Yoga is for EVERYBODY!
A Peek into My Class
By: Charlene Gibian


I can only guess that most of you that are reading this have not yet attended Yoga Class. That’s OK. Even I had to start somewhere!!
Let me run you through one of my classes and you will see that there is no Voodoo involved and you will get a general picture of an average class. You will be totally in-the-know when you DO come to a class.

There is the smallest bit of prep that you must do before you come to a class. If you are coming to a morning class, do NOT eat a big breakfast beforehand. This will make you nauseous and you will feel terrible if you do poses (asana) which compress your abdomen. The same applies to the evening classes. If you have just come in from work you should eat a light snack to hold you over until you get home from class. Try something light such as a piece of fruit or a yogurt.

Next, dress in comfortable clothes. You do not have to buy anything special to wear unless you want to. Wear whatever you might wear to a gym. Nothing binding, nothing so loose it falls over your face when bending over. We practice Yoga in bare feet, so flip flops will work to get you to class. The only item that you really need is a YOGA mat. Marshall’s, T.J.Maxx, Target and Walmart all carry them for a reasonable price. (About $15.00) It would be very considerate of you NOT to wear colognes or perfumes as many people are very sensitive to scents.

Once you decide to come to a class, I recommend that you get there early enough to register if you haven’t done so prior. We’ll introduce ourselves and I’ll ask you some basic questions. Allow some extra
time to roll out your mat in a space that suits you. Take off your shoes and get yourself settled.
Then, PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.
NOW time we all begin to relax. As for the cell phone, let’s face it, none of us are so indispensable that we can’t be out of reach for 1 hour! Let family, friends and your boss, know that you are at a personal retreat! You deserve it! Don’t we all deserve just 1 itty bitty hour to indulge ourselves to become renewed, refreshed and relaxed? I know I do! So do you! Make it happen!

OK, class is starting. I turn off the lights; turn on some soft spa like music and you lie down in corpse pose. (On your back, arms and legs apart). Take a few deep breaths and begin to quiet your mind. I’ll guide you through this during the entire practice. I’ll explain what we do and why we are doing it. You’ll learn the benefits and purpose of everything we do. You will improve your current knowledge about the way to combine your breath and body and soul. I’ll instruct you, guide you, assist you and demonstrate every asana. I will remind you throughout the entire class about all of the above. I will be happy to come into class early to work with you privately, or stay late if you need my assistance. I am always here for you. I can always be reached by phone or by
e mail. I do return all calls and all e mails.

I love my students and take true pride in getting to know each and every one. Most important, I will learn YOUR abilities, limitations, expectations and your individual needs and desires. Then we work on them.

Let’s get into the Yoga stuff. Here are some other important facts about how I instruct. We don’t have a lot of rules but we do have a lot of ‘intentions’. We strive to reach our goals but we can’t expect to reach these goals in a short period of time. It takes a lot of time to learn to breathe in rhythm with your body. It also takes time to move in unison with your breath. This is why we call Yoga a “Practice”. Yoga is a never ending “Journey” of exploration. You must always try to challenge your body lightly but never to a level of pain or strain. We honor our body by listening to it. Yoga is NOT a competition. Your only challenge is within yourself!

People often come to class with many expectations. I wish they wouldn’t. Not that they won’t be reached, for they will. They just think that it will happen overnight. Given a good dose of persistence, patience, determination and commitment it will work for everybody.

With that said, Yoga will bring you everything you can anticipate and expect to achieve. You’ll gain more abilities and strong inner feelings plus a lot of knowledge that you didn’t realize you needed and wanted! Surely you never knew you had this yearning buried deep down. You’ll become aware physically, mentally and spiritually of the real you.


There is one thing that you must know about Yoga before I end.
YOGA IS NOT A RELIGION.
The word Yoga simply means ‘union’; to join together each of us as a whole and join our bodies with our breath, mind and inner self (or spirit). Yoga is a philosophy.


Yoga teaches us the wonderful beliefs that all religions embrace.
Yoga does not interfere with any religion; in fact Yoga enhances your beliefs in every way with purity of your mind and body. We work toward generosity, gratitude, love, joy, harmony and peace. Then spread loving kindness to others.

HOW is this accomplished you may ask? Well I hope you decide to take time to continue reading my columns, come to my classes and learn how TRUE BLISS can be achieved. Hang on tight because it’s a long journey that will be well worth the effort, energy and time. I know this for certain because …..

I am You!

Namaste ~
Charlene

Yoga is for Everybody

wwww.MargateNews.net welcomes Certified Yoga Instructor Charlene Gibian

Charlene Gibian, Columnist

Wednesday, April 7, 2010


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
_______________

Charlene Gibian
Certified Yoga Instructor
www.charlenesyoga.com
954-755-9123 954-755-9123 anytime, any questions.
Group and Private Classes

You can find me at:

Margate's Leonard Weissinger Community Center every Tuesday and Thursday 7-8 PM and at The Township of Coconut Creek every Tuesday 10-11 am; Wednesday 6:30-7:30 pm and Thursday 9:15-10:15 pm