On Thursday, July 12, Staying Alive Fitness will be kicking off their Yoga in the Park for the 10th year. The annual event supports a number of causes, and is completely free for anyone to attend. Yoga in the Park has grown to become a celebrated event within the community, but it started off, strangely enough, with two dogs.
11 years ago Staying Alive’s owner and fitness guru Leanne Monaghan was coming home from a hockey game when she decided to go to the humane society. She left with two dogs as well as a desire to give back to the community. Monaghan says, “The humane society did so much for me, so I wanted to give back”. It was the perfect way to help Staying Alive express its ambition to be a community-oriented gym.Monaghan says she was inspired to start the Yoga in the Park program after seeing Ottawa’s Yoga in the Park, held on Parliament Hill: “Parliament Hill, Prospect Park—it’s not that far of a leap”.
Acton’s own Yoga in the Park was then born. It began as a fundraiser for the Upper Credit Humane Society, but over the years has taken on a number of causes. Today, it supports the Links2Care Backpack Program, the Acton Food Share, and the CRC to Stop the Hidden Quarry.
The event is made possible thanks to a number of sponsors in the community, many of whom Monaghan says have sponsored them from day one. This year, Giddy YoYo has come on board to add a whole new dimension to Yoga in the Park. Before starting, each participant will be given a piece of Giddy YoYo chocolate—free of dairy, sugar, soy, nuts, gluten, and other nasty funk—to set the mood for yoga.But the fun doesn’t stop there—special guest Jessica Sandu will be opening the meditation, and Giddy YoYo will be hosting a tasting booth. The whole event will also be filmed as an episode for Acton UP.
Yoga in the Park has become a summer institution in Acton, and is a great way to celebrate summer and fitness. For Monaghan, the event is particularly special: “I look forward to Yoga in the Park every year—it’s going to be a fun-filled evening!”
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