Cathy, Jeri & Friends

Anyone who thinks being a full time mom is a piece of cake would be humbled by walking a mile in neighbors Jeri Lundskog or Cathy Shauklas' shoes.

As the women and their friends arrive at Jeri's home at 8:30 a.m. for twice weekly yoga, Jeri has already fed and seen the oldest kids to school, set the little one down with an activity, vacuumed and cleaned, and coordinated family business with her husband as he walks out the door.

"When you're at home, you're rarely sitting," says Cathy, a wife and mother of three who also runs her own home-based business and actively participates in her community and church.

The idea of creating a convenient way to learn yoga with a community of friends appealed to Cathy. That's when she came to Recess.

Cathy's neighbor, Jeri Lundskog, offered the hallway in her home. Twice a week for over a year they assembled a group of friends and neighbors, all of whom started out brand new to yoga.

Many members of the group were also new to each other, but they found their Recess instructors created a "safe and respectful place" where they comfortably advanced in their yoga practice as they grew to know each other.

"I feel closer to Jeri just having done yoga with her. It was sweet and fun," says Cathy.

"If you just go to a gym somewhere they don't get to know you. That's what makes Recess instructors so important," says Jeri,"they really took time to get to know each one of us on a personal level."

Because the Recess instructors worked so personally with each student, everyone felt pushed to respect their own challenges and limitations in an encouraging environment with a lot of individual attention.

"I have advanced further and quicker physically than I ever could have from a large gym style class. Our teacher is such a great support and is always positive and encouraging," says Gretchen Tarpley.

The extent of the group's closeness and sense of community through yoga was particularly important when, after over a year of practice, Cathy was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Cathy recalls one time where, during a quiet resting pose, some of the emotion around her cancer surfaced in class, but thanks to the rapport in the group and the instructor's sensitivity she didn't feel embarrassed.

"I was in child's pose and the tears started to bubble up. It felt right to me to continue to move through it in the class. I paused in child's pose, got a group hug, and we moved on."

Eventually Cathy's cancer required more intensive care and she continued one-on-one yoga classes through Recess in her own home; however, the group's experience created a sense of well being and camaraderie that followed them into their lives. Cathy continues to improve and her yoga practice and new friends have been a key component to her healthy recovery.

"Yoga has helped with an overall feeling of more health and energy, but it also brings a communal spirit and general clarity and well-being," Jeri and Cathy agree.

The stats:

Number of friends: 3-7
Results:
Deepened friendship and respect,
sense of community,
improved physical and emotional flexibility,
greater feeling of overall health and wellbeing.

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