MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. Yoga at the Market is another way the Garfield Park Farmers Market fosters wellness inside and out. Join us for free, all levels yoga for the 2019 GPFM season taught by local residents and studio instructors. I had the privilege of corresponding with two of these instructors who shared insights into the practice of yoga and their vision for sharing this practice with the farmers market community.
Katie Carlson has been practicing yoga for about twelve years. She is a longtime resident and active member of the Garfield Park neighborhood, including two years on the Board of Directors for GPFM. In addition to the market, Katie also teaches yoga at the Burrello Family Center and is the full time Public Information Officer for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Erin Polley is also a Garfield Park resident who loves all that this community has to offer. After practicing yoga for about 20 years, she decided to dedicate herself to a daily practice five years ago. She is currently an instructor and the Social Media Manager for The Hot Room studio.
How do you see yoga fitting into the mission and culture of the farmers market?
Katie: There are many, many ways that yoga and farmers markets align, but I'll focus on one here. When I served on the GPFM Board, the work I was most proud of was raising money and awareness for the Fresh Bucks program, which provides a dollar for dollar match for SNAP recipients to buy fresh produce at the market. Through that program, the GPFM provides an incredible service to our community, specifically for those who couldn't ordinarily buy organic, locally grown produce. By offering yoga classes at no cost, with mats available to borrow for free, and no experience necessary for participants, the GPFM continues to serve those who otherwise might not have access to yoga classes.
Erin: I believe that having access to healthy food can contribute to a healthy life just as yoga and meditation can. Shopping at the farmers market for our food makes us more mindful about the choices we make with what we put into our bodies, which compliments the teachings of yoga so beautifully. The farmers market also connects us to the people who grow our food and to our neighbors. The Sanskrit word yoga means "to yoke" or to "unite" and this practice can help us feel a connection with others through what we learn about ourselves on the mat.
How has yoga transformed your life?
Katie: It has always given me an opportunity to better connect with myself - my physical body, my feelings and emotions, and my connection to life and the world. Then during the course of yoga teacher training, combined with other life circumstances, I had an incredible (and sometimes difficult) opportunity to redefine what is important to me, and how I want to give back to my community.
Erin: It wasn't until after the birth of my son and feeling the pressure of being a working mom did I fully understand just how essential yoga was for my mental and physical health... yoga released me of the anxiety over my stressful job in community organizing and relieved me from the constant concern that I was not enough. When I come to my mat, my mind is calm and I am able to truly come into my body and breathe to remind myself of the privilege I have to be alive.
What do you hope community participants take away from your yoga session?
Katie: I hope that people who attend my classes leave feeling a little more connected.... connected to themselves, to their loved ones, to their community, to the world... But on the most basic level, I just hope they leave feeling good.
Erin: I always strive to deliver a class that incorporates strong breath work, cultivates presence, inspires focus and challenges you to live life with love and compassion for yourself so that you are better equipped to show it to others.
The Garfield Park Farmers Market is excited to host this amazing opportunity available for our community . In addition to all of the amazing benefits to yoga mentioned above, practicing yoga has so many other health benefits. Yoga improves strength, balance, flexibility and posture, releases tension and even boosts your circulatory, respiratory, pain management and immune systems. Wow!
So we invite you, before nourishing yourself with healthy and delicious products from the market, to stop by a morning yoga session and treat yourself to an hour of self care. What better way to start the day than coming together under the morning summer sun to make connections, have some fun, and recharge those mind, body and spirit batteries? We look forward to sharing a beautiful morning with you!
Written and photographed by Becky King, a Garfield Park resident who is enjoying her second year as a farmer's market volunteer. She loves the neighborhood and community, and is thankful for all the ways it has enriched her life.
