After two years of physical therapy for a torn shoulder (trying to avoid surgery), I was told to just "not lift my arm above my shoulder". Two weeks of yoga and my arm was better than it had ever been. Now after 1 year it's 90% usable.
Susan Turner
I’m writing to express my appreciation for the Savvy Fitness classes that have been offered to us at Placer Union
High School District.
I’ve been a regular in the Circuit Training and Yoga classes at the
District Office, and I feel they have added immeasurably to my feeling
of well-being, especially in a work week that consists mainly of
sitting at a desk.
I truly can’t say enough about the teachers I have had experience with through Savvy Fitness. Both Angie Weaver and Karen Barbarick are knowledgeable and encouraging. They also make it fun to exercise in the middle or at the end of a work day! Having a fitness program available at work makes it so much more convenient – and therefore, more likely - for full-time employees to get in the exercise that we so badly need, thereby helping us to become healthier individuals.
The program promotes an environment of health and wellness at our workplace. Several of us in the District Office are walking two miles at lunch on a regular basis, which was a direct result of the walking group that Angie Weaver started last year.
I feel I’m getting tremendous value from these classes and hope that they will be continued.
Sincerely,
Beverly Pando
Administrative Assistant
Placer Union High School District
Thank you so much for your wonderful yoga class. You know how to gauge your audience and adapt the curriculum to meet their particular needs. You are an excellent teacher who motivates us to keep healthy through exercise and meditation.
Since I’ve started to participate in your class, I’ve noticed how I do not pull out my back anymore. Even when I had to dig snow for hours to get my car out of my driveway, I did not have one body part that hurt – that would not have been the case previously. I also find that the tension I build up in my neck and back goes away after every one of your classes. Often, I now do the stretches you’ve taught us when I am home which demonstrates that you’ve changed my lifestyle on a daily basis not just when I am in your class.
I look forward to your classes every week. It’s such a shame when I have to miss because of other work commitments. I would love to have you here every day.
Thank you so much.
Margaret Vodicka
March 7, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
I consider myself a beneficiary of the fitness program provided by SIG through Savvy Fitness. I participate in two yoga classes after work each week and a circuit training on Wednesday during my lunch break. There are a number of ways that the classes have enhanced my mental and physical health.
In February 2006, I took on a new role at the Placer Union High School District. In the new job I found myself working extended hours, having difficulty sleeping at night, and experiencing other symptoms related to the stress I was feeling. I have always maintained a steady walking routine, but even the walking was not curbing the anxiety I was feeling about work. Last year, Savvy Fitness provided us with a yoga instructor who was willing to accommodate our schedules by coming to the District Office at 5PM. Now, over a year later, I have noticed that I am managing stress more effectively and feeling much better, calmer and happier. In addition, I have experienced an increase in my strength and flexibility. Karen Barbarick has been a wonderful, patient, committed teacher for our dedicated group. We feel incredibly fortunate to have met her and to benefit by her knowledge of Hatha Yoga. Her twice weekly classes have also created a connection and community among her students, which help to build and strengthen relationships at work.
This fall some of us in the office asked Angie Weaver if she would provide us with some core strengthening exercises. Angie took on the challenge with her characteristic kindness and enthusiasm. Again, we became the beneficiaries of an excellent teacher who brought a strong knowledge of physical fitness and strength training to our noon-time exercise group.
I greatly appreciate this program brought to us by SIG and Savvy and I hope it will continue. Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can provide any additional information. Thank you. Sincerely,
Anne Evans
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Placer Union High School District
My name is Becky Dunkel and I have been very active in your wellness program since its implementation in the Placer Union High School District and I have benefited tremendously from the program. Since the program began, I have lost 30 pounds and noticed an overall improvement in my health and wellbeing. I am not as stressed and my blood pressure is down. I try to take advantage of both the circuit training as well as the Yoga, but recently I have only been able to regularly attend the yoga sessions. One of the most important things that I have noticed is that I have not been as sick as in past years. I have been able to fight off many of the colds that tried to grab onto me, and when I did come down with the flu this past January, I was able to recover much more quickly and avoided a trip to the doctor. A very important thing to note when reviewing the program is that the number of people who attend class vary. Please know that this is because many of us who attend these classes are very active in the school. There are many days we cannot attend due to scheduled meetings, but when the meetings are not taking place, we are attending the wellness classes.
I hope this helps in making your decision to keep the program going. We truly are benefiting from it, and would hate to see it not continue. Thank you for providing such a wonderful service.
Sincerely yours,
Becky Dunkel
Zina (from Australia)
Hi Karen,
Linda Horning
Here is the web site of Karen Barbarick who taught at Total Fitness when I took yoga there. I don’t know if she is offering classes locally any more or not. If she is, she is definitely worth chasing down. It would be nice for you to experience the kind of yoga that leaves you feeling spiritually nourished instead of wiped out.
Linda Horning
Registered Dietitian
Chapa-De Indian Health Program, Inc.
To whom it concerns,
I have been attending yoga classes with Karen for 1 year. She is an outstanding instructor and I would highly recommend her for any situation.
I have taken yoga classes 'off' and 'on' over the past 30 years and she offers the best I have ever had. Karen has the ability to work with all levels of students, recognize each of our needs, and address them personally while in a group-pretty amazing, huh!
My flexibility has continued to improve and just as important, my mental and spiritual health. I am an active 67 year old woman and I truly believe that regular exercise including yoga keeps me at my best possible health.
Sharon E. Baughn
retired mathematics instructor, Colfax High School
The physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of yoga continue to unfold with every yoga class. One of my first yoga teachers suggested having "no expections" as I move through the poses. That curious advice made sense as I began to notice life long physical discomforts begin to subside. While climbing stairs one day I noticed my knee and hip did not scream their usual prescense. The pain was gone and I had no idea exactly when that had happened. The heightened awareness of proper breathing not only helped during classes but taught me the importance and benefits of conscious breathing during every waking hour. Yoga has enabled me to put life's daily challenges into a calm, non reactive perspective. It is a practice that continues to enhance my life outside of the classroom.
David L. Brown
58 years old
To whom it may concern:
I am 54 years old, and starting attending Karen Barbarick’s yoga classes over a year ago. For 25 years I have been an avid exerciser, and I find Karen’s classes to be the most beneficial thing I do for myself. Not only has yoga given me more flexibility and balance and toned my body overall, but Karen teaches yoga in a way that has provided emotional support and an element of calmness to my life.
I have attended other yoga classes on and off over the years, but Karen’s class is truly therapeutic in all ways. No other class has provided the meditative element that yoga is meant to provide.
Karen has changed my life both physically and mentally. I would highly recommend that anyone, no matter what age, attend Karen’s classes.
Wanda Ditmars
Karen has been my yoga teacher for a few years. She is the best. She really knows yoga. She is kind and giving. I am 75 years young and i plan to have for her a teacher till i am a 100. Thanks Karen.
Bridgett Stenes
Two years ago I took my first yoga class from Karen, knowing almost nothing about yoga. I was quite nervous, but Karen was very encouraging and helpful, and I've been going almost every week since. I feel much more energetic and my balance has improved steadily. I am able to do most of the poses, and my core muscles are much stronger. I want to continue doing yoga for years to come. I had my 69th birthday last week. I highly recommend yoga for its calming and relaxing effects, also. It's a great stress reliever.
Carol Ostrom
Auburn, CA
I am a 63 year-old female who was so stiff with arthritis that I couldn't even sit in a cross-legged position for more than a minute. My spine has two collapsed discs and my left knee was bone-on-bone and needed replacement. I started Karen Barbarick's Yoga class 2 1/2 years ago. I went at my own stiff and slow pace and received benefits from every class. My back and knee felt much better due to the stretching and I was able to postpone my replacement for two years, until the right Doctor and new technique came along. Because I was so flexible and strong going into my surgery, my recovery was one of the fastest on record. Then, as a bonus, my speedy return to Yoga has allowed me to regain ALL of my flexibility and I can now sit comfortably in that cross-legged position indefinitely.
I can't thank Karen and her classes enough.
Sincerely,
Karen Bleuel
At the urging of my wife, I recently found myself, a fifty-something year old, attending my first yoga class with a degree of skepticism, expecting some sort of New Age-existential experience. However, to my surprise, the class was physically challenging; the low-impact poses/exercises were tailored to match individual participant’s abilities, allowing for a wide range of skill levels. Of even greater benefit, the practice required a mental focus that relieved stress while improving flexibility, balance and core strength - attributes that will surely help slow down the aging process. For these reasons, I would recommend yoga to anyone wishing to maintain or improve their quality of life as they enter their ‘Golden Years’.
Tom Slevin
