43
Finding personal growth in the gardens
By amanda tonoli
Fellows Riverside Gardens hosts yoga classes with a variety of instructors in their beautiful and captivating gardens. Those seeking these classes flock to the peace found within a pavilion by the lake and an instructor trained from the experts from India.
Karres Cvetkovich taught the class on July 27, praising the surrounding environment as she prepared to begin. The class is placed in the pavilion right by the lake.
“It’s very reliable as the wind goes along the lake,” Cvetkovich said. “It’s the best place to do yoga in town. ...Wherever you look, it’s gorgeous.”
Carol Murray, one of the members of the class, said she appreciated the relaxation and environment the park provided.
“I love the outdoors and the park in itself,” Murray said. “I like coming together as a group and being with other people and getting satisfaction from it.”
The surrounding air is one of the “invisible” benefits that was the greatest of all when it came to yoga, according to Cvetkovich.
“Breathing is a big part of yoga, there’s nowhere you’ll be breathing more oxygen rich air when you take your yoga class than here,” Cvetkovich said.
She said she enjoys more than anything being part of people’s positive growth.
“They put in their effort — I don’t take credit of their growth. They try to give me credit sometimes and I say, ‘You’re the one that showed up on your mat,’” Cvetkovich said. “I’m just the facilitator here.”
Cvetkovich, not only a yoga instructor but also a former YSU professor for the psychology department, said in her time at YSU she not only taught students, but also teachers about how to help their students in different ways, most importantly to keep themselves healthy for their futures.
“It’s the perfect thing to help balance out anyone’s stressful life...letting go of all the tensions of the day,” Cvetkovich said. “You’re planting the seeds for later. Whatever you’re planting now you’re going to harvest.”