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Date: 5/1/2023
HOLYOKE — The city of Holyoke will host mid-week yoga on select Wednesday mornings throughout the summer inside of the City Hall Ballroom in a new wellness program.
The weekly yoga session started on April 19 and will continue until Aug. 9. Open to all levels of practice, people are invited select Wednesdays to join Debra Vega of Vega Yoga for a 45-minute yoga session inside the City Hall Ballroom from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Open to the public, those interested are welcomed to join yoga goers in classes through either chair or mat yoga. Vega said all levels of practice including beginners are welcomed. Vega asks that those attending bring their own mat, a water bottle and wear comfortable clothes that can be easily moved in.
The upcoming dates throughout the spring and summer include May 3, 10, 17 and 24, June 7, 14, July 19, 26, and Aug. 2 and 9. Those interested can sign up for a date by going to exploreholyoke.com Community Calendar to find the City of Holyoke Mid-Week Yoga posting where a link to sign up via Google Docs is available.
It’s so far so good with the city classes, according to Vega, who noted there has been about 15-20 people joining each of the first two sessions. She added being in the City Hall Ballroom allowed for a great space for morning yoga and encourages more people to stop by one of these mornings as there is plenty of space still available in the ballroom.
“We’ve done two classes up in the beautiful City Hall Ballroom. It’s so nice to be able to utilize that space that’s so special and these vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows with the sun shining in the morning, it’s just a gorgeous set up,” Vega said. “It’s been a nice group and there is plenty of space if anyone’s worried about being crowded or anything like that.”
Vega has practiced yoga for 23 years and has been a certified yoga instructor since 2007 and opened Vega Yoga with her husband in Holyoke in 2008. Earlier in her career, Vega was a Broadway performer and Radio City Rockette before retiring from the jobs.
Now Vega has instructed yoga and dance all over Western Mass. for the last 15 years and has been a staple in the community through Vega Yoga. Vega specializes in therapeutic yoga which allows accessibility to yoga and allows for anyone with any physical challenges to get involved.
“I wanted to feel equipped to teach them and support them in their practice and make sure that practice was accessible for everyone no matter what physical challenge they might be having, or what level or practice,” Vega said on expanding her teaching abilities.
The practice is similar to physical therapy according to Vega and focuses on an individual’s yoga postures and exercises to make sure they are working on what they need to balance out challenges in their bodies.
“It’s really important to me personally to make yoga accessible because I think there are a lot of misconceptions about yoga like you already need to be flexible or have a certain capacity in your body to do the poses before even coming to the practice. So, I just want to wipe away all those misconceptions and just make yoga open for really any and everyone,” Vega said.
Vega Yoga shifted to Vega Yoga Mobile in recent years as they transitioned to a mobile model. Vega said she and her husband found even prior to the coronavirus pandemic that having a physical space wasn’t sustainable for the microbusiness.
When COVID-19 did arrive, it sped up the process of transition for the yoga group. Already having done yoga on site at many locations, the Vega’s became VegaYoga Mobile and continues to bring yoga to those interested whether it is at home, business or zoom.
“With this mobile model I kind of see ourselves like a food truck where we bring the yoga to you, and that’s worked out really nicely for us,” Vega said. “Once in a while we will rent a space here and there as we need it but mostly these partnerships within the community has been a really nice way to get yoga to the people.”
For more information on the event you can visit exploreholyoke.com and check out the community event calendar. Vega Yoga Mobile is also on Facebook and on Instagram @vegayoga_mobile.