Jessica McKneally, yoga instructor at The Cedars
Posted by Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium, independent living at The Cedars.
“TAKE A DEEP BREATH.”
That’s where Jessica McKneally, BA, RYT, yoga instructor for The Cedars, begins her chair yoga class each week. Her students find their chairs and begin to stretch their bodies, focus their minds and find their centers. During the long Maine winters, yoga in the sunlight is a deep breath of fresh air.
Yoga classes designed especially for seniors are just one of the many holistic wellness options available to The Cedars community. All winter long, members of The Atrium and The Osher Inn practice tai chi, work out in the gym or in water aerobics and swam laps in the pool. Patients in The Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center gain strength and mobility through therapeutic exercises in the spacious, sunny therapy gym. Delicious, heart-healthy menu choices, wellness lectures and round-the-clock access to medical care are just some of the ways The Cedars helps all our members, patients and residents care for their physical well being.
But wellness is more than physical — it is mental, and spiritual. “Many of the chronic ailments associated with the aging process are the result of stress, imbalance and disconnection,” explains Jessica. “Relieving stress, cultivating balance in our lives and reconnecting to our self and others can go a long way towards establishing a healthier, happier, more sustainable life.”
Monthly calendars packed with cultural, social and spiritual activities keep members of The Cedars community vibrant and connected. For the most important aspect of wellness is community — rich lives shared with good friends. This is one of the reasons why Jessica will end this yoga session by instructing her students to simply laugh, as hard as they can.
As giggles turn into rollicking bouts of laughter, everyone in the room is completely relaxed, totally renewed and feeling great. Namaste.