COMMUNITY WELLNESS
Yoga For First Responders
Enhance Your Workplace Wellness Program With Yoga Rescue Sessions .
We ’ re all stretched to the limit in many different ways . For first responders , the past two pandemic years have introduced a stress load that ’ s mentally , physically , and emotionally taxing . Vance Row , an Ocean City police officer and owner of Yoga Rescue , wants to show colleagues there are healthy ways to process trauma and focus on the present .
“ I didn ’ t think I ’ d be any good at yoga , and I kept talking myself out of going to a studio ,” says Row , who had taken on the practice periodically to help recover from back injuries . But he wasn ’ t a regular . Then , about two-and-ahalf years ago , he stepped into a studio for a hot yoga class . “ I fell in love with it , and within 30 days , I was like , ‘ I ’ m going to teach this .’”
Row acknowledges that there are plenty of first responders like him who might hesitate to practice yoga at a gym , club , or studio . So he developed Yoga Rescue to bring classes to fire houses , police stations , community centers , and hotels . “ I am trying to get as many people interested as I can , and it ’ s slowly growing ,” he says . “ So many have told me , ‘ It really does make me feel better .’”
There tends to be a culture of “ suck it up ” among first responders who are exposed to more trauma in a day than many of us will see in a lifetime . “ Those outside of the public safety sector might deal with 10 traumas in their life , but if you look at the police and fire world , they might see 600 traumas in 25 years ,” Row relates . “ How do you process that ?”
Yoga is one solution . Says Row , “ It ’ s what worked for me , and I ’ m incredibly passionate about it .”
Deeley Insurance Group is partnering with Yoga Rescue to bring classes to first responder clients . “ Yoga gets you out of your own head so you have to live in the present ,” Row says , adding that the practice has helped him “ go with the flow .”
In an effort to support the mental health of those in high-stress occupations , Deeley delivers resources that can make a difference . Row will bring his yoga to insured first responders ’ locations . For information , contact Jill Gormley , Deeley ' s Human Resources Director , 410-213-5576 or jgormley @ deeleyinsurance . com . +
Visit Yoga Rescue On Facebook At / yogarescueinfo
VANCE ROW AND JILL GORMLEY
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