Building community one yoga class at a time
The Comox Valley is filled with community-minded individuals who continue to think of and support others, even when a pandemic has turned their world upside down, and Catherine Reid is one of those people.
Catherine Reid is a yoga instructor who has been teaching in the Comox Valley since 2005. Her love of yoga started when she took her first class in university, in 1974. “It was life-changing for me,” says Catherine. “It felt like I’d come home.” Her regular practice has stood “as a powerful pillar of support” throughout adulthood, and she now dedicates her life to helping others enjoy the countless benefits of a consistent yoga practice.
When the world shut down due to coronavirus, Catherine’s yoga classes stopped. Like so many others determined to keep going, she began exploring new ways to work. In June, she began offering small outdoor classes – by donation – with physical distancing in place. All the proceeds from the first four classes were ear-marked for CVTS.
A few years ago, Catherine held a donation class at The Asana Room and found that her students were very supportive. She decided to try it again, this time in support of women, children and families who are being served by CVTS. “Canadians are some of the biggest givers and volunteers in the world,” Catherine notes, and it showed in the donations she received from her students.
It just so happens that one of her students is local web developer Pieter Vorster. Pieter and his wife have been studying yoga with Catherine for many years and he is also a long-time supporter of CVTS. Pieter and his team at Pod Creative were working with CVTS over the summer to help rebuild the CVTS website when he learned what Catherine had been doing.
“Catherine is a wonderfully caring individual. The very core of her work is about helping others through the practice of yoga, so it was no surprise to hear of her fundraising activities.”
In early August, Pieter introduced Catherine to the CVTS team, and she met with CVTS Executive Director Heather Ney to hand over a cheque for $355.00.
We are grateful for Catherine’s kind-heartedness and generosity. We know that people are struggling, and yet here she is supporting us by raising money on our behalf. This highlights for us, once again, what a caring and supportive community we live in.
Thank you, Catherine and Pieter, for all you do for this community. Namaste.
Find out more about Catherine and her yoga offerings at catherinereid.ca. To learn more about Pod Creative services, visit podcreative.ca.