{"id":5122,"date":"2021-03-08T16:49:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T16:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=5122"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:59:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:59:08","slug":"despite-isolation-yoga-keeps-people-in-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2021\/03\/08\/despite-isolation-yoga-keeps-people-in-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite isolation, yoga keeps people in community"},"content":{"rendered":"
The sky was pitch black, but Hannah Slocum was on the move. Rolling out her purple yoga mat and cueing a new playlist, she turned on her Zoom camera and led a yoga class to the rising sun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Slocum\u2019s 6:30 a.m. virtual class via <\/span>Yoga off East<\/span><\/a> drew six online participants. Even her mother tuned in from Massachusetts. It felt like much of the world was still asleep as the sky turned from pink to blue. But Slocum, bright and attentive, slowly guided her students through each movement. Her instructions: \u201cdo whatever feels good in your body this morning.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With over <\/span>36 million people<\/span><\/a> practicing yoga regularly in the United States, the mental health benefits of yoga are proven. According to Yoga Alliance, <\/span>86%<\/span><\/a> of people in the U.S. who practice yoga said it reduced their stress; 67% says it makes them feel better emotionally.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The global pandemic has exacerbated mental health struggles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, by June 2020, <\/span>40% of adults<\/span><\/a> in the U.S. struggled with mental health or substance abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n