It’s not everyday the worlds of local Bay State politics, mind-body-spirit restoring yoga, and recreational dispensary fun come together. And yet, here we are.
That’s right, starting January 27, 2022, the new “Weekly Wellness” series will kick off at 5:30pm, and run every Thursday through March. Which means you have a whole new reason to spend a lot of time at Canna Provisions Holyoke looking at all the Smash Hits cannabis, edibles, concentrates, local art, and the other things you’d find at the best dispensary near Chicopee, MA and other relevant places nearby.
Aaron Vega, one half of this husband-wife yoga power couple and former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives serving the 5th Hampden District of Holyoke, found his way to yoga as an alternate option to traditional gym life. As the story goes: He was working as a documentary film editor for Ken Burns at the time and one of his team members asked if he would like to join her for a yoga class. An Ashtanga yoga class (sometimes called “Power Yoga”), is usually not an entry level class, however, after one class Aaron was hooked. He continued his yoga journey trying many different yoga styles in his practice, but eventually trained in the Hatha yoga style rooted in Iyengar. Since becoming a teacher, Aaron has created sequences to work toward the bigger poses in a way that offers modifications along the way, so that every person in class can have a positive yoga experience no matter their level of practice.
Debra found her way to yoga while living and working as a professional Broadway dancer in New York City: “I was looking for a way to keep my dancing body in shape by staying flexible and strong, however, was also looking for ways to de-stress from the hectic nature of show business and living in NYC. Yoga was the answer to all of those things, and my introduction was in the general Hatha style. But as a dancer I was also inspired by the free-flowing style of Vinyasa flow classes, as well as how the body heals (as a dancer/athlete she has recovered from many injuries over the years), the preventative ways to take care of the body as we age, and more. I wanted a yoga program with a therapeutic focus and found it with master Structural Yoga Therapist, Karla Geoffroy, who was a student of the founder of Structural Yoga Therapy, Mukunda Stiles. Training and studying the principles of Structural Yoga Therapy (which focus on adapting to the individual), I meet students where they are in that moment, offering modifications for any physical challenges, and allow every student in class to have a positive yoga experience no matter their level of practice.”
We caught up with them and got into a few finer points of the breathing and moving to expect with the new weekly series, sponsored by Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary and the killer prerolls using Smash Hits cannabis.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE WORLDS OF CANNABIS AND YOGA OVERLAPPING UNDER THE BANNER OF PERSONAL WELLNESS?
Cannabis and yoga are the most perfect combination, as they both provide ways to support the health and wellness of the individual. Cannabis is plant medicine providing a myriad of ways to keep the body healthy. Yoga is a practice that also provides a myriad of ways to keep the body healthy. Together, Cannabis and Yoga seem like the perfect partnership of wellness and self care.
HOW CAN THE KIND OF YOGA YOU’LL BE TEACHING AT CANNA PROVISIONS HOLYOKE WEEKLY WELLNESS SERIES HELP WITH ISSUES LIKE SLEEP, CHRONIC JOINT AND BACK PAIN, DEPRESSION, AND GENERAL MOBILITY?
VegaYoga Mobile will be offering a variety of different wellness classes at Canna Provisions including open level mat yoga, chair yoga, meditation, and yoga therapy. Each class will have unique elements that combine gentle movements for strength, flexibility and mobility, as well as guided breathing and short meditations to let go of the day’s events and enjoy the present moment. Along with yoga’s physical benefits, it is also known to help with stress reduction and relaxation, which can help calm the mind and balance one’s energy prior to going to bed. Special yoga therapy classes will be offered to specifically help “free the joints” and help with chronic low back pain.
CAN SOMEONE USE YOUR BREATHING TECHNIQUES OUTSIDE THE CLASS IN EVERYDAY MOMENTS OF HYPER STRESS, TENSION, BACKUPS ON THE MASS PIKE, I-91, INFLATION, AND LIFE IN GENERAL TO SOME POSITIVE EFFECT?
Our breath is a tool that we carry with us always. By learning various simple breathing techniques, the breath can provide a calming mechanism to turn a stressful situation into a manageable moment. Breathing techniques can also help with pain management, labor, and help calm the body for a good night’s sleep. Every class that VegaYoga offers will include a version of breath-focused exercises for students to experience.
CANNABIS CONNECTS A WIDE SWARTH OF AGES. WHAT’S THE OLDEST STUDENT YOU’VE HAD GET INTO YOGA?
The oldest beginner student we can recall was age 96. She became a regular student in Debra’s Chair Yoga Class at the Holyoke Council on Aging, which shows it’s never too late to start! At VegaYoga Mobile, we pride ourselves in offering classes that allow for accessibility, no matter your level of yoga practice or what physical challenges you may be facing. Whether it’s chair yoga or a mat class, we always offer modifications to allow each student to adapt to their individual practice.
ONLY 10 SLOTS PER SESSION.
sign up here.
FULL SCHEDULE AND DETAILS FOR WEEKLY WELLNESS WITH VEGAYOGA MOBILE WELLNESS:
Canna Provisions – VegaYoga Mobile
Wellness Schedule & Class Descriptions
JAN-MAR 2022
Weekly Wellness Schedule: Thursdays 5:30pm @Canna Provisions JANUARY
1/27/22 – Open Level Yoga with Aaron & Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile *Students please bring your own mat.
FEBRUARY
2/3/22 – Open Level Yoga: Intro to Sun Salutations with Aaron Vega of VegaYoga Mobile
*Students please bring your own mat.
2/10/22 – Open Level Chair Yoga with Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile *Chairs will be provided. No mat needed. Come as you are.
2/17/22 – Open Level Yoga with Aaron & Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile *Students please bring your own mat.
2/24/22 – Guided Meditation & Breathing Techniques for Stress-Relief with Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile. *Chairs will be provided. No mat needed. Come as you are.
MARCH
3/3/22 – Open Level Yoga with Aaron Vega of VegaYoga Mobile *Students please bring your own mat.
3/10/22 – Therapeutic Yoga: Exploring the Joint Freeing Series with Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile. *Chairs will be provided. No mat needed. Come as you are.
3/17/22 – St. Patrick’s Day Open Level Yoga with Aaron & Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile. *Students please bring your own mat. Feel free to dress St. Patrick’s festive!
3/24/22 – Guided Meditation & Breathing Techniques for Stress-Relief with Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile. *Chairs will be provided. No mat needed. Come as you are.
3/31/22 – Therapeutic Yoga for Back Care with Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile. *Students please bring your own mat.
ONLY 10 SLOTS PER SESSION. sign up here.
VegaYoga Mobile Wellness Class Descriptions
Open Level Yoga –
Through this 1-hour open level mat yoga class, Aaron or Debra will guide students through stretches, movements and postures aimed to find balance, strength, stability and flexibility in the body. Modifications will be given in every class to ensure that students of any level of yoga experience feel comfortable in their practice. Breathing and relaxation techniques will also be incorporated into the class.
NOTE: This class is suitable for any level of yoga experience. Beginners are welcome! Students will be sitting or laying on a mat on the floor during a portion of this class. *Please bring your own mat.
Open Level Yoga: Intro to Sun Salutations –
Through this 1-hour open level mat yoga class, Aaron will explore the well-known yoga sequence, Sun Salutations, by guiding students through the series step-by-step. Sun Salutations include stretches, movements and postures aimed to find balance, strength, stability and flexibility in the body. Modifications will be given in every class to ensure that students of any level of yoga experience feel comfortable in their practice. Breathing and relaxation techniques will also be incorporated into the class. NOTE: This class is suitable for any level of yoga experience. Beginners are welcome! Students will be sitting or laying on a mat on the floor during a portion of this class. *Please bring your own mat.
Open Level Chair Yoga –
Through this 1-hour open level chair yoga class, Debra will introduce gentle movements through a Yoga Therapy Series called “The Joint-Freeing Series” where participants will move nearly every joint in the body and therefore, move every muscle group in the body. An optional standing portion of the class will be offered (which can also be followed in the chair), where Debra will use the chair to aid in teaching standing postures for strength and balance. In addition, Debra will incorporate breathing and relaxation techniques as a part of the class. No mats are needed and no change of clothes are required, just come as you are. Chairs will be provided. NOTE: This class is suitable for any age, ability, or fitness level.
Guided Meditation & Breathing Techniques for Stress-Relief – Through this 1-hour guided meditation in a chair, Debra will lead a guided meditation exploration designed to let go of the stresses of the day and find a path towards inner balance and peace. In addition, Debra will incorporate breathing and relaxation techniques as a part of the class. No mats are needed and no change of clothes are required, just come as you are. Chairs will be provided.
NOTE: This class is suitable for any age, ability, or fitness level. No prior meditation experience is necessary.
Therapeutic Yoga: Exploring the Joint Freeing Series – Through this 1-hour open level chair yoga class, Debra will introduce gentle movements through a Yoga Therapy Series called “The Joint-Freeing Series” where participants will move nearly every joint in the body and therefore, move every muscle group in the body. In addition, Debra will incorporate breathing and relaxation techniques as a part of the class. The entire class will take place seated in a chair. No mats are needed and no change of clothes are required, just come as you are. Chairs will be provided.
NOTE: This class is suitable for any age, ability, or fitness level.
Therapeutic Yoga for Back Care –
Through this 1-hour open level yoga class, Debra will introduce gentle movements and postures to support the health of the low back. Exercises and poses in this class are designed specifically to strengthen, release tightness and help prevent pain/discomfort in the lumbar region of the spine and the area around it. In addition, Debra will incorporate breathing and relaxation techniques as a part of the class. NOTE: This class is suitable for any level of yoga experience. Beginners are welcome! Students will be sitting or laying on a mat on the floor during a portion of this class. *Please bring your own mat. Please also bring a firm blanket if you have one.
About Aaron & Debra Vega of VegaYoga Mobile:
Aaron Vega, CYT 250:
Aaron Vega is the Co-director of VegaYoga Mobile home-based in Holyoke, MA which has been serving the greater Holyoke community for nearly 14 years. He has been practicing yoga since the late ’90’s and has been teaching since 2004. Aaron is an expert in leading his students through a yoga experience, including using non traditional yoga music and offering creative and unique yoga sequences in all of his classes. He has a great rapport with his students and in his community. When Aaron is not teaching yoga, he is a city leader as the Planning & Economic Director for the City of Holyoke. This job allows him to draw upon his skills as the former Holyoke State Representative, as well as his 15 year experience as a Documentary Film Editor working with filmmakers like Ken Burns, as collaboration is a key element in all of these positions. He is also a member of the Transition Team for Holyoke’s new mayor, Josh Garcia, and serves on many local boards including NEPM, Council for Human Understanding, Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice and MassHire. Aaron is married to
Debra Vega, the other Co-director of VegaYoga Mobile, and together they are the parents of 3 beautiful grown daughters and their 8 year old son named Odin. Aaron is thrilled about the growing cannabis industry in Holyoke and looks forward to creating a wellness partnership through cannabis and yoga!
Debra Vega, SYT 350, RCYT-level1:
Debra Vega is the Co-director of VegaYoga Mobile home-based in Holyoke, MA which has been serving the greater Holyoke community for nearly 14 years. She has been practicing yoga since 2000 and been teaching since 2007. Debra carries a special certification in Therapeutic Yoga (Structural), which allows her to aid clients with physical ailments, such as chronic back pain, and other physical challenges in their body. With a warm smile on her face, Debra’s main goal in all of her yoga classes is to leave her students feeling better than when they came in. Debra is also a life-long dancer, as a retired Broadway Performer and Radio City Rockette, and also a dance educator now teaching dance for over 30 years. She has taught in many private school and college settings over the years, but currently teaches at Holyoke’s Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, and the CLI Conservatory Pre-professional Dance Program in Easthampton, MA. You can also find Debra serving her community as a member of the Holyoke Public Schools Middle School Building Committee and a longtime member of the board of Girl’s inc. of the Valley and the Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice. Debra is married to Aaron Vega, the other Co-director of VegaYoga Mobile, and together they are the parents of 3 beautiful grown daughters and their 8 year old son named Odin. Debra is so excited to collaborate with the thriving cannabis industry in Holyoke and explore ways to provide wellness through cannabis and yoga!
ONLY 10 SLOTS PER SESSION. sign up here.
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About Canna Provisions
Canna Provisions is the next generation of cannabis dispensary focusing on a unique and thoughtful customer experience. We are here to guide you and towards the right provisions to fit your lifestyle, and provide knowledgeable support every step of the way. Founded by established industry pioneers with extensive cultivation, regulation and consumer sales experience, Canna Provisions stores provide a broad range of top-grade craft cannabis products that are locally sourced and thoughtfully produced. Life is a journey. No matter the path, trust Canna Provisions to better your journey. To learn more, visit CannaProvisionsGroup.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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This product has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is limited information on the side effects of using this product, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana used during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. The effects of Edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.
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