During the coronavirus pandemic, organizations worldwide have continued to serve their clientele by creatively adapting to social distance rules.
EndoFound has been no exception.
On the heels of its grassroots “PeriodNow” campaign that launched this month, EndoFound is offering its first “Mind, Body & Soul” workshop at noon on Wednesday, June 17. The class, “Mindful Vinyasa Yoga with Kym Klein,” will be taught online using Zoom.
“We are not able to meet as a community in person, so we want to offer opportunities to be well and healthy by connecting from home,” said Nina Baker, EndoFound’s education and outreach coordinator. “It can be hard for those with chronic illnesses to remain at home, especially during this difficult time. This way, the community can connect through a variety of online classes.”
Registration is open now at www.endofound.org/wellnessworkshops. A link will be sent to each registrant to connect to the class. A tax-deductible contribution of $10 is suggested, which will benefit EndoFound’s mission of increasing endometriosis recognition, providing advocacy, facilitating expert surgical training, and funding landmark endometriosis research.
Klein, a certified yoga and Pilates instructor, lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and teaches at various studios throughout the region. An endometriosis patient herself, Klein was interviewed a couple years ago by EndoFound about her battle with the disease. Since that article was published, countless endometriosis patients have sought her advice on how they can manage their pain.
“Yoga and Pilates can help physically, mentally, and spiritually; they are coping mechanisms in and of themselves,” Klein said. “You’re keeping your body moving and building areas that are losing muscle structure.”
Klein said she suffered with endometriosis for at least five years before being diagnosed with it in 2017. She had a hysterectomy that same year.
“I’ve had a few issues here and there since then, but overall it’s been a drastic improvement,” Klein said. She not only credits her physical activity with helping her post-surgery, she believes it minimized her pain for years before surgery. She has been doing yoga since 2006 and Pilates since 2014.
“They helped keep my body stable and strong through some difficult times,” she said. “Otherwise, I believe the disease would have crippled me.”
Klein’s class on Wednesday will last for 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session.
Other workshops planned in the coming weeks include “Taking Back Control from Endo: A Whole Person Approach to Pelvic Pain & Mental Health with Lindsey Kaupp” at 7 P.M. EDT on Wednesday, June 24, and “Unwind + Align: Yinyasa with Myofascial Release with Paula Pavolva” at noon EDT on Wednesday, July 1. Registration for each of those classes will open the day after the previous week’s class.
Baker said not all of the classes will be physical activities, just as having endometriosis is not only a physical disease.
“That’s why we call it ‘Mind, Body & Soul,’” Baker said. “You don’t need to be able to do an intricate yoga pose to be part of this series. It’s about the mental aspect of healing as well.”
Do you know of a wellness professional who would be interested in leading a workshop? Please email EndoFound at wellnessworkshops@endofound.org
