On a very cold morning in mid-November, we stepped into the basement of the church to begin set-up. Our curious guests began to show up almost a half hour before class began. Some people decided to set up chairs in a circle, others began to grab snacks and everyone began to introduce himself or herself. Crystal Brown and Ta’Sean McClure from the Cradle Communities Team were on hand to greet the guests. Once everyone was seated in the circle, it was clear that many were nervous about what was to come. That changed quickly as this class soon became a supportive community.
Vulnerable populations tend to live their lives under many layers of stress. Some of those stressors are related to housing, income, transportation and access to appropriate services or resources. If you happen to be an expectant mother, that stress can increase many times over. So what are the solutions to reduce stress for members of our community that are the most vulnerable?
Some of those solutions are mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation and journaling. However, it seems that classes that teach these tools are out of reach for the people that need them the most. These classes can be expensive, located in areas that are not easily accessible and taught by people that do not reflect the community that needs them most. This needs to change.
In North Fairmount, we began to create the change by bringing a free, six-week class to the community. Included in this offering was free childcare, refreshments, incentives and prizes. We wanted to eliminate all barriers to access for this class.
At our first class, there were fifteen people. At the second, there were twenty-eight. The growth in our class was a wonderful opportunity to reach more people who otherwise may not be aware of the ways they can reduce their stress. We met twice per week for six weeks. At the beginning, many had never explored yoga or meditation. By the end of our time together, every person in the room had found a piece of the mindfulness practices we shared to carry on into their lives.
A mother of six shared how yoga and breathing practices helped her find moments of peace at home. A woman used meditation to help her discover how to respond, instead of react to stressful situations. The people that were hesitant to try yoga, eventually all participated. Meditation became something that people looked forward to doing. People discovered that yoga and meditation can fit into their lives right now, as they are.
It was a pleasure to watch this group learn, grow, share and connect. They learned that they can choose the pieces that work for them and take them beyond the class. The tools to reduce stress are available for everyone. That is why we do this work.
We are grateful to have had Crystal and Ta’Sean available during our classes to assist in this work with their support, generosity and thoughtfulness.
For more information on upcoming workshops, classes and community classes offered by donation, please email Dameta L. Wright at dameta.wright@gmail.com.