Love your brain: Yoga studio to offer classes for those with traumatic brain injuries
Courtesy of Ashley Fortune, SweatNet Pittsburgh
Jarrid and Krissy Danburg pose with their three children inside the Danburgs无毛视频� Yoga6 South Hills studio at the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon.
Courtesy of Ashley Fortune, SweatNET Pittsburgh
Krissy and Jarrid Danburg strike a (yoga) pose with their three children at Yoga6 South Hills inside the Galleria. This summer, the Danburgs无毛视频� studio will become LoveYourBrain- certified, offering classes to the TBI community.
Courtesy of Jarrid Danburg
Including online donations and the YogaSix South Hills studio match, a two-day fundraising event brought in more than $6,000 for LoveYourBrain, through which instructor Sam Adams will receive LoveYourBrain certification this summer. Studio owners Krissy and Jarrid Danburg were thrilled to bring the community together for the event, commemorating YogaSix South Hills无毛视频檚 second anniversary.
A recent two-day fundraiser was more than a charity event for YogaSix South Hills studio owners Jarrid and Krissy Danburg.
Fundraising efforts for the LoveYourBrain Foundation combine the Peters Township couple无毛视频檚 love for yoga, passion for community and commitment to traumatic brain injury awareness.
无毛视频淥ur daughter, at 6 months old, had a traumatic brain injury,无毛视频� said Jarrid Danburg. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e constantly learning about ways people with traumatic brain injury can cope. Yoga and meditation and breathing help support people who have had that traumatic brain injury, which then brings in LoveYourBrain.无毛视频�
Before they无毛视频檇 ever heard of LoveYourBrain, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for those affected by traumatic brain injury and raising awareness for the importance of brain health, or been impacted by traumatic brain injury, the Danburgs practiced yoga. They began their practice while dating down South; Krissy, a Canon-McMillan graduate, was attending Elon University and Jarrid was working in Charlotte.
无毛视频淛arrid likes to run until he无毛视频檚 tired and I like to have a goal. Yoga had a start and a finish point. We enjoyed yoga together because it was something we could agree on from a fitness standpoint,无毛视频� said Krissy, a former dancer.
The pair married in 2010, and in 2014 welcomed their first daughter. Three years later they moved to Pittsburgh to be nearer to family.
Both Jarrid and Krissy were at that time entrepreneurs working in the corporate world. When they moved to Peters, the couple started looking into businesses they might run together.
无毛视频淵oga6 is a national brand. We liked that because it provided sort of a road map to start your own business,无毛视频� Krissy said.
The business came preloaded with the opportunity to give back.
无毛视频淲e have this program called Flow for a Cause. It无毛视频檚 just a great way for us to support a variety of organizations that are so important in our community,无毛视频� said Jarrid. 无毛视频淪upport for LoveYourBrain is an extension of Flow for a Cause.无毛视频�
During their two-day fundraising event March 18 and 19 at the studio 无毛视频� located on the top level of the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon 无毛视频� included four donation-based classes Saturday, six free classes Sunday, a studio match of $2,500 for in-person donations and a virtual fundraiser. YogaSix raised a total of $6,144 for LoveYourBrain.
无毛视频淥ur main goal was to raise enough to be able to put our teacher through this program. We more than exceeded that,无毛视频� Krissy said. 无毛视频淲e also just love being able to interact with our community. Before each of our classes, we played a small 无毛视频� audio file about what LoveYourBrain is. I can无毛视频檛 tell you the number of conversations we had after classes. It was just amazing to hear, for us, we无毛视频檙e not alone in having been touched by this type of experience.无毛视频�
About 2.8 million Americans are affected by traumatic brain injuries, said Laurel Crosby, director of development and communication for LoveYourBrain.
无毛视频淏rain injury is often so invisible of an injury. It leads to increased isolation, it can lead to depression, anxiety, mental, physical and social challenges and really impact the overall health and wellbeing of someone,无毛视频� Crosby said, noting not all concussions or other brain injuries are counted among the total number of TBIs recorded nationally.
无毛视频淵oga studios might not recognize, with so many people walking into the doors, someone may have experienced a brain injury. Simple modifications can make that space so much more inclusive and accessible. We无毛视频檙e just really thrilled to partner with Krissy and Jarrid. What they无毛视频檒l be able to make available to the Pittsburgh community is just really wonderful.无毛视频�
LoveYourBrain无毛视频檚 evidence-based, TBI community-friendly training is the first of its kind, and only 61 instructors in Pennsylvania are LoveYourBrain-certified. During her 20-hour virtual training, instructor Sam Adams will learn to lead gentler classes for those impacted by traumatic brain injury.
无毛视频淓very brain injury is unique,无毛视频� said Rachel Petri, communication and social media manager for LoveYourBrain. 无毛视频淒ownward dog is an inversion and can be challenging for somebody who has experienced traumatic brain injury. Our training is really setting our teachers up to give multiple options to our students.无毛视频�
Petri said training provides instructors deeper understanding of TBI symptoms, including vertigo, and how to tailor yoga practices to those with traumatic brain injuries. Between 50 and 60% of those LoveYourBrain-certified have themselves experienced a TBI.
无毛视频淭raining is really a powerful place for people who are either supporting the brain injury community or have personally experienced a brain injury. Empowering those people who have been personally affected, to then take that information to empower themselves or empower others to find greater healing, is something I无毛视频檓 continually moved by,无毛视频� said Petri. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a really powerful space for not only learning, but also personal growth and healing.无毛视频�
Earning a LoveYourBrain certification builds upon YogaSix South Hills无毛视频檚 mission to make yoga accessible to practitioners of all ages, skill and comfort levels.
无毛视频淵ou can walk in and be taking a class with somebody that may be in their 70s, and standing next to somebody who is in their 20s. We really try to deliver it in a very accessible way,无毛视频� said Jarrid Danburg. 无毛视频淲e try to create a full sensory experience: the music, the lighting, the cushioned floors. We feel like anyone can walk in who has never experienced yoga, and feel comfortable in our environment.无毛视频�
Now, those with traumatic brain injury can enjoy that full sensory experience without hesitation.
无毛视频淭his is a hard community to reach because of the nature of how some of these incidents occur. Having the traumatic brain injury can be such an isolation experience, but also being the caregiver, having to shift their life and their goals, too. Honoring that is a really amazing offering that not only recognizes what people are going through, but makes people feel like they无毛视频檙e less alone. We无毛视频檙e excited to make this shift.无毛视频�
LoveYourBrain, too, is happy to partner with the Danburgs and YogaSix South Hills.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e big champions of ours. It无毛视频檚 really meaningful when studios and supporters put on really unique fundraising initiatives to just help us do more in this world,无毛视频� said Crosby. 无毛视频淥ur programs at LoveYourBrain really rely on community, and work toward resilience. We seek to empower people through the tools of community, yoga and meditation, and connection. For anyone who is interested in creating accessibility for their community, it无毛视频檚 a really wonderful addition.无毛视频�
For more information on LoveYourBrain, visit https://www.loveyourbrain.com/.
To learn more about YogaSix, go to https://www.yogasix.com/location/south-hills.