Yoga to Remember™
Gentle yoga, breathwork & meditation events for those who are grieving
Yoga to Remember™ is a remembrance-themed yoga practice that consists of gentle yoga, breathwork and meditation. Events are held throughout the year, led by Becky Verner, a 500-hour certified yoga teacher and children’s grief advocate. Attendees are encouraged to bring a photo of the loved one(s) or memory they’d like to honor, to place beside their mat. The event begins with a candle-lighting ceremony for introductions of each other and those we’ve come to remember. Next, attendees participate in a gentle yoga class - focusing on mind/body awareness, breath and factors of our lives we can control. A longer guided-meditation closes the practice.
Public group sessions are offered throughout the year, specifically for the December Holiday season and Mother’s Day. Group sessions can also be scheduled at hospice, grief service centers, hospitals, etc.
Public Group Events:
The next Yoga to Remember will be November 14th at 6pm at The Studio Cleveland.
Yoga to remember was on the news
Previous Offerings:
Mother's Day 2016
Holiday 2016
Mother's Day 2017
Holy Family Home Health & Hospice March 2018
Mother’s Day 2020 - virtual event during quarantine
Holiday 2020 - - virtual event during quarantine - Watch highlight story from WKYC Channel 3
May 2021 - Waite & Son Funeral Homes
Scroll down to the FAQs below for more information, and contact me if you have any other questions!
Private Sessions:
Yoga to Remember events can be customized to honor someone special in your life who has died, either for a one-on-one, small group or larger celebration. Contact me for more information and to discuss ways we can use gentle yoga and meditation to honor your loved one in an intimate, unique way.
Testimonial: "I had such a wonderful time celebrating Didi’s birthday with our Yoga to Remember Event. It was the first birthday since she passed that I felt Peaceful. Thank you to everyone that came out and everyone that wanted to be there! Thank you to everyone that wished Didi a Happy Birthday!!! Happy 4th Birthday my love!!! 👼🏾💜 I will carry you with me wherever I go." - Nadia Gibbons Sr., after celebrating her daughter Nadia Jr. at a private group Yoga to Remember June 2018
Lighting candles at our Circle of Remembrance
Candles and photos at the Circle of Remembrance
Gentle yoga & meditation options are offered for those at any desired level of physical participation
Additional Resources:
Cleveland Motherless Daughters is another resource for grief support locally in Cleveland. The group is based on the national organization and movement Motherless Daughters, led by Hope Edelman and Claire Bidwell Smith. Yoga to Remember is open to the community and those in any stage of grief of any loss. Cleveland Motherless Daughters, however, is limited to women grieving the death of their mothers.
Joel’s Place for Children supports grieving children and their families in the Greater Cleveland area since 2003. We provide peer support groups for school-aged children who have experienced the death of a loved one at no cost. Children can express feelings, share memories, and honor the loved one in a supportive and hope-filled environment. We also offer a support group for the adults who bring children to Joel's Place. To learn more visit joelsplaceforchildren.org
Sharing my story of loss and remembrance: Listen to this episode of Planet Prana where I was interviewed about the death of my mom when I was a child, and how I've used yoga, specifically Yoga to Remember, to cope with my grief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Yoga to Remember?
A: Yoga to Remember is a donation-based gentle grief yoga and meditation class designed for those who are grieving. The class is themed to offer community, and tools to ease physical and emotional discomfort as related to grief. Attendees are asked to bring a photo of the person(s) or memory they’d like to honor. There is an optional opportunity to introduce yourself and the person(s) you are there to honor. I (Becky Verner) first offered Yoga to Remember in December of 2015 and it has grown into a very special, authentic, connected community.
Q: I’m new to (or have never done) yoga. How much yoga is there at these events?
A: The yoga portion of the class lasts 30-40 minutes and features very gentle yoga poses that can easily be modified or intensified depending on your needs. Even if this is your first-ever yoga class, I hope you will come! I encourage attendees to bring additional props like blankets, pillows or bolsters to aid in the tools to make yourself most comfortable. The practice can also be modified to be experienced in a char. I have chairs to use and extra yoga mats if you need to borrow one, just let me know if you’re signed up for an event and you’d like either one! Contact me with any questions on this!
Q: Why do you ask attendees to bring a photo?
A: We will use the photo of the person(s) or memory you choose to honor as a point of focus several times during our practice. The intention is to steady our drishti (gaze) to begin to steady to the mind. My teacher Baron Baptiste says “a steady body and a steady mind begin with a steady gaze,” and we explore this practice throughout the class. If you forget to bring a photo that’s okay! I’ll have note cards available that you can write the person’s name on or any expression of your intention for class.
Still have questions? Contact Me!
Remembering my mom, Mary Jane Verner
Becky's experience and passion as related to bereavement centers on the loss of her mother, Mary Jane Verner, to a sudden heart attack at the age of 42. Becky was 10 years old. In the years since Mary died Becky has learned and enlisted a variety of coping tools including: talk therapy, art therapy, group counseling, and the life-changing 8 limbs of yoga. “For me, yoga brings freedom from many physical and emotional pains through introspection and gratitude. Grieving my mom is a big part of who I am; I miss her every day. In my practice I find a sense of peace, acceptance and connection. When I roll up my mat, I’m stronger every time. I hope to share that with others.,” she says.
Becky has been a grief group facilitator Joel’s Place for Children in Bay Village Ohio for 6 years, working primarily with children and teens. In 2019 she was hired as the Outreach Specialist & Program Coordinator, working directly with the founders of the organization to grow its mission of helping grieving children and families. In 2018 she attended the National Alliance for Grieving Children Symposium, where she presented in 2019. She has taught over a dozen grief-centered yoga and meditation classes.
My mom, Mary Jane Pierce Verner.
All are welcome here. More photos from past Yoga to Remember events:
