Candlelight stretching class offered by a dance teacher – The Mercury

Spending time daily stretching can help improve range of mobility, among other benefits. (Photo courtesy of Julie Chittick)

On a recent Friday evening, Julie Chittick, a dance instructor at Feet First Dance in Phoenixville, placed several candles in the middle of a studio and asked her adult participants to space themselves and their mats around them to create a circle for a candlelight stretching class. .

Once the candles were lit, the lights dimmed and the soothing music started, Chittick began teaching an hour-long class devoted to stretching.

More than 15 years ago, Chittick had the idea of ​​offering seasonal candlelight stretching classes after she began teaching dance to adults.

“I noticed that when we stretched, everyone really responded to it and looked forward to that part of the class,” Chittick said. “They were like, ‘Oh, that feels good.’

Focus Inward

The first class she offered was to honor the winter solstice. This was a special offering allowing people to focus on themselves by candlelight.

“It’s relaxing, meditative and it’s freeing,” Chittick said of stretching. “It wrings out the tension in your body, like wringing out a wet towel.”

The feeling one experiences while stretching, especially for adults, is welcome and calming.

“We hold our attention to certain parts of the body because we have a lot to remember — we have a lot to do,” she said, referring to the demands of daily life.

Chittick does a warm-up to get the body moving before leading everyone through a series of stretches. There is a part towards the end of the course where she pairs people up.

“They are back to back and use passive weight to help stretch,” she said.

The whole body

Her evening classes, which she can offer off-site for eight to 20 adults, such as at schools, libraries and senior centers, focus on the body as a whole.

Chittick, who has been teaching ballet, modern dance and jazz classes to preschoolers through seniors for more than 25 years, drew inspiration from a variety of disciplines to create her stretching class.

“I was inspired by stretching for dance, elements of yoga and physical therapy,” she said, adding that she has been practicing yoga for about 22 years.

Chittick recommends that adults spend at least 10 minutes stretching daily, given the many benefits that can be achieved by practicing them regularly.

“It’s good for everyone because it releases muscle tension and increases joint mobility, which will help you maintain your full range of motion,” she said.

Range of motion decreased

A few years ago, when Chittick was caring for her mother, she worked with her on stretching because she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.

“My mother’s range of motion had decreased, and in her later years she was much more sedentary,” she said.

Since adults can become more sedentary as they age and many deal with arthritis and stiffness, stretching regularly can work wonders. Chittick said our hips, neck and upper back tend to hold the most tension.

“When you stretch, you feel better all around.”

Candlelight stretching class

Julie Chittick offers evening candlelight stretching classes by appointment in Chester County and surrounding areas. For more information contact: [email protected]