Suspension yoga comes to Toronto.
Beach-Riverdale Mirror reporter Joanna Lavoie takes part in a suspension yoga class at Hands on You Therapeutic Clinic in south Riverdale.
Staff photo/DAN PEARCE
"You discover that freedom to just play and in that playing you're exercising your core." - Trixie Montanile, suspension yoga instructor
One might not think hanging upside down and doing yoga postures would be therapeutic but it really is, and a great workout at that.
Called suspension yoga, the practice combines yoga with inversion therapy, aerial movements and strength training for a total mind-body workout.
Participants use a multi-purpose accessory called the Om Gym, which consists of two sets of rubber-padded handle grips attached to stainless steel hooks with nylon stirrups and a nylon sling with a hook attached to each end. These accessories are then affixed to a large frame, the ceiling or overhead beams.
This fall, Hands on You Therapeutic Clinic at 349 Carlaw Ave. in south Riverdale became the first facility in Toronto to offer the innovative yoga classes.
Area resident Trixie Montanile, a certified yoga practitioner since 2003 and a 25-year yogi, is the instructor.
She first learned about the Om Gym system while living in California and ordered one to use in her home.
"I really liked the concept," said Montanile, who first met Jackie Mirkopoulos, Hands on You Therapeutic Clinic's owner, last spring and started teaching suspension yoga classes there in September.
This was something new and nobody else in Toronto was doing it."
Like Montanile, Mirkopoulos was literally hooked after the first try.
"Trixie got me to try it and I fell in love with it. I now have one in my own home," she said.
Hands on You Therapeutic Clinic, a 5,000-square-foot therapeutic clinic and training facility that offers registered massage therapy, personal training and athletic therapy as well as yoga, pilates and kettlebell classes among other things, currently runs suspension yoga classes on Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons. A third weekly class on Thursday evenings is set to start in March.
Montanile (who is also certified in Thai yoga massage) said aside from increasing oxygenation to the brain, stimulating digestion, enhancing relaxation and improving physical agility and spinal mobility, suspension yoga also serves as a great mood enhancer.
"It raises your endorphins and it's good for depression," said the Dundas Street East and Jones Avenue resident, adding one of the best aspects of suspension yoga is participants "learn to move like a kid again."
"You discover that freedom to just play and in that playing you're exercising your core," she said, noting the hanging exercises also help decompress the spine and organs.
The practice is also good for participants of any age and ability level, she said.
"It's really good for the body, especially for people in the baby boomer or zoomer years," said Montanile, adding suspension yoga is also beneficial for those with back issues, herniated disks and sciatica.
"The biggest aspect of suspension yoga is the support it gives people to try out different postures they might not (otherwise) do. The postures with the Om Gym are unlimited, which also makes it interesting for me."
East York resident Elizabeth Westley, a 67-year-old cancer survivor, has been practicing yoga for 20 years now and takes Montanile's suspension yoga class.
"I absolutely love it," she said after a recent session. "It helps me with my balance. It helps me stay fit and it's lots of fun."
Just in time for Valentine's Day, couples are invited to try out suspension yoga by signing up for a special two-hour workshop Sunday, Feb. 13 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The seminar, which costs $99, will also include a lesson on Thai massage techniques. Participants will also receive a special goodie bag containing herbal tea, a candle, lavender oil and gift certificates.
For details, visit www.handsonyou.ca or call 416-462-9277.
Montanile can be reached directly at www.atmashaktiyoga.com/SuspensionYoga.html, via email at atmashaktiyoga@gmail.com or by calling 416-466-8152.