Twist into warrior, chair and cobra pose inside the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' historic rotunda for a special yoga program.

PAFA will extend its normal museum hours for three nights as part of its upcoming Yoga in the Rotunda series. The Tuesday classes will be held in the middle of an immersive art installation, which involves looping color videos with sound, to give attendees an experience they won't find in a traditional yoga studio. PAFA's landmark building, considered one of the best surviving examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in America, will also help in that department.

A different teacher will lead each class and lend its own theme. Eunmi Chang will host "Flow & Harmonic Vibrations" on April 30, followed by Lori McAlister with "From the Outside In" on May 7. Dave Hem closes the series out with his "3rd Eye Max" on May 14. All classes will begin at 6 p.m. and last 45 minutes though participants are welcome to explore the museum before and after their flows. It will be open 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to registered guests.

While Yoga in the Rotunda welcomes all experience levels, participants must be 18 years or older and bring their own mats. Advance registration is required.

April 30, May 7, May 14 6-6:45 p.m. | $25 adult admission Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 118-128 N. Broad St., Philadelphia

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PAFA will host yoga classes in its rotunda - PhillyVoice.com

Previous studies in correctional facilities have shown positive effects of yoga on inmates. They experience increased impulse control and improved mental health. Are the same positive results seen in detained individuals with severe psychiatric disorders? Now, the first results from a large national and globally unique research study in forensic psychiatry from the University West are presented.

It is the first scientific study of its kind to describe the effect and feasibility of trauma-adapted yoga in forensic psychiatry.

It is a breakthrough that we can now demonstrate the possibility of using yoga as a complementary care intervention in psychiatry and the positive effects it brings."

Nra Kerekes, Professor in Medical Sciences (Psychiatry) at the University West, and research leader of the study

The results of the study are now published in the prestigious scientific journal, Psychiatry Research.

"We wanted to explore whether previous positive results with the use of yoga in correctional facilities could be transferred to detained individuals suffering from severe psychiatric disorders. Therefore, we evaluated trauma-adapted yoga as a support within forensic psychiatry," says Nra Kerekes.

Forensic psychiatry deals with the complex challenges that arise at the intersection of psychiatric illness, legal issues, and security concerns.

"There are few high-quality clinical studies on individuals who have committed crimes and who have a serious mental disorder. What exists are either studies on inmates separately or studies of individuals suffering from various psychiatric disorders. For both of these groups, yoga has shown positive effects," says Nra Kerekes.

Self-choice was a central component in the study design, where 56 patients at various forensic psychiatric clinics chose to participate. Over 10 weeks, they either participated in specially developed yoga classes or chose to engage in other forms of physical activity. Throughout the study, changes in their mental health, emotional states, antisocial and aggressive behaviors, pain perception, substance cravings, and ability to control their behavior and emotional reactions were observed.

In the current study, the yoga group showed remarkable reductions in negative emotional states, anxiety, paranoid ideation, hostility, and overall psychological distress. These reductions were not observed in the group performing other forms of physical activities. Additionally, the yoga group exhibited a significant reduction in pain frequency, and showed strengthened self-control and accountability.

"We can conclude that trauma-iadapted yoga implemented in a forensic psychiatric setting demonstrates feasibility and results in several positive changes in patients' mental health, emotional states, pain, and self-control," says Nra Kerekes.

She continues:

"A structured program of trauma-adapted yoga for patients and training for healthcare personnel has been developed and has now been confirmed to be feasible and beneficial within forensic psychiatry."

Source:

Journal reference:

Kerekes, N. (2024). Exploring the Impact of Trauma-Adapted Yoga in Forensic Psychiatry: Midterm Findings and Insights.Psychiatry Research. doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115879.

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Study shows yoga's positive impact on emotional health in forensic psychiatry - News-Medical.Net

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Blame it on Jennifer Aniston. Ever since she lit up the screen as Rachel in the 90s, shes been a beacon of wellness inspiration for me. Jen and I are about the same age, although unlike me, she has remained sculpted with an enviable aura of serenity. Her secret, echoed repeatedly in interviews, includes the practice of yoga.

For many years, my idea of wellness meant going to the gyms spin class and getting my heart rate dangerously high while someone barked at me to tackle the mountain with ACDC blasting at unhealthy decibels. The music, the dark room, and the manic exercise delivered an incredible workout while drowning out whatever troubles I carried, at least for the duration of the class.

As I pedaled furiously, Id watch the yoga students saunter by, mats in hand, with a quiet calm that piqued my interest. They seemed to operate on a different wavelength.

Then four years ago, a fellow spinner and spry woman in her 60s coaxed me into attending my first yoga class. With no darkness or blaring tunes to hide behind, the room felt painfully quiet. We sat cross-legged in Sukhasana, focused on our breathing, and then brought our palms together in anjali mudra. I thought, This is easy enough.

Then we were instructed to come into a Low Lunge. Everyone around me appeared to effortlessly manifest their foot forward whereas I needed to take several lurches. From there, the seemingly simple act of lifting my hands, leaning back slightly, and taking a deep breath caused me to fall into a wobbly panic. My grounded knee ached from its tte--tte with the mat and a serious bout of imposter syndrome kicked in.

Although I felt clumsy and stiff in yoga, I am a competitor at heart. (That alone shows you why I need yoga.) So I made it a point to come to class twice a week. Each time it was hard. The poses I awkwardly practiced began shifting my bodyconditioned to move fast and hardto spaces that were quiet and slow.

At the end of one of those early Savasanas, I found myself engulfed in loud, uncontrollable sobs. The instructor approached and placed a hand on my shoulder while my body heaved and snot splattered on my mat. It happens more often than youd think, she whispered. My embarrassment gave way to a lighter sense of calm.

Six months later, when the world shut down, I no longer had access to a bike and wasnt willing to use my rainy day fund to buy a Peloton. My exercise regimen disappeared.

Remembering the surprising spiritual weightlessness those earlier sessions had provided, I had several transient flings with yoga. Id follow the encouraging instructions from a YouTube yoga instructor, knowing my movements looked nothing like hers. Id attempt Tree Pose, congratulating myself when I didnt knock over the living room lamp while my golden retriever watched with grave concern. A Childs Pose-induced peacefulness would sometimes make a cameo appearance, confirming that Jen and all other yoga enthusiasts had gotten something right.

But with life moving at full throttle again, Ive largely returned to my pre-yoga ways. That post-yoga serenity is still tempting, although Im more inclined to go to a hard spin class than roll out my yoga mat.

As an active participant in our rush-through-life culture, I find it easier to think wistfully about the positive effects of a regular yoga practice than to fully commit to being present with it. Yoga demands an alignment of mind and body whereas spinning lets me zone out and sweat it out. I can pedal through pain like a maniac, without a thought in the world. Spinning is less about accepting and more about escaping.

Still, I never stash my mat out of sight. Even if its just gathering dust, its present and available, a simple reminder that even amid the hectic pace of life, my 53-year-old self sometimes needs a dose of balance, and the ability to channel Jens seeming serenity, one pose at a time.

Excerpt from:
I'm a Longtime Student of Spin and I Swear Yoga is More Challenging. Here's Why. - Yoga Journal

QUINCY The public is invited to enjoy goat yoga hosted bythe Blessing Nurses Alumni Association in observation of 2024 National Nurses Week.

Goat Yoga will take place atBlessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences,3609 N. Marx Dr.,in Quincy on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m.

Similar to traditional yoga, participants will follow a teacher and perform different poses designed to enhance flexibility and strength. However, during goat yoga baby goats join in on the fun.

Goat yoga has proven to improve mental and physical health. According to scientific studies there are positive effects on our well-beings during human-animal interactions. Research shows spending time with animals can reduce stress and even alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

It will cost $30 for adults to participate and $14 for children 12 and under. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Each participant must sign a liability waiver at the start of the session. Participants need to bring their own yoga mat if they dont want to be directly on the grass, but it's not required to participate in the class.

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Blessing Nurses Alumni Association hosting goat yoga | Health | whig.com - Herald-Whig

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What's new at the Town Center at Boca Raton? Aritzia, Alo Yoga and other first-to-market brands - Palm Beach Post

(NBC News) The 2019 Xtreme Eating Awards are out, highlighting what the Center for Science in the Public Interest describes as nutritional nightmares.

Most of our award winners had a least an entire days calories, says CSPI senior nutritionist Lindsay Moyer.

Most people wouldnt consume four double cheeseburgers from Burger King, and a large Coke all at once, but its the caloric equivalent of one order of Top Golfs Injectible Donut Holes.

The Cheesecake Factorys Cinnamon Roll Pancakes clock in a 2,000 calories and 33 teaspoons of sugar.

Thats like eating 11 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, Moyer notes.

And its not just sweets.

Jimmy Johns 16-inch Gargantuan sub has more than 7,000 milligrams of sodium.

The big problem is over time, consuming a steady diet of these meals, or even typical restaurant food, raises the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart diseases, Moyer warns.

The Cheesecake Factory issued a statement saying in part that many guests want to celebrate and not be concerned with calories. Others want to share their dish.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2YtdAOF

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WNKY Events - Kids Yoga IN the Salt Cave - wnky.com

Editor's Note:This is an excerpt from WBUR's Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox,sign up here.

In the seven years since recreational cannabis waslegalized in Massachusetts, opportunities for adults to spark up socially have definitely grown more creative.

Maybe its a cannabis-enhanced yoga night. Or a pop-up supper club with an edible menu. Throughout the state, entrepreneurs and chefs have sought out to change the way adults in Massachusetts can consume cannabis. And in the process, theyve helped form enthusiastic communities focused on wellness, social support and culinary experimentation.

Its not something I necessarily saw coming when I started, said Sam Kanter, the owner of Dinner at Marys, a cannabis event and catering company. We have so many repeat clients and when people bring [their] friends, you really feel a community aspect.

Kanters companyprovides a weed-infused catering menu for private events and high-end meal boxes. But friendships really form at canna-yoga, which Dinner at Marys hosts twice a month. At this teacher-led yoga session, adult attendees pay $40 for class admission, which includes an optional gift of an edible or smokeable product to enjoy while exercising. (Businesses like Kanters operate in a bit of a legal gray area; whilecannabis cafes and other social consumption businesseshave still not been legalized in Massachusetts,state lawallows individuals to gift each other up to one ounce of marijuana.)

Its fun, and the combination of cannabis and yoga work really well together, said Kanter. Certainly, people interact with each other at [our] private events. But when it comes to community-building, canna-yoga does that best. Its open, its nonjudgmental, and its a beautiful community.

Making a space to congregate, connect and indulge was also the inspiration behindThe Summit Loungein Worcester. The Summit, which operates as aprivate club, adheres to a BYOC policy, since Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes remain in the works. (Its status as a private club also exempts the Summit fromstate laws against indoor smokingand marijuana use in most public places.)

To get access to the lounge, adults can pay a monthly fee of $30, annual fee of $300 or a cover charge of $10 each visit. There is also a cafe with a menuperfect for those who have a sweet tooth(or the munchies.) As of March, the club has around 10,000 members.

On a regular night, youll find 15 to 25 people, hanging out, smoking, chilling, connecting. If we have a club event going on, youll see about 60 people there, said Kyle Moon, the clerk at The Summit Lounge.

Moon doesnt use cannabis, but prides himself in being able to provide a space where people can come together. Id rather be focused on the social connection rather than the cannabis, said Moon.We have board game nights, Mario Kart competitions and potlucks.

Sacrilicious, a pop-up supper club from chef David Yusefzdeh, uses fine food to facilitate those social connections.

People come for the food. No matter where youre from, food is a big connector, said Yusefzdeh, who started experimenting with infused cooking while working as a chef in Chicago. Of course, it also helps that some of the ingredients used to cook the food loosen up guests for conversation. After two or three courses, even shy clientele open up a little bit, said Yusefzdeh.

Adults who buy tickets to one ofSacrilicious cannabis-friendly dinner partiesin Boston will pay $50 to enjoy a chef-inspired prix fixe menu with low doses of THC in each dish. Like Dinner at Marys, guests pay for dinner admission, and cannabis is technically gifted, not sold.

The chefs also hostresort getaways in Vermont, which are a bit more elevated compared to the dinner parties. Well invite eight guests, and cook [an infused] meal for each mealtime during the weekend its a true bed-and-breakfast kind of vibe, said Yusefzdeh. Guests at Sacrilicious events are welcome to opt for a cannabis-free dinner, so long as theyre excited to bond over food.

All three entrepreneurs look forward to a time when Massachusetts businesses focused on social cannabis consumption will be able to plant permanent roots. But ultimately, thats not their main goal.

I try to equate it to a bar, said Moon. You dont go to a bar necessarily to drink, but to connect with other individuals. You can buy a six pack and drink it by yourself. Thats drinking. I want people coming here because theyre interested in connecting with like-minded individuals. You can consume cannabis, but thats not the main purpose.

P.S. If youre wondering about the holdup with social consumption sites and when theyll actually arrive in Massachusetts, youll want tolisten toRadio Bostons recent conversation with Cannabis Control Commissioner Bruce Stebbins. According to Stebbins, well be hearing a lot more about social consumption over the course of this year.

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From yoga to fine dining, these Mass. cannabis businesses are lighting up marijuana-centered spaces - WBUR News

UNMC students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in UNMCs De-Stress Week celebration, which runs April 22-26. De-Stress Week will include free breakfast, therapy dogs, yoga and more.

The following is a list of De-Stress Week events on the Omaha campus:

Monday, April 22:

Tuesday, April 23:

Wednesday, April 24:

Thursday, April 25:

Friday, April 26:

A list of activities taking place on the other UNMC campuses can be found at this link.

Read more:
Snacks, dogs, yoga: De-Stress Week is April 22-26 - University of Nebraska Medical Center

For those of you who like to unwind, stretch it out, or take an active rest day, this ones for you.

Outside of the IM Building, State College is filled with numerous yoga studios. So, if youre looking for an escape or a good workout, we compiled some of the best places to do yoga in Happy Valley.

Located downtown on McAllister Alley, Yoga Lab offers indoor and outdoor classes with varying difficulty levels. Private event and private individual session bookings are available and can be scheduled on its website. The studio offers numerous class packages and unlimited memberships priced at $98 a month.

Just a short drive from campus, Nittany Meadow Farms, located in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, offers goat yoga. Public and private sessions are available, and more information and frequently asked questions can be found on its website.

The Bhakti Yoga Center is located on E. College Ave. in downtown State College. This studio offers yoga classes along with Kirtan (mantra meditation), workshops, special events, and 200-hour yoga teacher training. The companys schedule offers numerous classes every day and can be found on the website.

This multifaceted studio located on South Atherton Street offers extensive exercise classes including but not limited to, pilates, TRX, cycling, strength training, and yoga. PYP Studio offers more unique yoga classes such as hot, aerial, and restorative yoga. The class descriptions can be found online on its website.

Wellness in Motion (WIM) is a smaller-sized studio located on E. College Ave. This small-scale studio offers multiple classes including a kids class, making the environment friendly for all ages. Wellness in Motions instructors offer private sessions including yoga, reiki, herbal consultations, and therapy for back care and scoliosis.

East Coast Health & Fitness is a traditional gym that offers many fitness classes including yoga. Located on W. Hamilton Ave., this gym provides a Vinyasa Flow class that focuses on posture and breathing. Class schedules are listed online.

Offering gentle and slow flow yoga classes, the State College YMCA hosts group sessions for adults. Gentle Yoga sessions take place at 11:10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the rest of April, and the full schedule can be found at the State College YMCA website.

Bhakti House is located in a State College neighborhood on Smithfield Street. The small business owners, Krishnamayi and Surapal, focus on a more spiritual style of meditation and will start offering all-level yoga community classes soon.

Located on University Drive, Onda Yoga offers yoga classes Monday through Saturday. The company offers weekend yoga retreats in the State College area along with regular courses.

TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania is located in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, which is about a 10-minute drive from campus. Having been in business for 23 years, the studio offers intro courses, memberships, drop-in classes, special events, private sessions, and teacher training.

Offering private lessons and a variety of general classes, Center for Well-Being acts as a yoga and massage studio. Located only eight minutes from campus in Lemont, Pennsylvania, Center for Well-Being Yoga welcomes new students with their first class free.

More here:
Yoga Studios In The State College Area - Onward State

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Transformation always brings us closer to ourselves. And it always arrives at the moment we are ready for it. This week, the cosmos holds up a mirror to remind us we are more than ready as Venus and Chiron form a conjunction, the Sun squares Pluto, the Moon meets her fullness in Scorpio, and Mercury retrograde in Aries draws to a close.

April 21: Venus conjunct Chiron; Sun square Pluto; Moon enters Libra April 23: Full Moon in Scorpio April 24: Moon enters Scorpio April 25: Mercury direct in Aries April 26: Moon enters Sagittarius

On April 21, 2024, Venus and Chiron form a conjunction in Aries, which is the coming together of two celestial bodies.

Known as the wounded healer in astrology, Chiron is the wound where the light enters. It is the door to our own deepest nourishment and awareness. And it is where we become who and what we need.

Venus is love, self-love, value and worth, harmony and beauty. She is magnetism and abundance, softness and strength. Although Chiron is known as the healer of the cosmos, Venus is just as healing when we allow her magic in.

As Venus and Chiron come together, the invitation is to pour love into ourselves, to remember our inherent worth, and to hold ourselves from a place of self-reclamation. It is a doorway into a space where we own who we are, we are who we need, and we remember that we are medicine for ourselves, for others, and for the world.

Whether it feels like healing is holding you with love or like youre confronting old patterns, trust that whatever you are experiencing is happening on time as you claim more of yourself. This is the purpose of Venus conjunct Chiron.

The same day as the cosmic meeting of Venus and Chiron, the Sun forms a square with Pluto. A square is when two celestial bodies form an angle of 90 degrees and it brings our attention to a specific invitation it contains.

In astrology, the Sun is the core of who we are. It is our spirit, our life force, our spark, and our sense of self. Pluto is our underworld, our psyche, and our inner currents that move beneath the surface. Our Sun is the part of ourselves that we are aware of, whereas Pluto represents aspects of ourselves that are less known. As these two bodies connect in our cosmos, so do our conscious and unconscious, our core self and our underworld, our awareness and our psyche.

As Venus and Chiron open inner doors revealing what is in need of healing, the Sun squaring Pluto heightens this by bringing the potential for profound insight and inner transformation. Although the psychological currents of this cosmic meeting occur on April 21, the energy will continue to prepare us for release through the full Moon later this week.

Welcome to Aprils full Moon. Held in the arms of Scorpio, this is a time of surrender, release, and profound intimacy with ourselves, our truth, and our strength.

The full Moon transforms whatever it touches, including us. The Moon is our inner world, our intuitive self, and our emotional body. When the Moon is in Scorpio, a water sign, it is less about rational and logic and more about feeling and allowing. There is intelligence within our emotions, deep inner knowing within our intuition, and transformation within our surrender.

As the Moon shines in her fullness under the influence of Scorpio on April 23, it is not just the ocean waves she guides but the emotional currents within our bodies. This full Moon journeys deep, sinks in, goes underneath, within, and through, creating intimacy with ourselves. All of ourselves. She pierces through whatever defenses we have may set and brings what is ours front and center, inviting us to love.

While the Moon is full, all of her is on display. All of her is expressed. Vulnerable. Seen. Accepted. Open. Our invitation is the same. To bring awareness to not just the spaces within ourselves that we already accept and love but to all of us. The depths less travelled and the sides we are still learning to love.

Under this full Moon, we are guided to turn directly toward ourselves. What have we been turning away from? What have we been hiding in the darkness? It is in our surrender that we find ourselves again. It is with turning within that we come home.

The Scorpio full Moon invites true presence with our experience. It affords us the grace and permission to feel what we may feel, even if it opposes who we believe we should be, what we should experience, or how we should be living our lives. Let the truth beneath your surface shifts these stories with its wisdom.

The end of April brings the end of Mercury retrograde. From April 1 to 25, it has been the time of reflecting, rewriting, retracing, and reorganizing of our mind, inner narratives, and perspectives.

Mercury represents the mind and the way our minds seem to meld and shape each experience, just like a pair of glasses. What is on our glasses and can we see clearly? What is on our glasses and does it still serve us? As Mercury was retrograde we were reflecting on the contents of our mind and the narratives that live within them. It was a time that was less about clarity and more about questioning.

As Mercury stations direct and begins to move forward once again, the questioning that took place while it was in retrograde begins to reveal answers. We are offered opportunities to rewrite the scripts, release old ones, and reclaim the narrative of our lives through updating the terrain of our minds.

As you move through the week, invite your Venus to the surface. She will guide you to become the love you need.

Invite your Chiron to the surface and remember that you are your own medicine. There is wisdom and wholeness through what is calling your name.

Invite your Pluto to the surface for inner intimacy. You hold the potential to access your psychological depths, transformation, and reclamation of our own power.

Invite your Sun and Moon to the surface, for they are your life force, your intuitive whisper. They take you deeper into the magic that is uniquely you.

And as Mercury finishes its retrograde, allow space in your mind for your inner narratives and perspectives to begin rewriting themselves for there is much we are updating.

April has been a transformative month. Youve experienced eclipse season and Mercury retrograde. Youve swum within high tides of movement and deep soul invitations. On the other side of this week, youll encounter greater clarity, ease, and movement.

This week is a doorway. Your surrender is the key. When you look within instead of turning away, offer yourself love instead of judgment, and reclaim your own truth instead of allowing expired stories to direct you, youll unlock the door and find closure to the transits of this month. Consider it a slow breath out.

Explore the effects of the Moon on you, what youropposite signmeans, and how astrology intersects with your everyday life with ourastrology email newsletter.

Learn more about the influence of astrology in your life, including astrological events the Moon cycles, your Sun and Moon and rising signs, how journaling can help you connect with the current influences, and more with Jordane Maree atGirl and her Moon.

RELATED:What the Full Moon in Scorpio Means for You

Jordane Mareeis the founder ofGirl and Her Moon, a platform and community exploring Soul through the lens of astrology, tarot, and energy healing. She is a writer, intuitive astrologer, energy and soul guide, and host ofGirl and Her Moon, The Podcast. She is inspired, every single day, to be the mirror for you to see all that you truly are, you in all your infinite abilities, in total expansion, in infinite opportunity and love.

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Weekly Astrology Forecast, April 21-27: Letting the Magic In - Yoga Journal