Yoga Day at Hope Family Health Center
By Artina Dozier-Gage
AUDRIA Mixon, Clinical Practice Manager and Chantal Mattar, Nurse Practitioner, both members of the team at Hope Family Health Center located in side of Hope Academy attended a conference put on by the School Community Health Alliance of Michigan organization in August. Both Mixon and Mattar took special note of the session offered on yoga and mindfulness; they learned more about some of the physical and mental health benefits that can be gained from practicing yoga.
Feeling inspired from the conference, they went about planning a yoga event for students at Hope Academy with a plan to offer sessions throughout the school year. Nurse Mattar shared that, “Many students said this was their first time doing Yoga and that they enjoyed trying something new.” Mattar also had an opportunity to get feedback from some of the teachers at Hope who she said expressed happiness about “getting the kids up and moving to release some of their energy in a healthy and constructive.” While the team at Hope Family Health Center are still collecting data on the health benefits Nurse Mattar has already seen some change stating that, “Many students were visibly more relaxed and less anxious.” Both Nurse Mattar and Ms. Mixon spoke about feeling inspired seeing the students enjoy the first yoga session and more motivated to continue to “provide the students with an opportunity to practice and learn more about Yoga,” which Mattar further explained is a “type of exercise that brings together physical and mental disciplines that result in decreased stress level and relaxation.”
We also want to thank the the yoga instructor, Beverly Lochard (right), from Simply Well Yoga.
Hope Family Health Center is located in Detroit’s Nardin Park neighborhood and offers trauma-informed comprehensive pediatric services as well as screening for the social determinants of health and adverse childhood experiences. For more information call (313) 824-1000 ext. 2.
Artina Dozier-Gage is the Public Affairs and Social Media Manager for Authority Health
Tags: childrens health, community health, community health center, mental health, public health, school-based health center, wellbeing, yoga