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Sources of Strength Sponsors Yoga for the Cure

January 25, 2019

Yoga at Lincoln2.jpgStudents and staff at Lincoln Middle School and Westwood Collegiate lean into each other in yoga tree pose to calm their minds and strengthen their bodies in support of CancerCare Manitoba.  

   The Sources of Strength (SOS) teams at each school, made up of adults and student leaders, hosted and promoted the event to offer their peers an opportunity to do yoga during the lunch hour. SOS is a network within the school put in place to promote mental health, student connections and relationships, strength-building techniques and support the overall well-being of students. Westwood Family of Schools SOS leader and Divisional Social Worker Ms. Ross brought this idea forward to the SOS teams upon connecting with a local yoga instructor who recently launched a powerful initiative as a response to a difficult experience.

    Yoga instructor Alisa H. began the initiative Healing Minds, Healing Bodies - Yoga for the Cure two years ago after one of her close family members had been diagnosed with cancer.She started offering yoga classes in the community, first out at Clear Lake and then across Winnipeg, donating all proceeds to CancerCare Manitoba. 

“I love that this yoga class fit with Sources of Strength - spirituality, physical activity, the mental health piece and the generosity aspect,” said Ms. Ross. “We are always trying to incorporate new and different ideas to give students strategies to cope and find tools within themselves to bring calm and peace into their lives.”

DSC_0255.jpgTogether, the Lincoln Middle School karma class, held on January 17, and the Westwood Collegiate class, held on January 24, saw more than 75 students and staff take part. The two events raised a total of $585.75 for CancerCare Manitoba. The Healing Minds, Healing Bodies - Yoga for the Cure initiative has now raised over $5,000 in two years.  While the fundraising element helped promote active citizenship, the class had many other benefits as well. 

All students and staff actively participated in the class, a mix of male and female students challenged themselves individually and also came together in a circle to connect with others in the space. The class offered senior years students a chance to relax and clear their minds during exam week and helped all participants tune in with their breath, their thoughts and their bodies. A great way to start off the new year and perhaps introduced students to a new practice they can explore independently or with their peers.

A special thank you to instructor Alissa H., Ms. Ross and both SOS teams for their efforts in helping this opportunity come together within our schools. 

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