By
Bob Kostanczuk
Post-Tribune
New
program being offered to NW Indiana police: yoga.
/Chicago
Tribune/ Local police officers are being offered the chance
to help counteract the tough aspects of their job through
yoga.
Yoga
instructor Shayleen Halloran is starting a Serving the Badge
program at the YOUnique Yoga studio at 65 W. 112th Ave. in
Crown Point.
The
challenging nature of police work lends itself to the benefits
of yoga, a Hindu discipline that is widely practiced for health
and mental well-being, Halloran said. Breath control and various
body postures are used to achieve relaxation and the union
of mind and body.
"Besides
being a great way to exercise, it's a stress reliever,"
Halloran said in regard to the benefits that can be drawn
from her new program.
She
pointed out that those in law enforcement experience a swing
of emotions that peaks with the high state of alert their
jobs demand.
"Yoga
can help even out the roller coaster," Halloran, a Crown
Point resident, said. "Officers are faced with life-and-death
situations daily. That kind of stress can have a huge impact
on their emotional and physical health. It is my intention
to help counter those stresses by offering a well-rounded
yoga practice."
Her
new class will be launched at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and continue
at the same time the second Wednesday of each month.
Participants
can contribute on a voluntary donation basis, with funds going
to police or other causes involving public safety or public
service.
Although
Crown Point police officers are the foundation of her program,
Halloran said it also is open to other public-service professionals
in Northwest Indiana such as firefighters who
serve citizens in times of emergency.
"I
think all first responders would be able to benefit from it,"
said Halloran, noting that her new class would accommodate
those learning yoga at either the beginner or intermediate
level.
An
experienced instructor, Halloran believes that yoga has helped
her in her personal life, so she knows it can help others.
Her husband is patrol Officer Jon Halloran of the Crown Point
Police Department.
He
plans to attend his wife's new class, and is already familiar
with the advantages of yoga.
"It
helps me feel a little more loose and limber," he said.
"It helps me relax. It's a good way to bring you back
down from that hypervigilance."
Source:
Chicago
Tribune
Prabuddha
Bharata>>>
Vedanta
Kesari>>>
Vedanta
Mass Media>>>
|