CONWAY – Soft music floats past shelves weighed down with books and up into the circular foyer of the Field Memorial Library as four local seniors rest in ‘child’s pose’ on yoga mats.
“Take a full breath in, and exhale through the nose,” instructs Jodie Fontaine, a yoga instructor and owner of Pure Yoga and Wellness studio in South Deerfield. “Scan the body and check in mindfully — let go of those tight areas.”
Every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m., for the past two and a half or so years, a group of local seniors meets together inside the library for an over age 55 gentle yoga practice sponsored by the town. Price for the practice is $10; however, half is paid for by the town.
Attendance varies week-to-week. Usually, classes are attended by about seven people. According to Ruth Parnall, who has lived in the town for almost 40 years, served on many committees and manages the senior yoga sessions, the project isn’t just an exercise opportunity — it’s also a way to reach local seniors and bring them into the community.
On this particular Wednesday morning, there are only four. But that’s unordinary, commented Donna Crabtree, who was the long-time executive director of the Amherst housing authority. Crabtree has practiced yoga off-and-on for her entire life, and said that last week the space was filled to capacity.
As a retiree, Crabtree can still balance on one leg with her hands and arms outstretched, for tree-pose.
“It’s really just a shrub now,” she says after, with a twinkle in her eye. Crabtree makes it a point to come every week, because, she said, faithfully practicing yoga helps her grow older gracefully.
“As you age, it’s extremely important for balance,” she said. “It does make a really big difference — even just once a week.”
Tom Eaton, who made a career out of the postal service, agrees.
“I walked five or six days a week, for four miles (per day),” he said. “When I retired, I had to stay active. I’m not nearly as pliable as I used to be. (Fontaine’s) a really good teacher, says whatever you can’t do, just back off.”
Flexibility and ability varies in each individual class, but Fontaine said that’s not what the yoga sessions are about; instead, she encourages students to focus on mindful movement that respects limitations.
“I gauge (the difficulty) on the group,” she said, “and get them to focus on themselves.”
The sessions began about two years ago, in 2014, through a grant from Friends of West County Seniors, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for activities for local seniors. A short while later, the town council on aging and parks and recreation departments came together and took over funding of the sessions.
Parnall said it was easy to persuade the parks and recreation department to help fund the project because most of its money is focused on youth-oriented events.
She also said Fontaine has been a huge reason why the program has been so successful.
“She lowered her fee to accommodate this,” Parnall said. “We’ve been going like that ever since. It’s been two years now.”
Originally, sessions were held in the United Congregational Church of Conway. In fall 2015 the group moved into the library.
Today, the practice is slow, methodical and utilizes a few different props to make poses easier, such as blocks, straps and rolled blankets, for support.
Fontaine walks between mats and helps one of the students settle into child’s pose more comfortably. The scent of old books is thick in the air; natural light drifts through large windows in adjoining rooms.
“These are restorative postures,” she tells her students. “It’s an exploration, honoring where you’re at.”
You can reach Andy Castillo at: acastillo@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263 On Twitter: @AndyCCastillo