Westport, CT (PRWEB) August 13, 2013

On September 1, 2013, yogi and Westporter Merri Mueller will open M3 Yoga Studio at 44 Main Street in downtown Westport amidst a celebration of live music, food and a sample of yoga classes, all for free. The complimentary classes will continue all week with the regular schedule and moving forward anyone new to M3 Yoga Studio will be able to join for 30 days for $30.

The opening day schedule starts at 9 a.m. at Lululemons Westport retail location on Main Street where Mueller will lead a class and M3 Yoga Studio will be the stores yoga studio of the month. Then classes move to M3 Yoga Studio at 44 Main Street for the remainder of the day. Classes will each be 45 minutes, giving people a chance to try something new or simply try M3 Yoga; the schedule is:

10:00 a.m. Gentle: Perfect for anyone interested in releasing tension and being more grounded, this class helps athletes, people with injuries or restrictions, seniors, pregnant women, cancer survivors, spinners, runners, relieve tightness and stress. 11:00 a.m. Basics: For beginners, this is an introduction to yoga positions. For the more experienced, this is a chance to refine their positions and attain better alignment. 12:00 p.m. Soul Flow: This class is ideal for anyone looking to lengthen, strengthen and meditate through movement. 4:00 p.m. Vinyasa: M3 Yogas version of the well-known yoga style; it is open to all students who want to move a little faster, holding poses longer and create internal heat. 5:00 p.m. Meditation: Wind down the day with restorative yin poses to deeply relax and rejuvenate the body and mind. 6:00 p.m. Treats and Live Music: Join Mueller for a reception with live music by Scott Williams.

Exemplifying ying yang balance, M3 Yoga Studio will provide space for both socializing and inner reflection. Beyond yoga classes, M3 Yoga Studio is creating a community with social gatherings, workshops, guest teachers, community events and fundraisers. M3 Yoga Studios class schedule provides a range of intensity for varying levels of experience and goals.

M3 Yoga brings people together in a way that supports, nourishes and inspires, says Mueller, who has RT-500 certification and has been practicing yoga for 15 years. I want my students to use yoga to challenge their bodies, open their minds and hearts, and draw deeply into movement and stillness. Our new studio will offer unique and inviting classes that cater to all needs, interests, and ages. All of our classes have inspiring music and creative, experienced teachers.

Mueller, who earned her RYT-500 (registered yoga teacher), started practicing yoga 15 years ago, and has been teaching for the past four years. Mueller was one of the original instructors at Kaia Yoga in Westport, where she has been teaching for the past three years. Yoga has been a factor in her personal inner growth and physical strength, and her passion grew when she realized she could impact the world around her as a teacher. When friends and moms of young children close to her got sick with cancer, she decided to earn her certification in yoga for cancer survivors and started working with cancer patients. Mueller teaches yoga at the Center of Survivorship in Southport, CT and has spearheaded several fundraisers. She created a yoga support group through the Cesar Batalla Family Resource Center in Bridgeport and supports cancer survivors in Bridgeport through the CT Challenge. She is married and a mom of two boys, both of whom practice yoga, are strong athletes, and have supported her fundraising efforts by completing 108 Sun Salutations for the past three years.

About M3 Yoga Studio The goal of M3 Yoga Studio is to bring people together in a way that supports, nourishes and inspires. Through yoga classes and a strong M3 Yoga community, students will be encouraged to challenge their bodies, open their minds and hearts, and draw deeply into movement and stillness. Classes include Gentle, Soul Flow, Vinyasa and Chill, which is comprised of 30 minutes of Vinyasa and 30 minutes of restorative poses. Most classes are for all levels, offering safe and comfortable sequences for first timers and new practitioners while providing challenging and interesting options for seasoned yogis. M3 Yoga Studio, which is located on the third floor of 44 Main Street in downtown Westport, CT, was founded by Merri Mueller, who has RT-500 certification and is certified to work with cancer patients. For more information, go to http://www.m3yogawestport.com or follow us on Facebook M3 Yoga Westport and Twitter Merri Mueller - @M3yogawestport.

Read more:
Popular Westport Yoga Instructor Opens M3 Yoga Studio

CHICAGO Ten yoga mats, foam support blocks and a qualified instructor awaited the women who filed quietly into the recreation room, slipped off their shoes and stood in place on the mats, prepared for the stretching routine to begin.

The only remarkable element among the trappings of this beginners yoga class was its location: Inside the barbed wire fence of the Cook County Jail. The women prepared to stretch were inmates. Instead of yoga pants, they wore Department of Corrections-issued pink and gray uniforms.

Yoga and meditation sessions have been a mainstay in the womens jail for six years, since a group of volunteers from a local nonprofit that encourages yoga as an element of rehabilitation started showing up, mats in tow, and leading classes for all female inmates, said Alisa Kannett, an administrator for the nonprofit group Yoga for Recovery.

For years correctional facilities across the country have been implementing yoga workshops and programs, sometimes at the urging of inmates, and the trend is growing, said Gabriella Savelli, director of Prison S.M.A.R.T. The group has helped implement yoga programs at 36 correctional facilities in 21 states, including at a mens boot camp in Cook County and Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill.

Prisoners participating in yoga may see psychological benefits, such as reduced stress and improved mood, according to a study published this summer by scholars at Oxford University.

Researchers found that prisoners who embarked on a 10-week yoga course also showed greater accuracy in a computer test of impulsivity and attention. But it doesnt require an academic study to know that, for some inmates, practicing yoga just feels good.

As the 10 women in one of the jails residential programs stretched their arms and breathed deeply at a recent session, their satisfied sighs and comments during the class made that clear.

Lovely. That was cool, said Kristy Montgomery, 29, after completing a tree pose.

Like many of the women in Montgomerys division, she has a history of substance abuse and prostitution, and the weekly class is healing, she said.

Every time, my body feels lighter. My mind feels lighter and feels freer.

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Yoga for prison inmates is no longer a stretch