Charlene Gibian
Certified Yoga Instructor
954-755-9123 Anytime, any questions.
Group and Private Classes
You can find me at:
Margate Community Center
Leonard Weissinger Community
Margate, FL
EVERY: Tuesday and Thursday 7-8 PM
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The Township
Coconut Creek, FL
EVERY: Tuesday 10-11 AM
Wednesday 6:30-7:30 PM
Thursday 9:15-10:15 AM
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Yoga IS For Everybody!
www,MargateNews.net
YOGA ZONE
I hope to be writing a continuing series on everything from soup to nuts about Yoga. The reason for doing this is to share my experience, knowledge, benefits and expertise about my own journey so that you will know that I am YOU. That Yoga is truly for everybody, large, small, physically limited, young, old, men, women, gym rats, couch potatoes, and yes, even athletes. (Who often times think they know it all!)
Let me start this series by first telling you who I am and why this is a passion for me. I take Yoga and the opportunity to inform the public very seriously and hope that by following my series you will become knowledgeable and even interested in trying Yoga.
My name is Charlene Gibian. I am a Certified Yoga Instructor. This means that I have taken, and successfully completed a Teacher Training Course, 1000’s of hours of training and physical practice. I knew if I did all of this then it must be worth the effort. You can be sure I was in love to spend so much energy and effort in this way! (In love with Yoga that is, not to mention my husband!)
I started my own practice about 15 years ago. I had no idea of the journey that was about to begin! You see, I had weighted 206 lbs after I stopped smoking! I was a Breast Cancer Survivor and my ‘regular job’ sucked eggs big time! I had raised 3 grown children, been married to my Jr. High School love forever. It was NOW time for me to start taking care of ME!
I started losing weight, with the help of Weight Watchers. I lost 75 pounds and was asked to be a W.W. Group Leader. I accepted the challenge for a few years. This surely kept me on track weight wise. It wasn’t enough for me, mentally, physically or in any other way.
It just wasn’t what I was looking for. I needed something I could hold onto yet I knew it wasn’t anything tangible that I wanted. I wanted to make a difference in my own life! I needed to find some peace of mind and connect with my new body as the person I had grown into. Or shrunk into!
I started taking a Yoga Class. Hummmm, it felt great. Then I upped it to 2 then 3 classes in a week and sometimes I would even take 4 classes, if I could manage to get them all in! I thought that I had started all of this to just tone my body, and gain some “me time”.
I quickly realized that this ‘thing’ called Yoga was more than what I had expected. It was about to change my life (not just my physical self) in ways that I thought only existed in the movies (or in my dreams).
Once I started my Yoga practice my regular office job didn’t seem so miserable anymore. Life’s challenges became less challenging. Illnesses, aches & pains worked themselves out most of the time. I became a Yoga Junkie, if there is such a thing. At least I felt a natural “high” from my practice.
I wanted to teach this to other people just like myself. I wanted to learn all that there was to learn and give it to everyone! I wanted everyone to know that Yoga wasn’t some religious hocus pocus or craziness where one just sits and says OMMM all day, and that Yoga didn’t mean you had to fold yourself up into a knot, crawl into a little box and stay there!
I found a wonderful Teacher Training School, Sri Naranda, in Fort Lauderdale. Awesome instructors, great reputation and I signed on the dotted line. I begged and borrowed the money for my classes and said haste lavista baby to my office job! Generosity is very yoga like, but the course of study is not…you do have to pay for it!
I worked my tush off and completed my studies! Woopie! I had never completed anything in my life except High School! I was so happy and proud of my accomplishments and ready to reach out and share, give, teach and love! Hokey as this may sound, it is honestly how I feel.
You see, I AM YOU! I was overweight . I survived Breast Cancer for a second time and Chemo. It stunk to be sick and tried, but heck, I am alive and here to blab your ears (eyes) off!
I’ve had a spinal fusion, bone graft; plate, pins, and both knees have had arthroscopic surgery recently. I have had so many operations in regard to my cancers that I have lost count! My husband too is a cancer survivor and just a year ago my sister passed away.
Why am I telling you this??? I am an average woman with trials and tribulations just as you have. I want you to know that Yoga has brought me such inner peace, strength and a passion. I could never have made it through all of what I have been through without it.
My goal or as we Yogi’s say, my ‘intention,’ is to share my Yoga Journey with all that are interested and to get everyone to try a class.
I’ll make a deal with you…..you come into my class in Margate, mention my article, try one single class on me, and if you don’t want to come back, then nothing ventured, and nothing gained!
I hope to keep informing you and bringing you my joys and experiences as a local Yoga Teacher for nearly 10 years.
Remember…..I am YOU.
Namaste ~ Charlene
