Soul Stretch Yoga asked its yoga students to bring school supplies for Bataan Memorial Elementary School students at a recent yoga session, and the results were overwhelming.

BY D’ARCY EGAN

Rose Sabin loves yoga, and she believes in karma, as well.
Both were evident on a recent Saturday morning at Soul Stretch Yoga, as more than 50 of her yoga students brought along school supplies for the kids at Bataan Memorial Elementary School who might need some help getting ready for the new school year.

“We decided to ask everyone to come for a free session, as long as they brought something from a long list of needed school supplies,” said Sabin, who has been hosting yoga classes for the last three years at a beautiful log cabin adjacent to Mon Ami Restaurant in Port Clinton.

“We were overwhelmed by the response, but it was to be expected,” she said. “If you enjoy yoga, you believe in karma, which includes giving back to the community. We do at least three fundraisers throughout the year for the community of Port Clinton.”

Sabin has been teaching yoga for seven years, and believes in the complete experience for yoga students.

“A reason why our students love the studio so much is that it combines the mind and body with a spiritual experience,” said Sabin. “All of our instructors, and we have eight of them, work really hard to share that experience.”

It generally takes about nine months to learn to be an instructor, requiring about 200 hours of work.
“At Soul Stretch Yoga we won’t just change bodies,” said Sabin. “We’ll change lives with our dynamic instructors, soulful music and creatively crafted classes. Our special events and workshops will help to take practice beyond the mat.”

Soul Stretch Yoga has a Yoga Teacher Training class on Nov. 8 to May 3. For information visit soulstretchmobileyoga.com.

The Saturday morning experience was held on the landscaped lawn behind the log cabin, with tall trees providing plenty of shade on the warm morning for yoga students of all ages.

“Our youngest yoga student is 14, and the oldest is 82,” said Sabin. “A yoga class it not about being flexible or touching your toes. It is about the experience.”

There was a lot of gentle stretching, soft music and encouragement from instructors that made the restorative power of yoga enjoyable for all of the students.

Soul Stretch Yoga has morning and evening classes throughout the week, as well as Saturday and Sunday morning sessions. The classes are dominated by women of all ages, but about 10% to 15% of the students are men, including Sabin’s husband, Doug.

Sabin will also be a tour guide this year, taking yoga students on a trip to Italy. A Yogi & Food Lover’s Tour of Tuscany will be Oct. 11-19.

A large crowd of yoga fans turned out at Soul Stretch Yoga at its beautiful log cabin adjacent to Mon Ami Restaurant for a special Saturday morning session to benefit school kids at Bataan Memorial Elementary School. (Photos by D’Arcy Egan)