Although still fairly new to the Dickson area, J.J. Slowinski already feels at home here, so much so that she is opening her own business, Yoga for All, in the Preston Thompson Carpet Shoppe Complex this May.

She and her husband, Dan, and two boys, Jake and Pete, moved from Memphis this past October. She wasn’t sure about relocating to a smaller town, but has found that Dickson offers everything that Memphis had and so much more, without all the hassles! “The people are so nice and helpful here. It is an easy place to make friends and we felt comfortable right away.” She was also impressed with the number of independently owned businesses, the uniqueness of the downtown area, the progressiveness of the medical community, especially that Dickson has a branch of the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center and the Renaissance Center and all that it has to offer.

Originally from Texas, J.J. earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She has always been interested in physical fitness and began attending yoga classes over 10 years ago. It was through her experience as a nurse that she saw first-hand the mind-body connection and her patient’s ability to help control pain, decrease fear and anxiety and recover more quickly through the use of the breath and simple, gentle exercises. In other words, by practicing yoga.

“The more I practiced yoga and saw the benefits of it in my own body and in my own life, the more I wanted to share this ‘gift’ with others. The breathing techniques and gentle poses of restorative yoga naturally transferred into my nursing and to how I cared for my patients.”

Research has shown that yoga is helpful for a variety of illnesses and ailments, from alleviating pain associated with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and decreasing pain, increasing strength and range-of-motion and stamina in cancer patients, and so much more. Dr. Julie Perrigin of Dickson Medical Associates thinks so, too. “I think that yoga is an excellent exercise technique for patient’s with arthritis that have difficulty with flexibility and participating in other high or low impact exercise activities. I also feel it is helpful with all age ranges in improving flexibility, joint stability, and balance. It also is very beneficial in today’s fast paced world to provide relaxation and stress relief for mental health, which is just as important as physical health.” Physical Therapist Ian Fraser of Results Physiotherapy states, “yoga compliments the work we do as Physical Therapists, especially for patients with spinal disorders who are completing their rehabilitation.” He also thinks that “yoga is a fun yet challenging way to work on spinal stability and overall body control, which is important for the protection and health of joints.”
J. J. has recently completed her yoga teacher certification through YogaWorks out of New York City. She strongly feels that yoga is beneficial for everyone and that is why she named her studio Yoga for All. “Many people have misconceptions about yoga; yoga is not about tying yourself into the shape of a pretzel, nor is it a religion. Yoga is about focusing the mind through connecting the breath with movement of the body. If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” She states that you are never too old, too stiff or too overweight to do yoga. Classes are focused on safety first with intelligent instruction on proper alignment and form. A variety of classes, including T-Tapp with Vicki Drobnis, will be offered and can be as vigorous or relaxing as you would like. Every class ends with a deep relaxation period. Please visit yogaforalldickson.com for class descriptions, pricing, student information and schedule.