“There’s a kind of lopsided idea about giving,” said Jolie Parcher, the longtime owner of the Mandala Yoga Center for Healing Arts. Last Saturday, seated on the steps outside her Amagansett Square studio, Ms. Parcher checked in a parade of young children arriving for a midday kids yoga class, while explaining how she came to form Mandala Gives, a nonprofit arm of her business.
She believes that those in the business of giving, such as first responders, nonprofit workers, and caregivers of the elderly and sick, are depleting themselves. “There are all these people doing the work and who are experiencing levels of incredible stress, like the people hustling at the food pantry, the people working at the Retreat, and first responders. And if all those people don’t take care of themselves . . . ,” she said, trailing off.
Her concern led to a partnership in the spring with the Clamshell Foundation, an East Hampton organization that provides money to local groups doing good in the world. So, Mandala Gives was born, offering free yoga classes for local emergency medical service personnel, domestic violence survivors at the Retreat, residents at the affordable housing complex in Amagansett, those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, senior citizens, and even the weary farmers at Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett.
“When we heard about the opportunity to offer yoga to people in the community from seniors to those suffering from various diseases, to individuals who are first responders, we thought it was an amazing resource, a wonderful endeavor to be able to support,” said Kori Peters, the executive director of the Clamshell Foundation. The organization’s funding helps Ms. Parcher pay her yoga instructors to teach the classes, which are free to attend.
Much recent research focuses on the mind-body connection, in particular, how yoga affects the vagus nerve, the largest cranial nerve that relays messages between the brain and the respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems. The vagus nerve activates the relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, decreases anxiety, stress, and inflammation.
Marcia Dias knows all about stress. A captain with the East Hampton ambulance company, she admitted that she was not a believer in yoga. “I was used to doing HIIT exercises,” she said, referring to high-intensity interval training, involving explosive bursts of intense exercise. Then, in July, she decided to give Ms. Parcher’s Yoga for First Responders class a try. “I’m hooked and I go as often as I can,” she said, adding that yoga is not as easy as people might think. “Certain postures are really hard. It’s a challenge, especially sitting still. But the benefits are great. I feel more relaxed and I’m stretching different parts of my body. I wish more people would take this class.”
Ms. Parcher, who teaches the first responders class, pointed to her students’ varying schedules, which can affect their nervous system, sleep patterns, and digestive systems. “They’re doing very stressful trauma work on a daily basis, so this class helps guide them to have some steps if things feel traumatic or overwhelming and stressful. Or, just to calm down and learn how to sleep,” she said.
At the Retreat domestic violence shelter, Alexandra Burst, a Mandala yoga instructor, teaches a weekly class for clients who are staying at the shelter. “It’s very rewarding,” she said during a phone call. “After each class I can see such relief on their faces. I use essential oils and their kids love that,” she said, with a smile. For Ms. Burst, who is also a plant-based chef, the opportunity to offer yoga as a healing tool for women who are recovering from trauma has a special meaning. “I’m in recovery myself. I’m a recovering alcoholic and yoga was my saving grace when I was in a dark place. So, hopefully, I’m giving these women a new set of tools that will ultimately help them too.”
Ms. Parcher’s mother suffers from Parkinson’s disease so she decided to offer a weekly Yoga for Parkinson’s class, in which Miriam Bram is a regular, as well as several caregivers and relatives.
“The urge with Parkinson’s is to get small. So, this class has us moving in big movements that expand the body, which help create new nerve pathways,” said Ms. Bram, 58, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2008. “I especially love the breath work. It’s very meditative and really calms the nervous system, which is the key with Parkinson’s.”
The mandala symbol in Buddhism represents the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy. Which is why Ms. Parcher is not done yet. Although it will require more fund-raising on her part, she’s hoping to reach others who might benefit from yoga. “People who feel that they could use a very specific yoga class for a specific need, they should get in touch, because my teachers are really excited to do it,” she said.
