Articles
The Wilton Bulletin
June 12, 2007
Wilton Kiwanis Club Receives Some Yoga Instruction
By Michael Brewi - Wilton Kiwanis Club
Denise Gregoire O'Hearn of Westport Road, founder of Vibrant Moves, a company that teaches yoga for wellness, was on hand at the last Wilton Kiwanis Club luncheon to demonstrate how simple yoga exercises can relax the body.
Through the exercises, one is better prepared for tackling everyday activities, especially those requiring substantial physical effort, such as golf and tennis. Ms. O'Hearn, whose husband Tierney is a longstanding member of the Kiwanis Club, led the group of Kiwanians through a series of low-impact muscle-stretching, deep-breathing exercises.
Ms. O'Hearn began practicing yoga in 1997 when she was introduced to it to help relieve the neck and back pain she was suffering following a serious car accident. She said she learned effective ways to manage her discomfort instead of masking it with pain medication. She also noticed that yoga made a difference in her ability to handle stress and in meeting the demands of her work.
"I was always active in sports and dance and love the physical movement that yoga offers," said Ms. O'Hearn. "In addition, yoga helps me find balance and gives me a sense of peace in the midst of a very hectic life." In addition to her yoga business, Ms. O'Hearn works as a paralegal in her husband's law practice.
She said she became inspired to share the healing benefits of yoga with others, and has since been certified as a Kripalu yoga teacher and is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance.
She is also a Reiki Master and is trained in positional therapy, two other healing modalities. She teaches group and private classes throughout Fairfield County and brings her therapeutic skills to the Center for Hope in Darien for people living with cancer.
For more information: 203-210-5780
The Wilton Bulletin
Feb. 26, 2009 Bulletin, Wilton, Conn. 7A
It's not a stretch to beat stress with yoga Fridays
BY LIZABETH DOTY
Do you ever wake up with a crick in your neck and then spend days unable to fully turn your head? Would you like to learn a few simple techniques that may help you relieve some of the pain and stress in your life? Join Denise O'Hearn as she demonstrates a few self-help techniques.
Ms. O'Hearn, a Wilton native, is a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, registered with the Yoga Alliance.
Article from the March-April 2010 Wilton Corridors
Yoga for Seniors
Join in the Fun and the Benefits!
No one really chooses to age, but unfortunately it just comes with the passage of time. As we age, it often becomes difficult or even painful to move, and we tend to slow down or sometimes even stop moving altogether. If we stop moving, the body loses strength, and we feel even more stiffness and pain. It's a vicious cycle. To stay active and vibrant, it's imperative to keep moving. Yoga offers a great way for seniors to tune into their bodies and to learn effective and gentle ways to keep moving and to heal.
Why are many people around the country and the world doing yoga these days? Simply because it makes them feel better - and not only physically, but mentally and energetically as well. Yoga, from the Sanskrit root word "Yuj" means "union." Yoga returns us to wholeness, bringing together body, mind and spirit.
Not only will yoga make you stronger and more flexible. With regular practice it can greatly improve your balance and make you feel more alive! Your posture will improve as you gently move your body and spine, drawing fresh oxygenated blood and nutrients to the spine, muscles, limbs and brain. Yoga may lower blood pressure and heart rate. Yoga can even help release chronic tension and pain. (That's why I personally started doing yoga.)
Breathing is an autonomic response, and most people assume they already know how to breathe. Unfortunately, many people are not breathing effectively. By learning full yogic breathing, you will stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the opposite of the "fight or flight" sympathetic nervous system. Conscious, effective breathing relaxes the body, calms the mind, helps decrease stress, anxiety and depression, and lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
I love
teaching yoga to seniors. My "Elders" are very important to me and to
my community. Keeping them moving and strong is my personal goal. Ask
yourself: Would you like to age with more grace, less pain and more
energy? Would you like to feel more relaxed and balanced, both
physically and mentally? Then why not try a gentle yoga class.
Denise O'Hearn will be instructing seniors in the basics of Kripalu-based Hatha Yoga each Thursday morning during the summer.
Denise Gregoire O'Hearn assists her husband, local attorney Tierney O'Hearn, in the Warrior II yoga posture, which firms and strengthens the body and helps develop coordination and balance. She will be teaching a class at the Wilton Senior Center.
Denise O'Hearn leads a yoga class of about two dozen women by candlelight last week at Grace Episcopal Church in Norwalk.
Stress-free time Rose Falcone, Kay Mola and Pat Poremba take part in the yoga class taught by yoga instructor, Denise O'Hearn, earlier this week at the Norwalk Senior Center on Allen Road.
Native Wiltonian Denise Gregoire O'Hearn will be the guest speaker at this Wednesday Senior Center Luncheon at the Ogden House. Ms. O'Hearn is a Kripalu certified yoga instructor and will be offering yoga on Thursdays at the Wilton Comstock Community Center.