Flexible schedule? Check out this yogathon

Sudbury's first ever Yogathon for Mental Health will be held at the Caruso Club on April 17.

This one-day yogathon is geared to be gentle, enjoyable and accessible for all ages and experience levels.

Event organizer Emily Zanini welcomes the entire Sudbury community to attend this event fundraiser, created to bring people together around the amazing benefits of yoga for personal self-care, and greater mental health awareness across the Sudbury community.

The Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health was born out of Zanini’s own experience with depression and discovering the power of yoga for her own recovery.

“The more I talked about my illness with those around me, the more other people opened up about their personal struggles and lived experience,” said Zanini.

“All of a sudden, I didn’t feel alone anymore. If I would have just spoken up a couple of years earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of suffering in silence and gotten the help I needed right away. I created the Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health to bring the community together and keep the conversation going while doing something fun and active.”

The Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health is a fundraiser, and all of the proceeds will be going to NISA (Northern Initiative for Social Action), a peer-run mental health organization providing recovery-oriented services to people with lived experience of mental illness.

“In researching the mental health services in Sudbury to give the fundraising dollars to, I quickly found a perfect fit with NISA,” said Zanini.

“NISA focuses on the importance of support in recovery and mental health. They do so much for the community that people may not be aware of. The second I walked through the door to pitch my fundraising idea to the organization, I felt the community, safety and acceptance NISA brings to so many. Supporting hundreds of Sudburians a year, NISA is a vital community service that needs our support.”

Throughout the event, specialized instructors from numerous studios across the city, will be guiding attendees through styles, including a great introduction to beginner poses, healing, restorative, Hatha, and laughing yoga as well as yoga for pain and headaches.

Local exhibitors will be on-site to offer healthy food options and natural health and wellness products. Mental health agencies throughout the community will be available to provide information on local programs and resources.

The exhibit portion will be free to the public, although donations to the event are greatly appreciated.

For more information on registering, sponsoring, volunteering or donating visit sudburyyogathon.com.