Kai Yoga Studio | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian
Yoga has a history of improving mental health with a more physical practice.
A yoga studio sits on the edge of town in downtown Fairborn, owned by Cate Brinnon. Brinnon purchased the building in 2018; the previous owner had the studio since 2012.
“All I had to do was open the doors again and not screw up,” said Brinnon.
The studio’s history
The doors reopened, bringing back several of the original instructors and clientele. Five of the seven current instructors had been at Kai prior to the reopening.
“I started practicing at Kai as a young mother who could barely get any time for herself. I cherished the uninterrupted time on my mat where I was able to focus on myself and go home and be a better mother,” said Studio Instructor Katie Mlod.
Mlod has been practicing at Kai Yoga Studio since 2013; she began teaching in November of 2016.
“My practice grew to include Ashtanga yoga, a style that is more like a moving meditation. The intensity of practice alone on my mat gave me new insights not just into my physical capabilities, but also into the depth of patience I could have for others and a voice for my own wellbeing and those I am responsible for,” said Mlod. “I continue to practice and now teach Ashtanga to share these gifts of self and community with others. The effect this has on people’s mental health is astounding.”
Ashtanga yoga is a formulated practice, according to Brinnon. This practice encourages mindfulness and has been proven to assist addicts to stay in recovery.
“Students discover greater clarity of thought, self-esteem, self-worth and an intention for living. They learn to practice patience, to have compassion for themselves and others, something that is sorely needed in today’s society,” said Mlod.
Finding peace within
“Yoga tremendously helps people because it’s a very internal practice,” said Brinnon.
Yoga has been thought of as a religious practice that went against Christianity and has only recently become more accepted as a physical activity, according to Brinnon.
“We want to demystify it,” said Brinnon. “It’s a physical practice, it’s not a religion at all.”
Fascia is a system within the body that surrounds all nerves, bones, muscles and organs. It shortens over time and needs a release to prevent injury, according to the Yogateket webpage.
“Fascia holds a lot of our emotional trauma. A lot of the history of what our body has been through and yoga presses into that and our limitations and reset that,” said Brinnon. “In that is an emotional release.”
Instructor Jessica Deese teaches classes that assist in this release. She has been with Kai Yoga since 2014.
“I started yoga specifically for the mental health benefits. Suffering from PTSD and depression, I was reluctant to start back on antidepressants due to the side effects,” said Deese. “I started the journey of researching alternatives and stumbled upon yoga. Walking into Kai and committing to a yoga practice has been the single best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health. Not only the practice, but the people at Kai have been incredibly supportive in my journey.”
Therapeutic practices
Yoga has been proven in clinical studies to be equally effective as antidepressants, according to Deese.
“The moving meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and restores grey matter and healthy pathways in the brain,” said Deese. “I could go on regarding the science behind it, but ultimately yoga is a highly individualized practice of self-discovery and awareness. Bringing control and interception back to the practitioner.”
Deese offers a class for those struggling with addiction and mental health issues on Fridays at 6 p.m. at Kai.
“Yoga has been monumental in my healing, self-awareness and self-discovery. It has improved not only my relationship with myself, but with others, with Spirit, and the world around me as a whole,” said Deese. “I could go on and on but yoga is really something you have to experience for yourself, I encourage you to come to Kai and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.”
