A group of women sit cross-legged and erect on the floor of the Williamsburg County Recreation Center. The room is silent except for the soft rhythmic commands of the guru. After a brief period of meditation, the teacher guides the group into “Downward Facing Dog.” As the students flow into the pose they focus on achieving correct posture and controlled breathing. The pose is held for a period of time then released. What sounds like a group of people performing strange body contortions is in fact a great workout called Yoga. A holistic or mind-body integrating movement practice with origins in India, yoga’s main goal is helping individuals to realize true happiness, freedom, or enlightenment. Kings-tree native Joe Faulk is the yoga teacher or guru. Faulk agrees with the fact that yoga has unwillingly endured a widespread stereotype. “Yoga is not a religion. It is a medium to harmonize the mind, body and spirit through the practice of the Asanas, or poses, breathing control and meditation,” said Faulk.
But as a nation who often utilizes the “no pain, no gain” mentality to achieve a good workout, the very thought of yoga is cause for skepticism. Faulk says yoga differs from aerobics, which only conditions the heart and lungs while yoga stimulates circulatory, nervous, digestive and endocrine systems, all at the same time. “The workout may not make you break a sweat like aerobics, but you will feel it nonetheless.” Yoga is also seen as a practice only women follow and not something a man could benefit from. “Men usually equate exercise with bulk and mass, therefore becoming a slave to pumping iron,” said Faulk. “Yoga builds lean muscle mass and is meant to complement other exercises, whether it be tennis, golf or aerobics.”
Research shows that yoga helps manage or control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stress and other conditions and diseases. Johns Hopkins University has endorsed Yoga and includes it in their programs. Shron Tisdale has been practicing Yoga since she was first introduced to Faulk’s class. Her experience with the class was instrumental during a recent trip to Florida. She was following her husband Thermon when she found herself squeezed between towering semis pushing her to travel at speeds she was not comfortable with. The situation would make anyone nervous and Tisdale admitted she could feel the tension building inside her but she had an answer. “Instead of letting that emotion take over, I remembered the breathing techniques I had learned,” she said. Within minutes she had calmed down and was able to get through the jam. “I just released that tension and I probably wouldn’t have thought to do that if I hadn’t been exposed to yoga.”
One of Faulk’s classes is “chair” yoga for those who may have limited mobility. “The people in my chair class are looking for increased flexibility and agility, even though many of them suffer from arthritic pain,” said Faulk. “Poses are not part of the routine, we instead focus on range of motion, breathing techniques, and basic meditation.” Patty Tennant had bi-lateral total knee replacement two years ago.  Though she hasn‘t experienced any major problems she has discovered many benefits since attending the chair class on a regular basis. “I have so much more flexible,” said Tennant who said just the prospect of bending down has been a pleasant benefit. “And when I’m not in the class I have a video that I follow at home.” Faulk is certain Tennant will advance to the mat in no time. “The goal is to constantly advance. And considering her desire and dedication, she will most certainly become a pretzel like the rest of us,” said Faulk.
Faulk teaches four one-hour classes per week. The classes are located at either the Williamsburg Recreation Center on Thurgood Marshal Highway or the Williamsburg Church on Academy Street. Faulk says even if practiced for one hour a week, the participant will experience yoga’s benefits. “If you can only do 20 minutes per session, that’s fine but if you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits,” said Faulk who strongly suggests starting with two or three times a week, for an hour or an hour and a half each time.
However, the practice of yoga cannot simply be contained within the walls of a studio or gym.  “A true devotee of yoga takes their practice “off the mat” and into their lives,” said Faulk. “When stress at home or work confronts the yogin, they simply use the meditation and breath control they learned to relax themselves.”  
So take off those shoes, take a seat and take a chance. The path toward a healthier body, mind and spirit takes nothing more than a mat and something that Faulk says is the key to understanding the power of Yoga. “One must bring an open mind.” For more information please contact the Williams-burg Recreation Center at 843-355-5004.