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10  Desert Wings                                                                                                                                                            April 15, 2016
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This week in Edwards Flight Test History

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                                                                                                                                                         Air Force photograph

Find your ‘happy place’ in yoga

by Rebecca Amber                       only three years later.                 According to Hoffmann, yoga is      VXDOL]HDSODFHWKDWWKH\¿QGUHOD[-  go back to work.”
Staff writer                             “When I’m at home doing some-       a good workout and everyone im-       ing and forget about the things that    Classes are offered noon-1 p.m.,
                                                                             proves over time. At the end of each  cause them stress.
  0HOLVVD+RIIPDQQDFRQ¿JXUD-        thing for a long time I get up and    class, Hoffmann asks her students                                           Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
tion manager at NASA Armstrong         do yoga. It’s the only way I can go   to find their “happy place.” For        “It’s mentally relaxing and it’s    and 4:30-5:30 p.m. All classes are
)OLJKW5HVHDUFK&HQWHU¿UVWVWDUWHG  to sleep when I’m in a lot of pain,”  some that might be on the beach,      trying to sync up mind and body,”     in the Chapel 1 Annex.
doing yoga after high school.          said Goss.                            for others skiing or a light stroll.  said Hoffmann. “You work out, you
                                                                             The idea is for each student to vi-   stretch everything, you clear your      For more information, or for yoga
  When her instructor needed a           Goss has had 12 major surgeries                                           mind and you’re happy when you        class schedules, email Hoffmann at
substitute teacher, Hoffmann loved     and 10 minor ones. She uses only                                                                                  melissa.l.hoffmann@nasa.gov.
yoga so much she took the classes      yoga and ice to manage the pain.
WREHFHUWL¿HGDVDQLQVWUXFWRUDQG                                                                                                                                                                                                               Air Force photograph by Rebecca Amber
eventually took over the class. To-      “That’s why I drive 45 minutes
day, she offers four classes every     out of my way to remember Me-         <RJDFODVVHVDUHRIIHUHGLQWKH&KDSHO$QQH[WRDQ\RQHZLWKEDVHDFFHVV,QVWUXFWRU0HOLVVD+RIIPDQQRIIHUV
week in the Chapel 1 Annex.            lissa’s teachings,” she said.         the classes to help her students relieve stress and build muscle.

  The class is free to anyone who        According to Hoffmann, yoga is
wishes to attend, ages 13 and up.      also good for post-traumatic stress
                                       disorder and pregnancy. She keeps
  “It was always free when it was      extra yoga mats in the class for
over at the aerobics center,” said     newcomers who want to try it out
Hoffmann. “When they had to cut        IRUWKH¿UVWWLPH
the classes over there because of
funding, I wanted to keep teaching       “I think everyone should try it a
it and I didn’t want people to have    couple of times. It’s different than
to pay.”                               other aerobics classes - it’s really
                                       slow and I talk kind of monotone
  Her class is geared towards be-      and the music is really relaxing.”
ginner and intermediate level yoga,
but more advanced students are also      Yoga also helps with running.
welcome. According to Hoffmann,        Last year, Hoffmann arranged
yoga is a stress reliever and can      four after school sessions for
help with physical ailments such as    the Desert Jr.-Sr. High School
back problems.                         track team. With track season ap-
                                       proaching, she is already being
  One of her students, Cleo Goss,      asked to arrange classes for this
a retired computer scientist at the    year’s team.
412th Electronic Warfare Group,
has broken her back twice. Goss          Hoffmann’s mother, Mary also
had already been doing yoga for        takes her classes. Mary has never
several years before she broke her     been a runner, but after taking yoga
back in 2007. The doctor said he       classes, she has completed four
would allow her to continue taking     half-marathons.
yoga classes and Goss believes it’s
the only thing that kept her going.      “I absolutely love it. Because of
Her second back injury occurred        yoga, I actually did my first half
                                       marathon on Father’s Day 2013,”
                                       said Mary. “Melissa can never stop
                                       teaching yoga — we won’t let her.”
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