YOGA AND RELAXATION

Those in Bethany Beach seeking the benefits of yoga have a resource, the Bethany Beach Yoga Center.

After five years of operation, the center recently relocated to a building tucked away from the chaos of the shore.

Founders of the center, who take on the duties of instructors, opened shop to bring yoga where it was not yet popular. The facility offers an alternative to classes offered by area fitness centers, which, according to co director Pat Wood, are not always the best environment for achieving serenity.

'Yoga in a fitness center isn't quite the same as it is in a yoga center,' said Wood, who also instructs classes at the Central Avenue facility. There, she said, all aspects of yoga are taught, including meditation and breathing, without the distraction of constantly clinking weights.

'In a fitness center, you tend to be more focused on just the physical aspect,' she said.

Co director Georgette Rhoads said that because business increases tremendously in the summer, they offer more classes.

'We add more classes so that students have a larger variety of times to choose from,' Rhoads said. These additions also help to keep the class sizes limited to about 12 to 14 students.

Boardwalk Yoga is one of these summer additions. The classes meet at 6 a.m., taking place as the sun rises.

"It's lovely to be there at sunrise and watch the dolphins go by," Wood explained. Boardwalk Yoga begins Memorial Day weekend and occurs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, along with a few holidays.

Another workshop that has become popular is Chair Yoga, a program designed for wheelchair-bound participants. The workshop stresses arm muscle control, as well as breathing, and trains attendees to use their lungs entirely, which most people fail to do, Wood said.

The Wellness Community of Delaware, a non-profit organization that provides support to cancer patients during recovery, recently joined forces with the facility to offer free yoga sessions to cancer patients and their loved ones.

Wood, a breast cancer survivor, instructs one of the classes. She considers the needs of her students before stepping on the mat, she said. For example, breast cancer survivors focus on regaining arm muscle along with meditation and breathing to help release stress.

'Stress is stored in our muscles and yoga poses are designed to assist in release of our stress,' Rhoads said. 'Once we are freed from stress we have a clearer and focused mind.'

Add clear skies and a warm sun to a clear mind, and you have a perfect beach day.

By Kristen Boghosian

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