Francis to teach yoga at Matlacha Community Center
Islander Isabel Francis MPA, MSN, RN, RYT-200 is excited to teach yoga again.
“People have been under incredible stress like never before, with very few outlets to find peace and serenity,” said Francis, who will teach two different classes at the Matlacha Community Center on Fridays beginning Jan. 8. One is a 45-minute “Baptiste” class called, Journey Into Power.
“It follows some very classic sequences and poses,” Francis said. “That class is good for folks who are already familiar with classic sequences and poses and who are interested in exploring yoga, not only from a philosophical perspective but also to challenge themselves a little bit more in terms of pace and are willing to experiment in class.”
The other class is a 75-minute Yoga-Fit class. This class suits all levels of fitness and includes warm up, work out, and cool down, but adds a longer guided meditation at the end. This guided meditation allows students to access their deeper levels of relaxation and integrate the physical benefits of yoga with mental and spiritual health.
Years ago, Francis competed in triathlons, which required a great degree of training. A friend of hers, who trained along with her, inspired Francis to incorporate yoga into her active life. After attending a class taught by her friend, she became hooked on the challenge and stretching provided by the practice of yoga. No stranger to fitness, Francis has also taught Pilates and Zumba.
“I have discovered that what my body really needs, in addition to a nice jog in the morning, is the benefits offered by yoga,” Francis said. “For the aging population, this is the perfect blend of strength training, flexibility, and balance.”
Although she finds yoga more challenging than she had ever suspected, Francis said it’s adaptable to any fitness level.
“Continued and relentless stress puts a body into the position of creating stress hormones, which are detrimental to physical health,” Francis said. “In order to counteract those stress hormones, yoga will give people the ability to check out from the pandemic for a time, allowing them to enter a deep relaxing state where their thoughts are not connected to the stress of the pandemic, but on a greater self-awareness.”
Francis said the goal is to build strength in all people, no matter their current level of fitness, without overburdening or over-taxing them.
Social distance will be maintained along with adherence to CDC recommendations.
For more information on yoga classes, contact the Matlacha Community Center at 239-283-4110. The center is at 4577 Pine Island Road.