September 2020 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN September 2020 Page 11 By Lois Szymanski From the riding and show schedule to everyday life in the barn, Covid-19 has upended many things we counted on. Yet, it has brought forth remarkable changes. At Serenity Show Stable at JT Farm in South Salem, NY, barn owner Ruth Nicodemus has named yoga as one of those silver linings. Partnering with Erinn Chang of EquestriOM, the full service show stable now offers clients, staff, students, and their fami- lies the opportunity to enhance their physical and mental health through yoga. Community ses- sions now empower this equine community to come together in shared positions. “Families and friends have spent long periods of time apart and it has made so many people have feelings of loneliness and isolation,” Nicodemus said. “I wanted to find a way to bring families, students and clients together in this time of social distancing - through yoga. My only hope is that my clients, students, their family members and staff who are experiencing any sort of hardship find peace through this mind, body and soul experience.” “Ruth called me while driving back from WEF [the Winter Equestrian Festival-Wel- lington, FL], where she heard about equestriOM from other At Serenity Show Stables Yoga and Riding Go Hand-in-Hand barn owners and trainers,” Chang said. “We arranged for me to come that first week that she and the Serenity riders were all back from WEF and emerging out of quarantine restrictions. She was seeking yoga - having heard that it could be good for stretching and relaxing.” Chang is a certified holistic health professional who makes regular equestriOM barn calls in the Westchester, NY and Fair- field county, CT regions with six to eight priority barn clients. She also works with riders and trainers virtually and through private instruction, including east coast barns from Florida to Maine. Through her equestriOM program, clients discover yoga and more as part of a compre- hensive program with equestrian sport-specific conditioning and techniques that incorporate yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, and conventional fitness. “Every exercise or posture I lead them through ties directly to something in the biomechanics of prepping for, actions during [or] recovery from riding,” Chang said. “This is one of the key differences between eques- triOM and any typical yoga class.” In case you wondered, Chang said her company’s trademarked name equestriOM “is a combo of equestrian and "OM," which is a monosyllabic word from the Sanskrit language, the ancient language from which yoga is sourced. The OM is a nod to the fact that the majority of the system is based in yoga practices, while primarily focused on being specific to equestrians.” Yoga sessions at Serenity Show Stable tend to revolve around the competition schedule. Nicodemus said they usually hold three sessions weekly, with safety a main concern. Yoga mats are spread out - over six feet apart - and all CDC guidelines are ad- hered to. Participants bring their own mats, but if they don’t have one, Chang provides one that is properly disinfected. “Not only do the Serenity Show Stable clients participate but also my staff joins,” Nico- demus said. “I pay for their sessions because I want them to feel relaxed and not have to worry about anything once they get on the mat. It is truly a team bonding activity. This activity provides a fun and relaxing experience that keeps the com- radery of the barn going. It helps the riders, and all of us feel more at peace especially during the global pandemic.” Lisa Novick said her 17-year-old daughter, Blythe has been riding at Serenity for 10 years. Adding yoga to the routine has been a blessing. “We all love having some time together to relax and enjoy the yoga/stretching and the peacefulness of the barn,” Novick said. “Ruth's barn is se- rene and helps us feel centered. I like that she and her staff join in. It helps it feel like more of a community when we are all to- gether doing an activity. I think that having yoga at the barn is great because it helps slow everything down. As a mother, I am constantly on the go and I feel like this really helps me feel more at ease.” Blythe, who primarily rides jumpers at the barn, said she cannot imagine being anywhere else. (Continued on page 20) Serenity Show Stable’s clients and staff practice equestriOM, a yoga-inspired program geared to eques- trian fitness, in a socially distanced manner at the farm. Stable owner Ruth Nicodemus says the activity is relaxing, fun and a team bonding experience. Photo credit: Erinn Chang