A South Surrey yoga teacher is offering free online classes to help those feeling a need for connection and healing during the pandemic.
Patrick Aubert said his hour-long Friday evening sessions launched April 3 and will continue on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future.
“Part of it is personal,” he said, of why he started the Yin yoga class. “I’m missing my community and my connection to the students and the community that I practise with.
“And part of it is just trying to offer something that I think is really needed right now, for people to try to find a way to centre and connect.”
Aubert, 57, is an instructor with Nourish Hot Yoga in White Rock, which – as with all such facilities – has closed due to the pandemic.
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He described Yin yoga as one of the discipline’s “more internal, more reflective, more relaxing” styles, and said he chose it for his online offering because it gives people “an opportunity to allow their bodies to move away from the stress that we’re all feeling on a constant basis” due to the pandemic.
“Very often, what we do with our bodies is, we put them under stress purposely to be stronger – we walk, we do yoga, we do all kinds of different exercises,” he said. “The important thing after doing that is to have the time for rest, because your body needs time to recover and rebuild.”
Now, however, with the additional “environmental” stressors of the pandemic, many are missing out on slowing down and taking that time to recover, he said.
An hour of Yin yoga is “a really good way to end the day,” he said.
Aubert said his own launch into yoga was triggered by the unexpected death of a friend seven years ago to cancer.
“You start to think about all the things that you think are important in your life and things get shuffled around a little bit,” he said.
“It’s kind of like (the pandemic). Out of the blue, we all think we’re doing really well. Suddenly, something like this pops up. We have to deal with it.
“Sometimes we’re just forced to face life in a way we aren’t expecting. It’s a great time to pause and realize exactly what it is that we have in our lives.”
Anyone can join the Friday evening classes, which are being held through Zoom, and no experience or equipment is necessary, Aubert said.
He noted he was “pleasantly surprised” by the turnout to the April 3 launch, which drew seven participants – more than triple the two he had expected.
To register, visit patrickaubert.com
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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