State College studio introduces yoga classes for community members dealing with addiction
Yoga can be many things: a workout, a meditation session, a form of creative expression, a way to relax — but the owner of a downtown State College studio thinks it can also have therapeutic benefits for those recovering from addiction.
Since January, Lila Yoga at 103 E. Beaver Ave. has offered a Yoga of 12-Step Recovery class every Sunday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. as part of the worldwide nonprofit program.
“I think there’s a stigma to needing help, but we all need help at different times in our lives,” owner Erica Kaufman said. “My hope was that by hosting this class, we’d be creating as reliable an environment as possible so that people feel comfortable coming in.”
The sessions combine a 30-minute facilitated discussion, or “sharing circle,” with 30 minutes of gentle yoga. The sessions are led by certified instructors and are meant to help people dealing with all addiction-related issues, whether they be personal or someone else’s, substance- or behavior-based.
Lila Yoga’s classes are anonymous, open to all ages and skill level and free to the public.
Kaufman said she decided to start offering Y12SR classes when Jenne Robb, a registered nurse and certified yoga instructor at Lila Yoga, made the suggestion. Kaufman and Robb attended Y12SR sessions at another yoga studio an hour away to get a feel for what the classes were like.
Typically about a dozen people attend every week, but Kaufman hopes that by getting the word out, the sessions will grow.
Since the class is donation-based, part of the money is donated to the Collegiate Recovery Community, a Penn State Student Affairs resource that supports students recovering from alcohol and other substance abuse disorders.
Kaufman said living and having a studio downtown has exposed her to many addictions and special populations that can be helped by the program, which offers those communities both a support system and a safe space to talk.
The physical and group therapy aspects of the class have both proven to be beneficial to participants, Robb said, adding that the physical component lets people get out of their heads, and the group setting lets them know that they’re not going through their experiences alone.
“One of the characteristics of addiction is disconnect. You disconnect from your body, from the present, from other people,” Robb said. “So this class is all about connecting.”
Kaufman said she wanted to incorporate Lila Yoga traditions into the Y12SR program because she is interested in the ways yoga can improve overall well-being.
“I have experienced firsthand the benefits of yoga. It goes beyond staying in shape — it’s a real contributor to my health,” Kaufman said. “How extraordinary is it that you can come for one hour and within that one hour get group support, express yourself and be free of the burden of your secret?”
For more information on Y12SR classes, visit https://lilayoga.com/.
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 1:00 AM.