UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State and local community members, including veterans and their families, are invited to a free, mindful resilience yoga class during the University’s Military Appreciation Week. The class will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at 3 Dots Downtown at 137 E. Beaver Ave in State College. Participants of all experiences and abilities are welcome.
The yoga class is one in a series of events taking place during Penn State’s Military Appreciation Week from Nov. 8-16 celebrating America’s Greatest Generation and honoring the service and sacrifice of service members, veterans and military families. Since space is limited to 50 participants, individuals should RSVP to Renee Kotch at rak5434@psu.edu by Nov. 4.
The mindful resilience yoga class will be taught by certified yoga instructors who have studied with the Veterans Yoga Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting recovery and resilience among veterans, families and communities.
“Yoga can be a valuable tool for everyone, including veterans,” said Jessica Minelli, instructor at Wellness in Motion. “While the mindful resilience program was designed with veterans in mind, the tools can be applied to so many situations and can serve those who have experienced trauma in one way or another.”
Mindful resilience yoga consists of five tools: breath, meditation, mindful movement, guided rest and gratitude.
“I try to design my classes so that people of all levels feel included — anyone can participate in this class. To me, yoga is not about being good at a specific posture, how strong you are or about your ability to stand on your head,” Minelli said. “For me, yoga is about learning to be more comfortable in my skin and calming my mind. As an instructor, my goal is to provide an opportunity for you to explore what yoga is or can be to you.”
Along with Minelli, Toni Feret from Wellness in Motion also will lead the class. Participants are welcome to bring their own mat or borrow one.
Military appreciation at Penn State
Penn State has consistently been recognized as a military-friendly school and has a longstanding and proud tradition of serving the men and women of our military through education benefits, resources, support and more. More than 5,600 Penn State students use the GI Bill as either an active-duty service member, a reservist, veteran or military dependent, across all of the University’s campuses, including Penn State World Campus.
To help support events organized by the Penn State Military Appreciation Committee, visit http://c-fund.us/mz2. Visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu for more information.