The holidays are always stressful with the cooking and cleaning, buying gifts, family coming to visit and all the other preparations necessary to make the season enjoyable for everyone.
But when it comes to relieving that stress, a new yoga called Nama-Slay might just be the answer. Plus you get to feel good while doing good.
Nama-Slay is a yoga class where anyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. For those who believe typical yoga classes are too slow-paced or find it difficult to focus on the task at hand.
The Sunday, Nov. 19 class is sold out, but the next class Dec. 10 will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Crash and Catharsis Rage Factory at 14 W. Patrick St. in downtown Friederick.
Cost for yoga enthusiasts, and curious beginners, can register for $60 of which 100% of the proceeds go toward a charity, The Nov. 19 event benefits Heartly House, while the December class benefits the Community Fridge. .
Jennifer Carpenter of Frederick is the yoga instructor for the event. She works for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy as well as with nonprofit organizations and community events within the city.
Carpenter said Nama-Slay yoga classes are different from other classes because her “entire premise is just letting go of stuff and giving you an outlet.”
She begins her class with a different approach – a smash session. This method provides a way for participants to release their bottled-up rage, stress, and other emotions before moving into the energetic and upbeat exercises.
“They’re gonna get about 30 minutes prior to break stuff, and then probably about 30 minutes of my class will be a more up-tempo practice with the other 30 minutes more a little slower, just to bring them down from that adrenaline peak,” she said.
To help ease the anxiety of those thinking about trying yoga, Carpenter’s classes are meant to be as welcoming as possible. She believes in teaching the class as a whole rather than fixating on a particular person and “steps away from the typical yoga terminology.”
Carpenter also instructs the classes at different venues rather than a traditional studio environment, which, she said, can be intimidating to those who are more hesitant to join a class.
Yoga requires individuals to focus on themselves, she explained. Instructing at a venue where there are a lot of distractions, different smells, noises, etc., is a great way to hone that focus where they no longer see the cars driving by or the people walking past them, she said, they just see themselves.
