Yoga Can Be Found Everywhere
by Martin Miron
Philadelphia may be the cradle of American democracy with the Liberty Bell and all, but that hasn’t stopped it from honoring the time-tested traditions of yoga, A plethora of studios and teachers abound in our fair city and nearby, and we present several here so you can get acquainted.
Antonio Aragona
Dr. Antonio Aragona, AD, AYT, LMT, is the owner of Still Point Ayurveda. “Picture this in 1995—this young Italian guy from the Bronx was working on his psychology degree and has to take an elective,” he says. “His best friend told him to take a yoga class because he had anger issues. He was like, ‘What is yoga?’ but he was willing to try, since he’s always been a curious kind of guy.”
Almost 25 years later, he says that yoga has been an essential tool and foundational touchstone for all the support and transformations in his life. “Yoga teachings; not just the asanas, and Ayurveda, have saved my life on many occasions. When I was dying of AIDS, I was still teaching class and promised myself I would until my last breath. Yoga maintained my life when I should have been hospitalized as my doctor stated. When I need support in shifting something in any given time in my life, I roll out my mat and just step into the inner spaces with my world.”
As for the style of yoga I teach, it is rooted in Ayurveda, as I am a recognized Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist (NAMA AYT.) Individual sessions are offered as part of an individualized protocol I design as part of what I do with my clients, and classes are offered occasionally at my space, that are small in number and aligned with Ayurvedic and Yogic principles/practices.
Still Point Ayurveda is located at 6911 Cresheim Rd., in Philadelphia. For appointments and more information, call 215-356-7270 or visit StillPointAyurveda.com.
Yvonne Ferguson Hardin
Yvonne Ferguson Hardin, owner of Fergie’s Fitness, says, “The Efficacy in Aging program, was fostered through a need for specific activity alternatives such as yoga for men and women who are 55 and older. This segment of the population was being left out as health and fitness trends have developed in the last 10 years. Researchers often focus on millennials and generation X, but what about the baby boomers born between 1944 and 64? Once people leave the workforce, routines change, leading to overeating, a lack of movement and often weight gain, as well as other changes already taking place in their bodies.
Hardin designed The Efficacy in Aging program to show that it is possible to continue to be fit at any age, in any place and in any time. “The body is changing, but there are movements that need to be conducted regularly to prevent ultimate decline and improve and maintain functionality. There is no need to stop exercising,” she advises.
For appointments and more information about Fergie’s Fitness, call 267-779-7948, email [email protected] or visit TransformUrLifeToday.com.
Michael Horne
Michael Horne, owner of Born to Move Yoga and Physical Therapy, integrates the foundations of yoga into a rehabilitation model. He is a physical therapist with an extensive background and training in movement, movement rehabilitation and manual therapy. He offers a unique blend of services to allow participants the opportunity to restore and regain their quality of life. The foundations of his yoga practice and teachings stem from Kripalu School of Yoga under his primary teachers Yoganand Michael Carrol, Coby Kozlowski and Erica Arce.
He says, “Yoga compliments functional rehabilitation through inner awareness, physical attunement and mindful attention to the body. The key to rehabbing an injury is to become completely immersed into sensation, movement, breath and feeling through guided practices and movement retraining.” Also a myofascial release practitioner and a Strong First kettlebell instructor, Horne likes to incorporate them as an adjunct to his rehabilitative program in one-on-one sessions.
Born to Move is located at 700 Point Reading Rd., in Ardmore, PA., For appointments and more information, call 610-306-8452 or visit BornToMoveMindBody.com.
Veronica Parker
Veronica Parker is a certified Kundalini yoga & meditation teacher for 10 years, and Access Bars Facilitator. She plays in the field of infinite possibilities inviting others to expand, receive more ease and come fully alive.
She has been featured in Forbes, Prevention, Elite Daily, Shape, Bustle, YogaPedia, Pop Sugar, and Thrive Global. Parker is the creator and host of the five-star rated iTunes Podcast: Live Your Happy NOW! She loves practicing and teaching Kundalini Yoga as a way to receive more energy, vitality, clarity, peace of mind and awareness. Parker says, “During a Kundalini Yoga class, participants practice powerful breathing exercises, yoga poses strung together in a sequence called a kriya and a short meditation at the end while listening to soothing mantra music.”
Parker facilitates private yoga and meditation classes in person and online, including group classes at the Voorhees Hot Yoga Center at 6:15 p.m. Mondays. She will host Unravel Yourself: A Creative Playground Immersion Retreat. From December 6 through 8 in Florida.
Class location: 9107 Town Center Blvd., Voorhees Township, NJ. For more information, visit VeronicaParker44.com.
Christine DiTroia
Christine DiTroia is a certified yoga teacher and director of the Voorhees Hot Yoga Center in Voorhees, New Jersey. She has been with the school for more than five years. They conduct as many as 36 classes a week in multiple yoga styles, including Bikram/26&2 series, Vinyasa, Kundalini and Yin. DiTroia is also a reiki master and Access Consciousness practitioner.
She says, “We have a certified kitchen that produces raw and vegan products such as fresh juices, smoothies, chia pudding and soups. We are so much more than a yoga school and a kitchen. We are a loving, thriving wellness center. We have so much to offer to our community. We have the pleasure to work with so many people in our day to day classes. I am currently working with a young woman that suffered a stroke, our yoga is a huge part of her rehab. We are very well-versed in modifications for anyone with restricted movements and recovering from surgeries or injuries.”
Location: 9107 Town Center Blvd., Voorhees, NJ. For more information, visit VoorheesHotYogaCenter.com.
