The good people of Lac La Biche County can count on being more flexible, relaxed, and healthy thanks to classes resuming at Thrive! Naturally. The yoga studio offers sessions for everyone: really, there are classes for men and woman, athletes and seniors, babies and teens.
Serena Arora first opened the studio in 2009, located in classically pristine northern Alberta forest on the shores of Lac La Biche lake. The former Dr. Swift teacher had been teaching yoga in Lac La Biche since 2005, including special classes at schools and for seniors.
“Yoga is not a fad, it’s a lifestyle,” Arora said, talking to the Post from a yoga retreat in New York State. “It’s about empowering a person to discover new things about themselves and their body.”
Arora said that while some may have preconceptions about what yoga is — saying that some have confused it as a religious or mystical practice — she is really all about promoting the health-promoting aspects of the ancient art.
“It’s for everyone, beginners to advanced,” the yogini (female yoga master) said. “And it’s a non-judgemental environment — for health and vitality. People will feel revitalized and energized and go about their lives with that energy.”
The Calgary native has a laundry-list of qualifications: besides having a Bachelor of Education degree, Arora also holds certifications in wholistic therapy, laughter yoga, Thai massage, Pilates, as well as three different strains of yoga — just to name a few. She has travelled extensively, studying yoga in Southeast Asia, the United States, Canada, Australia, and her father’s country of India.
“I’ve done it all my life,” Arora said, noting that her first ‘guruji’ (teacher) was her father.
Her studio offers everything from the therapeutic to the athletic. There are sessions that are about relaxation while others are about building endurance and strength. The ‘Yoga Momma’ class is a chance for new parents and infants alike to learn poses to help with breathing, digestion, and sleep.
“Yoga helps to reduce stress, fatigue, high blood pressure, back and joint pain, as well as increase mobility, strength, vitality, and self-empowerment,” she said.
The studio also has ayurveda, which is an ancient traditional Indian medicine involving nutrition, massage, and plant-based treatments. Arora said that an open mind is all that’s needed to start receiving the benefits of thousands of years of tradition.
“It’s something that is so needed in our lives,” she said. “Yoga is for every body — it’s all about discovering your body and your self.”
For more information or to register for classes, visit www.thrivenaturally.ca.
