Donations from Monday Yoga Class Go To Autism Charity

April is National Autism Awareness Month, so Gretchen Schock is giving the funds from her Monday night's Donation Yoga class to a local charity called Pathfinders for Autism. Schock, who teaches the class, has a son on the Autism Spectrum.

"It has been a journey of love and growth," Schock stated.

The weekly class is held in the from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Schock stated that she likes to offer an adult yoga class that is donation based because she believes yoga should be accessible to all people. She invites people to come and connect breath with movement, while moving through a series of yoga poses in a dance-like formation.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga classes are vigorous, Schock states. This is not "gentle yoga"—it is yoga with awareness, she stated. She does not encourage pushing through pain as in other sports, rather she encourages participants to explore their own edge mindfully as they grow their practice, strengthen their body, expand their heart and free their mind.

The normal recommended donation is $10. But it is not a requirement, according to Schock. There's a bucket by the door when people walk in where they can drop their donations. But no one pays attention to who drops something in and who does not, Schock said.

This week, since all the donations go to Pathfinders for Autism, there is no stated donation.