Try some chair yoga at the library

The library has been offering the Chair Yoga for All program for a few years, and it has been a consistently popular program. Chair yoga is performed while seated or while standing next to a chair for support. It includes gentle movement practice, relaxation techniques, and breathing practices, and it is believed to reduce pain, increase energy, restore balance, and improve your attitude and quality of life.

The program is led by Carolyn Ripp, who has taught a variety of fitness classes in addition to being a registered nurse since 1984. She is a registered yoga teacher and an Usui level 2 Reiki certified healer. Ripp owns The Nest Wellness Studio, in the First National building at Arch Street and Avenue C in the West End of Cloquet. I asked Carolyn a few questions about her yoga teaching.

QWhat has your journey with yoga practice and teaching yoga been like?

AI have been teaching yoga since 2006, and I opened the first yoga studio, The Nest Wellness Studio, in Cloquet in 2015.

I enjoy working with people holistically in body/mind/spirit. Our culture encourages us to go to one place for the body, to one place to feed our soul, and someplace else for emotional belonging and support. Yoga teaches us that by integrating body, mind, and spirit, we learn how our feelings can get stuck in our bodies — so we end up with ‘issues in our tissues,’ so to speak. Yoga encourages us to be the observer of our thoughts, our hearts, and our bodies.

We bring our own beliefs to our practice and deepen them. We learn to listen to our hearts and explore things that weigh us down, prevent us from being our best selves and darken the heart, such as jealousy, fear, sadness, anger and resentment.

Q Can people with limited physical capability still practice chair yoga?

AChair yoga is accessible to many. We do offer a 5-to-10-minute segment in class where we stand and work on balance, range of motion, stretching, and strengthening, but being a wheelchair user should not discourage you from attending. We work around them and easily adjust what works for those who have difficulty standing. If you’ve ever wondered about trying yoga — and have some limitations getting up and down from the floor as with a regular class — consider taking chair yoga. It’s a wonderful way to spend 45 minutes of your day.

The program is open to everyone. If you are interested in joining us, please drop by in comfortable clothes. Chair yoga classes began on Wednesday, 11-11:45 a.m., and will continue on Wednesdays Oct. 18 and Nov. 1, 8, and 15. Then winter sessions will resume in January.