Stretch out to support charity

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This article was published 18/12/2019 (279 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are many ways to connect people during the holidays — and Alisa Hobbs and Aileen Hunt are limbering up to host an event called Happy Baby Yoga.

River Park South resident Hobbs runs Healing Minds, Healing Bodies – Yoga for the Cure, which is a fundraising initiative offering donation-based community yoga classes around Manitoba in support of the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. Crescentwood resident Hunt operates Fit 4 Two Pre and Postnatal Fitness Winnipeg West, a franchise with a mission to provide fitness, nutrition and wellness programming for pre- and postnatal women in their communities.

Happy Baby Yoga — which will run from 10 to 11:15 a.m. on Thurs., Dec. 19 at Linden Woods Community Centre (414 Lindenwoods Drive W) — will feature a mom-and-baby yoga and infant massage class, which will be in support of the foundation. The suggested donation is $20. The goal, in part, is to connect new mothers with each other and help them bond with their babies, while supporting a good cause that’s close to the heart of the co-organizers.

"It’s always nice to give back to the community, especially around Christmastime," Hobbs, 39, said, noting participants in the inclusive event will be able to feed or change their babies in the circle. "It’s a nice way to bring new moms together to meet other moms."

Hobbs started running donation-based community yoga classes several years ago, and they have spiralled in popularity since. This includes one at Riding Mountain National Park, which attracted around 100 participants. Helping support the foundation’s research, initiatives and programs is important to her — not least because several members of her immediate family have been treated for cancer in the last few years.

"Everybody knows somebody that has been affected by cancer, so it’s nice to be able to do something in support of the foundation," she said.

"This event is all about creating a sense of community, and being with women who are in the same boat as you. It feels good to be able to do this at this time of year."

Adding there are many people in the community touched by cancer in way or another, Hunt said the event is aimed at new moms with "newborns to pre-crawling" infants.

"It’s a gentle and supportive event, and it might be the first outing for the mother and their baby as a family, so it could also be a bonding experience," Hunt, 42, said. "There will also be a short demonstration of massage strokes that will help babies relax."

Prospective participants are invited to email healingmindshealingbodies@gmail.com to RSVP their attendance, which help Hobbs and Hunt plan for the event.