By Laura Roach

Jonas Amberger of Zev Yoga is ringing in the New Year with a resolution to help others commit to nurturing healthy minds and bodies. He is opening the doors of his yoga studio for the second annual New Year’s open house event. On the first and second of January anyone is welcome to come and enjoy a free yoga class. The classes will be held at 11am and 3pm on January 1 and at 8am and 3pm on January 2.

“People like to do yoga on days with meaning and on January 1 the classes will coincide with making a New Year’s resolution,” says Amberger, the instructor and director of the studio and all the yoga sessions. Attending a class at the beginning of the year also reaffirms the sense of community for anyone trying to take control of their health.

Last year’s open house brought in 127 people so Amberger knows that “starting fresh” in a New Year is appealing to many. The studio is at capacity at 35 people per session so Amberger’s only worry is that the free classes will be so popular he won’t have room for everyone. The studio is located at 16 Market Sq., just above Breaking New Grounds Café.

And everyone is welcome to attend the classes; from seniors to young children. Zev Yoga has had adults as old as 90 successfully practice yoga and children as young as 5. “Children are naturals,” says Amberger, “they get it almost immediately and also understand that movement is fun,” While

children under 16 are welcome at the two-day open house, those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Children are always free at Zev as long as they attend a class with a paying adult; a feature that makes the Zev studio an attractive choice for young families.

Amberger is looking to grow his membership base for the upcoming year and has several new opportunities to offer in 2010. Argentine tango classes will take place on Sunday nights at 6pm followed by a two hour dance at 7pm. The admission is $5 per person. A Pilates program will also be offered three times a week. The studio will be participating in 40 days of meditation, a program based on the book 40 Days to Personal Revolution by Baron Baptiste. The program focuses on personal health through daily yoga, proper nutrition and meditation. The studio will hold free 40 minute meditation sessions as a part of the program.

Another studio upgrade is a Grander water purifying system which will make healthier water available to clients in the upcoming year. Both Zev and Grander are members of the local green business union, the Green Alliance. The Green Alliance certifies small local businesses green and works with them to increase their sustainability. Zev Yoga has already undergone a full sustainability evaluation and has been rated and scored for sustainability by the Green Alliance – you can read Zev’s full sustainability report at www.greenalliance.biz.

Amberger has been teaching the ancient traditions of Ashtanga yoga to Seacoast residents for over 10 years. In 2010 he will be offering even more health and fitness choices, many of which may prove great methods to realize a New Year’s resolution.