all religions, and people of all socio-economic backgrounds.
And while The Yoga Room has always been about Yoga for EveryBody, I still learned a lot at the conference. I learned A LOT about disability rights, I learned how to make yoga accessible and beneficial for people with spine injuries and paralysis. I learned about the importance of accessible spaces. And I felt really blessed to hear yoga teachers and yoga therapists from around the world speak about how they make yoga accessible for their students.
It was an incredible experience to be in community with hundreds of yoga teachers and yoga therapists who share our belief that EveryBody can practice yoga. I felt like everyone I met became my new friend.
Stay tuned for more to come about Accessible Yoga!
LAST CALL FOR WEEKEND WORKSHOPS!
We've got some great programming coming up this weekend! Click here for details and/or to register for any of the following...
Mindfulness for Kids, Saturdays 9:15 - 10:00 a.m.
Yoga for Headaches & Migraines, Sundays 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
Yoga for School Teachers - Sundays 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
PARKING LOT REFINISHING PROJECT
We've been notified by our landlord that they will be refinishing the parking lot sometime in the next few weeks, depending on weather. If you arrive to our building and find the parking lot blocked off, please know that you can park anywhere in the complex and come on up.
We hope to see you this weekend!