Mama Says

Let’s hope for the sake of Cleveland that the remarkable resurgence of yoga instruction in and around the Near West side is more than just a flash in the pan. Y’all have heard, I’m guessing, that Cleveland’s a little on the stout side. We’re also a little more stressed than is good for us. And heaven knows that the recent civic debates over the convention center, Whiskey Island, downtown parking, and so on demonstrate we could all do with a little more inner calm.

Yoga to the rescue! If you have even the slightest inclination to learn yoga for fitness, strength or spiritual development, you have an unprecedented variety of possibilities available close to home and work. Here’s just a sample of from the fliers than have been tossed over the transome in the last few weeks:

• The Gathering, 2621 West 14th Street in Tremont, offers classes five days a week as early as 6:15 am and as late as 6:30 pm. Six classes are $75 or just drop by for $15. Call 216.621.9530 for full schedule and class descriptions.

• The Aubrey Wertheim Institute of the Lesbian Gay Community Center of Greater Cleveland has included yoga courses in its very first course catalog, available at local coffeeshops or by calling 216.651.LGBT, stopping by the center at 6600 Detroit Avenue in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, or visiting their website at www.lgcsc.org

• West Side YMCA on Franklin Boulevard at West 32nd continues to offer low-cost, high-quality yoga instruction of special interest to beginners as well as continuing students. Call 216.961.3277 for more information and a schedule.

• Creative Impetus Gallery is hosting a six-week course beginning October 9, taught by Martha Loughridge (Madhuramurti), RYT. Loughridge is trained in the Satyananda yoga system. Class meets Thursdays from 7-8:30 pm and costs $60 for all six classes or $12 per class. Bring a yoga mat and blanket; wear comfortable clothing. CIG is located at 2512 Church Avenue (near W.25th & Detroit). To register, call 216-574-9642.

• Over at Morrison Dance, on Lorain at West 42nd in Ohio City, it’s Sundays from 11:30-1:00pm for Kundalini Yoga with Didier Allexandre & Phyllis Frisa. Drop ins are welcome anytime at $10/class; you can buy a 5-class card (good toward any class) for just $40. Keep in mind, the studio offers several other movement and dance classes, if you decide yoga isn’t your cup of chai. Visit www.MorrisonDance.com to explore the other possibilities. Classes begin Sunday, October 5th and run through December 18th.

Mayor Jane Campbell and city staff will be heading out to parks across the city to do some cleaning and planting, and they’d like your help to get the big job done.

“Fall for Your Park” is a volunteer park clean-up event that will be held on Saturday, October 25. The clean-up will run from 9 am-1 pm, with registration and a pep rally beginning at 7:45 at Rockefeller Greenhouse, 750 East 88th Street.

The four parks to be cleaned are:

• Impett Park at West 155th and Montrose
• Herman Park at West 60th and Herman
• Chester Medians from East 55th to East 101st
• Rockefeller Park at East 105th and Martin Luther King Boulevard

Volunteers of all ages are welcome, except at the Chester Medians site. Because of high traffic there, only adults ages 18 and older are asked to volunteer.

Supplies will be provided, but if you can bring gloves, shovels, garden rakes, trowels or pruners, it would help. Make sure you put your name on your own tools.

All volunteers are asked to register by filling out a volunteer form. Call Tiffany Somerville in the Mayor’s office for details, 216-664-2107, fax 216-664-3570.