Geneva yoga center helps teens combat stress
Take a stressful task like homework and combine it with a stress buster like yoga and what do you have? Prana Yoga Center in Geneva calls it the OmWork Club.
The center is developing the after-school program as a way for area teens to develop a yoga habit while also having the space to do homework or form study groups.
It’s all part of the center’s goal to be invested in healthy community growth, according to Lori Glazebrook, who heads the OmWork Club and serves as the center’s marketing and promotions manager.
Prana Yoga Center has been in business in Geneva for 11 years, offering various yoga styles from Power Vinyasa to Yin. But the homework club represents a different twist on an ancient relaxation and strength practice.
“Unfortunately there are not many similar programs for teens, and this is why I am committed to creating one in our community,” said Glazebrook, who gets help from her husband, Jimmy, also a yoga instructor.
“I used to be a Girl Scout leader and taught yoga to the girls in my troop,” she added. “I noticed a difference in their concentration and ability to unwind after practicing.”
Glazebrook is planning a free open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the center, 321 Stevens St., to introduce teens and their families to the program, which will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. each Thursday, starting Oct. 11. Cost is $18 per two-hour session.
“Stress from outside sources was definitely considered when designing the OmWork Club, but so was stress related to school performance, peer relationships, and the benefits of physical activity,” Glazebrook said. Studies show yoga provides many benefits to teens, she added.
And the name OmWork Club?
“Om is the vibrational sound of the universe and is often repeated in meditation,” Glazebrook explained. “OmWork Club is just a clever variation of homework club.”
In this case, it was pretty darn close.
Hollywood in Chicago: You’ve likely read plenty of Dann Gire’s movie reviews in the Daily Herald, so you realize he knows quite a bit about the film industry. You have a chance to visit with the Herald’s film critic at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the St. Charles Public Library, where he’ll host a session about the history behind movies filmed in Chicago. The clips from “Home Alone” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” should bring back plenty of memories.
Oh yes, unlike the movies, this event is free.
Benefit for Alex: Here’s to hoping the family of 6-year-old Alex Freund can fill the Arcada Theatre next Sunday for a fundraiser to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van to more easily take Alex to his therapy and doctor’s appointments.
The St. Charles boy suffers from a form of Rett Syndrome, meaning he can’t walk or stand on his own. He also can’t eat solid food and has not spoken a word yet.
Theater owner Ron Onesti has donated the Arcada to the family from 3 to 7 p.m. next Sunday for a day of entertainment, food and auctions. Anyone interested in attending has to RSVP no later than Sunday at saferideforalex.org. Cost is $40 for adults, $10 for children younger than 15.
dheun@sbcglobal.net