In Crown Heights there is a growing interest and awareness in physical health as an increasing number of people in the community begin to appreciate the intimate connection between the health of the body and overall mental and emotional wellbeing.
Catering to the growing demand, the Mayan Center in Crown Heights is now offering exercise classes for women led by fitness entrepreneur Sarede Switzer. Visitors to the center have the opportunity to participate in various exercises taught by an expert.
Bringing nearly a decade of fitness training experience to the Mayan Center, Switzer has attracted a wide following of people who enjoy her personalized and positive approach.
“I’m a very articulate and precise teacher,” explains Switzer with a laugh. “I try to show people through my classes that working out can be fun and should make you feel good. Exercise shouldn’t have to feel like a burden or a chore.”
Chani Goodman says “It’s never boring” at Switzer’s yoga classes, which are focused on psychical stretching for relaxation, rather than the original Hindu spiritual discipline.”
“Incorporating the lessons into my life has been a huge benefit for me. Sometimes hectic days get the better of me, and stopping, doing some of the simple breathing and movements that I learned from Sarede, help me feel refreshed, invigorated, and ready to face the day with a renewed enthusiasm.”
Switzer, CEO and founder of Crown Heights Fitness and Bring the Gym to Me, is something of a unique visionary, blazing a trail for residents in the Crown Heights community who want to work out and maintain an active lifestyle.
Bring the Gym to Me is an exercise matching service that pairs interested individuals and groups with appropriate exercise classes and instructors. With her extensive network of instructors, Sarede offers many classes at her center, Crown Heights Fitness, such as Zumba, hip-hop, men’s yoga, and karate. She also personally instructs the yoga class.
Switzer describes her philosophy as very client-centered and tailored to the particular needs of the people in each class. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, every class is different. For example, she never formally prepares for her classes and she refuses to make notes or outlines like most instructors do. Her classes are intuitive and each one is built around what the participants are in the mood to do on that particular day. The objective is to be sensitive to the needs of the clients and to make sure they are happy.
“There is a misconception in Western culture that skinny means healthy,” says Switzer. “I’m against that [way of thinking]. Everyone’s body type is different. The most important thing is to be healthy and what healthy looks like depends on the individual. That is my core belief, which I preach in my classes.”
To learn more about the Mayan Center and Sarede Switzer’s classes, check out the Mayan Center Facebook page. The class schedule can be found online here. For event bookings, call 347-771-0221.
in today’s American vocabulary – yoga means exercise – with the possibility of mind relaxing add-on’s. the term Yoga has not been forbidden to be used on a Halachic decision. (whereas the name Mumbai has been forbidden.) by using the term Yoga, clients know immediately what Sarede is offering. exercise is needed by a lot of Crown Heights residents. the goal is to get more people to exercise. so the question is: how many of the people who oppose the name, would actually attend if the name was changed v.s. how many people will attend because, by using the name… Read more »
you are so right……if it is pure exercise, then why not call it just that. There wouldn’t be anything to modify or explain. We exercise, we breath, we stretch….no problem.
Her classes are gentle and nurturing, as is she. We are lucky we have her !!!
Sara
cent #1: why not just remove the name “yoga” and any other names which confuse the (arguably rightfully so) spiritually sensitive? in other words, heart health does not need to be looked at as originating in other cultures; I am sure there are plenty of sources in torah that say we should try to be healthy, and the science of health, if its origins are indeed more from goyim (which is probably debate-able), can it not be said to be from the more “parve” aspects of goyish culture? maybe the origin of being health conscious is more in Greek culture… Read more »
The amazing thing about Sarede is that she keeps yoga kosher. Not only doesn’t she mix in foreign religions chas v’shalom, she keeps all religion out of her practices and keeps them purely physical exercises. There is no bending into the shape of an alef to connect to some kabbalistic light or any of that stuff. That is despite Sarede being very knowledgeable (in general but specifically) in Chassidus. Another amazing aspect of Sarede is her adherence to the laws of tzniyus. Her students can look up to her as a respectable person when she walks down kingston ave too.… Read more »
I would loooooove to find a women’s Krav Maga / self defense class in CH… with the streets being what they are we should all be able to defend ourselves!! Any chance of adding a class like that to the schedule?
I look forward to yoga all week! Never did it before in my life but Sarede’s beginner class is amazing, and now I do some yoga stretches/poses at night before I go to sleep, and any time I’m feeling tight or stressed. The breathing and focus techniques Sarede teaches are wonderful. Go Sarede =)