Studio Offers Yoga for Every Body

Linda Patterson believes that yoga is for everyone and her new business reflects that.

Patterson opened Integrative Yoga Therapy in Easley earlier this month.

Integrative Yoga Therapy is Easley's first yoga studio.

“Yoga's not just for young, flexible, bendy people,” Patterson said. “Yoga's for everybody and it benefits everybody. There's a lot of health benefits to yoga.”

She offers both individual yoga sessions and smaller group yoga classes “that are welcoming and accommodating for all body sizes, shapes, ages.”

Integrative Yoga Therapy offers a variety of classes.

“There's a Chair Yoga class for people that might be recovering from surgery or maybe have balance issues or have trouble getting to the floor,” Patterson said. “There's classes that are very specific to being a Gentle Yoga class and there are all-around yoga classes where we try to incorporate something for everybody. That's more appropriate for beginners as well as experienced students.”

Yoga is actually more of breathing practice than a movement practice, Patterson said.

“As the United States has Westernized yoga, in some capacities, it's been turned into a fitness class and that's not what it was ever originally meant to be,” she said. “Yoga is very breath-centric, where we focus on the breath throughout the practice. When we go slow and gentle, it allows us to really focus inward and we do that by focusing on the breath, making yoga more of moving meditation.”

Students receive a host of fitness benefits from practicing yoga, even the gentler forms.

“You're still stretching and you're still focusing and working on balance, so there's definitely still physical benefits to it,” Patterson said.

In August, Integrative Yoga Therapy will be bringing Aerial Yoga to the area.

“There's nobody else doing that in the Upstate right now,” Patterson said. “Aerial Yoga can be used therapeutically. It's great for back pain. It's a great yoga practice for people who may have injuries in their feet or their knees or their hips that may prevent them from doing a practice on the floor.”

Aerial Yoga involves a big sling that hangs down from the ceiling.

“The yoga practice and all the poses are either done in the sling or utilizing the sling,” Patterson said.

In addition to its fitness benefits and applications for people with injuries, Aerial Yoga has another selling point.

“Bottom line is, it's just a lot of fun,” she said.

Watch the video above this story to see Patterson demonstrate Aerial Yoga, including inversions.

Patterson said there's no outlet in the Upstate for those who feel uncomfortable about “walking into a traditional yoga class in a traditional yoga studio.”

“One of my certifications is in what's called Curvy Yoga,” Patterson said. “I have a really strong passion for getting people on the mat that didn't otherwise see themselves as bodies that would be comfortable going to yoga. That means people who are overweight, uncomfortable with their body size, maybe it has to do with their age. But there are so many benefits from yoga that don't require touching your toes. Those are the people that I love to be able to get in to my studio and educate on yoga.”

Patterson knows firsthand that yoga can intimidating for people. She herself was overweight when she began taking yoga.

“I know what it's like to walk into some classes,” she said. “Some teachers are very welcoming and comfortable with that, but there are teachers out there that don't know what to do with a bigger body and what their responses tend to be is they just pretend you're not in the room. It doesn't make you feel so good.

That's really where my passion lies is, making it comfortable and welcoming for literally every body that wants to come experience yoga,” Patterson continued. “One of the most satisfying things for me as a yoga teacher is when I begin to see a student transform their body image. People who have come to me with real negative body images, low self-esteem, and the way that yoga can turn that around and help change that is amazing.”

Students should bring “comfortable, stretchy clothes” to a session.

“If they're just starting off, they don't need to bring anything else,” Patterson said. “I provide them with all the mats and props that they need to safely get through the class. If they decide they like it, most people buy their own yoga mat. But they don't need to just to get started. I always have some to lend.”

Many students like to start with one or two private yoga sessions before joining a group class, she said.

She also offers Restorative Yoga, Yoga for Seniors and Yoga Therapy.

Yoga Therapy is designed to help clients with a specific injury, illness, physical or emotional imbalance.

Therapeutic Yoga is also beneficial for depression and anxiety, Patterson said.

“There are specific breathing practices and yoga poses that can really help both of those conditions,” she said.

Group classes at Integrative Yoga Therapy are $10, but are half-off during the month of July. Private sessions conducted at the studio are $35.

Discounts are available for packages of classes, Patterson said.

Most classes are 60-75 minutes.

Integrative Yoga Therapy is located at 633 Saco Lowell Road, inside the Air Care building. Call 864-444-5523.