Relax while getting in shape
Chesterville’s Meghann Gervais-Lynch shows the Reverse Warrior yoga pose at the Maple Ridge Centre where she will begin teaching classes on Sept. 4. Classes are filling quickly, check out her website at www.health girl.ca. Moore photo
Health Girl yoga studio will open on Tues., Sept 8, and instructor, Meghann Gervais-Lynch is pumped to help people as her way of giving back to the community after she was helped immensely when she moved to Chesterville. Lynch has been practicing yoga for 16 years and has alway been into athletics since a very young age. Here she demonstrates the Warrior II pose. Moore photo
Jeff Moore
Record Staff
MAPLE RIDGE—Meghann Gervais-Lynch has always had a flare for athletics. Starting at just age three she was into gymnastics and by the age of eight she was competing. She eventually grew out of gymnastics and in school she played volleyball, track and field and she played some hockey as a goaltender.
Lynch was also into horseback riding and after school was done she became a photographer and a few other little jobs here and there. The Merrickville native found some of the jobs were just too stressful and she wasn’t getting the exercise she desired.
That was until she discovered a tape/DVD she found at the old movie store chain, Blockbuster, named Yoga Journal, Yoga for Beginners by Patricia Walden, 16 years ago. She began following the video and discovered her life was slowly being transformed and she began to get back into shape.
After awhile she was able to do the whole video in one session. She went back to work but always found her way back to yoga. She then joined a studio in Kemptville, Bodihi Tree Yoga Centre. After a short time her instructor asked if she would like to be an instructor. She immediately said “yes” despite it being an expensive venture but between her and her husband they figured out how to finance it.
Lynch completed a 200-hour course for teaching yoga and mindful of meditation. She is going to take a further 300-hour course this September to up her qualifications. Four years ago, the couple then built a house in Chesterville and moved into the community.
She found that people in Chesterville were really friendly and helpful. She said, “the community has been so good to me and doing this is my way of paying them back.” Through yoga, Lynch says she will help people get into shape and learn how to relax.
She will run various courses the first is a chair yoga class for people with mobility issues. Chair yoga allows you to do a very gentle series of stretches using a chair for stability. The second class is a beginner Hatha class which is designed with a little more physical practice.
The beginner classes build stability, strength and flexibility and the exercises change every session to get at all muscles and tendons. Beginner Yin classes which feature ground work, are a little more difficult as the stretch is held for a much longer time for up to three minutes. Yin also has meditative and restorative features to learn how to relax as you stretch.
This workout is compared to an incredible gym workout without the soreness. Lynch says, after doing this class your sleeping will noticeably improve. As the classes become more challenging the stretches will be held from three to 10 to 15 minutes helping support for posture.
Yin also concentrates on slowing yourself down by breathing while you stretch. Lynch will premiere six classes per week beginning with Monday and Friday mornings, Saturday mornings, Monday and Thursday evenings.
The Health Girl yoga classes will be one hour long and will be held in Room 15, at the Maple Ridge Centre across from North Dundas District High School beginning Tues., Sept. 4. There will be a special workshop for horseback riders on Fri., Sept. 21.
There will be other specialized classes to see. If you would like to join one check out her calendar on her website at www.healthgirl.ca. Lynch adds, “this is not a religion it is a 5,000 year old practice to live well and healthy.” Participants must be 18 years old or over.
