Meridian Place is the location of Barrie's first yoga festival, which aims to teach participants the movements their bodies can perform and the steps they can take to live a healthier lifestyle.
More than 500 people attended the day-long event on Saturday, which offered eight free classes across yoga, pilates and meditation.
“We feel there's a big need for yoga,” event organizer Jim Trumbull told CTV News in a phone interview. “Classes are expensive and fully booked, and a lot of people feel the need to exercise,” he said, adding that memberships at yoga studios in the downtown area typically cost more than $100 a month.
Before the pandemic, Trumbull also struggled with her weight and was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a painful condition in which pain sensors are activated even when you don't actually feel pain. Trumbull says yoga has helped her lose weight and manage her pain.
“I've lost 76 pounds, my brain aneurysm has healed and my trigeminal neuralgia rates have dropped by 90 percent,” Tremble recalled. “You've all been so helpful to me for three years, and now I want to give back.”
Tremble hopes that her story will inspire others to adopt an active lifestyle and that publicity for this year's yoga festival will help grow it next year.
