By Maddy PUMILIA

TheraYoga celebrated its relocation to 4105 Ocean View Blvd. on Saturday night with a party to welcome the community to the new studio.

The night was filled with food including rich brownies and fresh fruit, Henna tattoos, raffles and music from Kirtan artist Andres Salcedo. Kirtan is a type of music commonly found in India. Henna is a traditional Indian body decoration and, once applied, stays for about five to six days.

Raffle prizes included jewelry, a 10-class yoga pass, massage and tickets to the South Bay Yoga Conference.

TheraYoga owner Samantha Lawrence eagerly welcomed guests to her open house.

“TheraYoga is really a therapeutically based yoga program,” Lawrence said. It is based both on Hatha, which stretches and strengthens, and Iyengar practices, she went on to explain, adding that therapeutic classes use props.

According to www.therayogastudio.com, yoga is therapeutic when it is taught with a sophisticated knowledge of the body, attention to the individual, and with the goal of empowering you to care for your physical and mental health.  Therapeutic exercise is yogic when it unites body, breath, and mind, bringing the students into greater ease and awareness.

Lawrence’s studio offers many types of classes, from beginning to more demanding classes. There will be classes for pregnant women (pre-natal class) and women who just gave birth (Baby and Me class) in July. Classes are offered seven days a week and include gentle yoga, flow yoga, restorative yoga, yin yoga, Pilates and more. Private sessions are also available.

The instructors were trained in a therapeutic approach to yoga, completing an additional 500 hours of training.

“The important thing to me is we’re offering something for everyone in the community including people who have special conditions,” Lawrence said. Someone with MS or who just had a stroke, for example, could do yoga.     Because TheraYoga is therapeutically based and specializes in working with people with disabilities makes them unique. Lawrence had chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia and the therapeutic practices she learned helped her with her health problems.

“I’m really excited to see all of these people here to share this new space,” said instructor Alexandra Ellis. “I’m excited for [TheraYoga] to be better known through the community as well.”

Their website is www.therayogastudio.com. Check their website for things like class description, schedule and prices. And the first class is free.

“We would like to share with the community that anybody can practice yoga,” Lawrence said. “Even if you’re in a wheelchair, if you’ve been injured, as long as you breathe, you can practice yoga … no matter your age, your health condition, your experience.”

  MADDY PUMILIA