By Emma Bowen Meyer, For The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. — Those seeking both serenity for the mind and healthy exercise for the body do not have to travel far.
A new yoga studio has opened at Cross Street and Broadway, ready to meet the needs of people from all walks of life.
Yoga for Everyone has been named with just that in mind. Anyone can attend classes and benefit from both the relaxation and body movement, despite any individual disability or weight constraint, according to owner Tatiana Smith.
“This is absolutely for everyone,” said Smith, Chopra Center Certified Instructor. “Weight doesn’t matter, age doesn’t matter. Even if you are in a wheelchair, you can take the ‘yoga on a chair’ class.”
The “yoga on a chair” class is also perfect for those overweight or people with a temporary injury. All the stretching is performed from a chair to alleviate the difficulty of lowering oneself to the floor and rising back up again.
Even the floor classes are designed with different levels in mind. Smith offers three options for each stretch, allowing participants to choose what best suit them.
“I love it. I feel much better,” said Jennifer Ball, nursing school student and mother of three. “We are constantly on the go. The yoga helps with my balance, keeps me calmer and more focused, and I sleep better.”
Some students have followed Smith as she taught yoga classes at Excel and then the YMCA. Now they are joining her at her own studio. Jill Behny is one of these.
“I had back problems, but not anymore,” said Behny. “I tell everyone that they should join. My husband says: ‘When you come home you are just so happy.’”
“The older you get, the more flexibility is important,” said Kim Oleksy. “We lose it and our balance. I’ve been to different studios, but Tatiana is really good for beginners.”
A convenient feature of Smith’s program is that participants are not required to sign up for a class that meets at a certain time every week. Instead they buy passes for a certain number of classes and then use those for any class on the schedule. With a dozen options each week, this system provides flexibility for busy people.
“I have a desire to help people improve themselves,” Smith said. “Anyone in the community is welcome and all religions are welcome. Some people think that yoga is a religion, but it is not. It helps you relax and connect with your inner self.”
In addition to studying yoga, Smith also has certifications in ballet, belly dancing, nutrition, and massage therapy. Some of her college work was completed in her homeland of Petersburg, Russia.
Knowing that economic times are difficult right now, Smith had an eye on keeping costs low. Shopping around for a studio, she found the rental rates so expensive that she feared the fees for classes would be prohibitive.
That’s when her husband, Jeff, came to her rescue. As owner of Anderson Fitness Warehouse, Second Time Around Sports in Allisonville, and Average Joe’s Sports and Fitness in Noblesville, he had a second building in Anderson he was using for storage. The building was in such poor condition, Tatiana was skeptical that it could be transformed into a relaxing studio.
Two months full of 10-hour work days has been a testament to innovation and willpower. She, her husband, and son cleaned out the structure, erected drywall, laid new flooring, remodeled the bathroom, and painted both the inside and the brick outside.
Tatiana then decorated, cleverly hiding ugly features they were either unable to remove or found too expensive to remove.
“I put all my love right here,” she added. “I’m so happy. This is a dream come true. I can’t believe I’ve only been here (the United States) 13 years and this has happened. I just can’t believe it.”
If you yoga
Where: Yoga for Everyone, 12 W. Cross St., Anderson
Call 724-1377
Cost: Walk-ins — $10
5 Lesson Pass — $40
10 Lesson Pass — $70
15 Lesson Pass — $90
Additional classes beginning in March: Belly Dancing, Ballet.
