Yoga Moves you are the best! I always wanted to do yoga but was too intimidated to try. I was convinced I could never be good at it because I wasn't flexible and didn't know the yoga sequences...until Yoga Moves in Stoneham. One class turned into another and into another and now I am hooked! I still consider myself a newbie at beginner level but since becoming a member, my physical abilities have improved so much; I'm stronger, more flexible, in less pain, sleep better and I think I may have even slimmed down a little! Thank you Yoga Moves :) The community created by Lori Russell and her warm and very talented staff make yoga welcoming for all. No matter your size or yoga ability, the Yoga Moves family will make you want to stay and try it all :) I love all the classes and instructors and the awesome workshops! Laurel H. Haverhill, MA
In this day and age of multitasking, stress, and anxiety, I found myself in a bad place. I had heard that the simple act of meditation could help with this and so began my journey into meditation. I downloaded a few apps and where this helped, I was not practicing in a committed way and would give up. Around this time, I began practicing yoga at YogaMoves. I was trying different classes and decided to try meditation here. I’m so glad that I did. Now, I’m not saying that I am completely stress-free, but I can say that simply being mindful in the moment has helped….A LOT! Judy’s Monday morning class is a great way to start my week on the right foot, and I take it with me during the week". - MJM
Student Testimonial:"I always wanted to do yoga but was too intimidated to try. I was convinced I could never be good at it because I wasn't flexible and didn't know the yoga sequences...until Yoga Moves in Stoneham. One class turned into another and into another and now I am hooked! I still consider myself a newbie at beginner level but since becoming a member, my physical abilities have improved so much; I'm stronger, more flexible, in less pain, sleep better and I think I may have even slimmed down a little! Thank you Yoga Moves 😊” “The community and the warm and very talented staff at Yoga Moves make yoga welcoming for all. No matter your size or yoga ability, the Yoga Moves family will make you want to stay and try it all 😊 I love all the classes and instructors and the awesome workshops!” -Laurel
A week before turning 54, I completed the Ironman Wisconsin - my 3rd Ironman. I managed to finish within 18 seconds of the time I wrote in my race plan. That was primarily due to the dinner reservations I had made with my training/racing buddy. Thanks Mary Ellen Goodsir for your help in giving personal yoga lessons via internet. The flexibility certainly helped in getting me to the finish line. - Russell Lane
Having practiced yoga for many years, I had become comfortable with one and occasionally two classes a week. Just recently, however, I increased my practice to five times a week; and the difference it has made has been remarkable. Certainly my physical strength has improved, but - more importantly - my focus and confidence have grown and shifted into all other facets of my life. Daily practice has helped me to spark my motivation, bolster my optimism, calm my uneasiness, deepen my gratitude. It's astonishing the effect that a 90-minute practice can have on every other moment of the day; it's like no other uplifting experience that I have ever known. Ruthie
I feel great and I feel like my approach to practicing is totally different. I notice a lot more things when I practice everyday which I feel helps me improve. I'll definitely be trying to keep up the routine - just maybe not the twice a day options. Great experience! Arleigh K. Upon finishing a yoga challenge of 25 classes in 30 days...
I had my second back surgery at the end of 2013. I went to physical therapy where I learned a few stretches. I was not healing as fast as I would have liked to. I had always wanted to try yoga but was always hesitant. I wanted my body to heal so badly I gave yoga a shot. I googled yoga and I found Yoga Moves in Stoneham. I went to my first yoga class back in January. I walked in not knowing what to expect. By the end of the class, which is an hour, I felt so calm. So refreshed. I went home and slept very well for a change. When I wake up in the morning I usually have aches and pains in my left leg due to sciatica. Not the day after my first yoga class. I felt the best that I had felt since before my surgery. I have made yoga class part of my Tuesday night routine. It is an hour that I give to myself to heal, relax, just take care of me for that hour. Mary Ellen and Lori are simply amazing people who have given me the confidence to trust my body, letting go of all judgement, and let my body heal! I will forever be thankful that I found Yoga Moves. Sandy, Stoneham, MA
I've been a student at Yoga Moves since Sept. 07 and in Feb. 09, Mary Ellen casually encouraged me to take on the "challenge". The biggest hurdle for me was finding the balance within my family life. Managing the schedule of 3 kids ages 8, 6 & 4 and squeezing in 5 classes a week for 8 weeks seemed almost impossible. Now, 40 classes completed in 2 months, thanks to the support of my husband, I had no idea of the advantages it would have on my life. It has increased my strength and flexibility, built strength in my core, and helped me stay focused and positive during this long, cold winter. Practicing yoga inspires, challenges and surprises me just as my children do. It reminds me what it's like to be a kid again too...doing handstands, backbends and headstands... all the things I loved to do when I was younger. I hope to continue to grow "young" with yoga and learn more about what it has to offer. Alyson, Reading, MA
I've been a student at Yoga Moves since November of 2006. Since having been introduced to Yoga I have received dozens of benefits from my practice. One of the immediate benefits that I noticed was a better nights sleep without the tossing and turning that had become the norm. Other benefits include strengthening of my core muscles, flexibility, breathing, weight loss and muscle tone, as well as peace of mind. However, since accepting the YOGA CHALLENGE, it certainly has been a challenge, all of the above benefits have been magnified to a greater degree bringing a greater sense of satisfaction in my yoga practice. For this my thanks go out to my wife for her support, all of my fellow yogi's, Flash, the teaching staff at Yoga Moves and especially Mary Ellen for her encouragement to persevere. Brian, Stoneham, MA
I have been fairly active and athletic throughout my life. I've spent most of my time at the gym lifting weights and running. Basketball and golf are two of my favorite pastimes. This until I found yoga. Practicing yoga on a regular basis has improved my physical and mental well-being. After being diagnosed with diabetes, my doctor stressed the importance of losing weight. Hot vinyasa yoga has been the answer to my medical needs. Mary Ellen and her exceptional staff have been extremely helpful and patient in helping me transition with this lifestyle change. I cannot say enough good things about practicing yoga at this studio. Jack, Wakefield, MA
I came to yoga after a two-year period of inactivity. Prior to that time, I had regularly gone to the gym and lifted weights. However, those forms of exercise started to have negative effects on me. My joints and lower back were often sore, and on some occasions the pain prevented me from sleeping. Eventually my desire to exercise ceased completely. After a few weeks of yoga my lower back and knee pain all but disappeared. Additionally, I started to lose weight and gain muscle tone. Now, after several months of regular yoga practice, I feel better, look better, and have much more energy. But perhaps the greatest benefit that I have realized from yoga is the stress reduction and greater sense of well being that I experience daily. Yoga is much more than a form of exercise, and I continue to learn more about yoga and myself. Mary Ellen and her staff at Yoga Moves have been wonderful, caring teachers, and I highly recommend them to anyone considering practicing yoga. Jonathan, Melrose, MA
Yoga has helped build astounding strength and flexibility in my body. The work done here helps with snow boarding, mountain biking, and every other activity I can think of, while building awareness and balance. Kent, Reading, MA
Yoga, Motherhood, and a Few Good Breaths I began practicing yoga when I was pregnant with my second child in the summer of 2004. A colleague at work was our instructor. We practiced twice weekly in an ROTC classroom, with the chairs and desks pushed to the side. Posters exclaiming “Be All You Can Be” hung on the wall, complete with fighter jet images, marching soldiers, and guns. I remember fixing my gaze on a very patriotic eagle as I balanced in “airplane,” and then, well, “eagle.” Our yoga instructor stressed the importance of breath for every movement. She shared good resources for proper breathing techniques. I practiced them at my desk. I used these techniques and other concepts she talked about, like focus and the power of ones body, during my son’s labor. It worked. Two years after he was born I was deep in the throws of my old hectic routine and never catching my breath. Work was busy, I was short tempered, stressed out, the house was never quite clean – and neither were my children. I had no meaningful outlet of my own. I married and had children “late in life,” and I was missing that old familiar sense of something that was completely mine. I yearned to regain peace of mind and ease of body. I began going to Yoga Moves in March of 2007. To my first class I brought with me my new yoga mat, my towel, and my renewed breath. After each time I practiced, I was lighter, happier, steadier, and looser. I decided to carve out time for two sessions each week during times that would work best, balancing home life with a husband, two children, and a full time work load. I mentioned to Mary Ellen the other day that it was my one year anniversary at Yoga Moves. She asked me what in my life was different after a year of Yoga. Without hesitating and without realizing what I was saying, I responded: “I am a better mother.” I would not have predicted a year ago that that would have been my answer (more likely “better abs”). A year ago, I was certain that the short term effects of going off and practicing yoga would be a horrible thing for a mother to do: I was abandoning my children for a selfish purpose after all. Now it’s clear that the short term effects do not exist and the long term effects are that I have something that is mine, and something that makes me a better person. Yoga gives me peace (child’s pose), strength (side plank), stillness in a busy day (shavasana), and balance (eagle into airplane). It teaches me acceptance (pigeon), perseverance (crow), to be present (tree), and, on one occasion, triumph (tripod headstand!). And, don’t you know? …all these skills come in very handy and in fact are critical not only as a yogi but as a mother. Yoga has added much to my life, and I get strength and peace from it as I move and flow in everyday situations. Like the sign on the wall exclaimed when I took my first breath and said Namaste for the first time: Be All You Can Be. Melissa, Reading, MA
I have always been a very active individual. I came to the conclusion many years ago that one needs to be active to keep the body and mind healthy. I had been a runner for fifteen years and began to experience pain in my knee, back and feet. I started practicing Bikram Yoga without any idea of how powerful it could be if you open your mind and heart to it. I look forward to experiencing more positive benefits and maybe someday even being able to hold my left leg up for 60 seconds! I'd like to thank Mary Ellen for her never ending positive support and welcoming smile. Donna C. Walsh, FLMI, ACS Vice President, Operations, Heritage Advisors, Inc. Stoneham, MA
Yoga has taught me to stop beating myself up with "should haves" and that someday my forehead can touch my toes! Heather, Woburn, MA
