CLARKS SUMMIT — “Jessie’s Girl,” “Down Under” and “Physical” are all songs that have two things in common. They were all recorded by rock musicians from Australia, and were all played while people learned yoga on Jan. 17.
Hilary Steinberg, owner of Jaya Yoga, held a class across the street in the spacious Gathering Room of Our Lady of Snows Church. The theme was Australian because the event raised funds for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service to help communities affected by the country’s bushfire crisis.
“I love being able to do yoga classes to benefit people and animals in need,” said Steinberg.
Steinberg’s hour-long class consisted of Vinyasa — a level one class which included yoga moves such as downdog, Warrior 2 lunges, child’s pose and cat and cow.
Donna Vannan, a chef who was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia, researched organizations in her native land to help the animals. Besides the fire service, she also researched Wires, an animal rescue that helps animals in Australia like koalas and kangaroos. She brought Australian food to the yoga class, including vegemite sandwiches, lamingtons (sponge cake squares), chocolate crackles (similar to Rice Lrispie treats), fairy bread and joey doughnuts from BFIC in Dickson City. She cooked all the foods herself.
“I thought that the event was fantastic,” she said. “I thought that it was a great that the community comes together because this is my second community.”
Vannan is a chef at Alter House Restaurant & Bar.
The yoga class had a decent turnout of people wanting to help Australia while taking yoga.
“It’s nice to support a good cause a long way away,” said T.J. Murray, of Clarks Summit, who took the class with his friends Jason Bamford and Jamie Egan. “It’s nice to get the community together.”
