Gina Macdonald: In the Spirit of ‘Dana’

In Sanskrit, "dana" means "generosity" or "giving." Perhaps no better term describes Gina Macdonald's annual yoga benefit for Branford Food Pantry (formerly Branford Food Council).

Two benefit sessions are set for Feb. 15 and 18 at Willoughby Wallace Library this year. Gina hopes members of her twice-weekly Stony Creek classes will be joined by many walk-ins. She'll donate 100 percent of all class fees and any additional cash and non-perishable food collected to Branford Food Pantry.

A Stony Creek resident, Gina's also a licensed therapist specializing in expressive therapy with a focus on movement. At her downtown Branford practice, she works with eating disorder clients and will use practices of yoga to help them get in touch with their bodies. She been practicing since 1990.

Gina earned her yoga instructor certification in 1999, from California yoga master Erich Schiffmann. She's been teaching Hatha yoga classes for 15 years.

"Yoga has woven its way through the fabric of my life," says Gina, "as a yoga student, a yoga instructor, as a licensed therapist in Branford, and as a community 'Creeker'-making close friends for life. And most importantly, finding my husband, whom I met instructing yoga in 'the Creek.'"

The Willoughby is home to Gina's classes and donates the gallery space for her annual fundraisers. Her past yoga benefits have supported groups including American Red Cross, AmeriCares, and even victims of Thailand's 2005 tsunami. Three years ago, Gina began focusing on helping Branford Food Pantry. She thanks yoga teacher Kimberly Smith of Essex for giving her the idea.

"Kimberly helped organize a nationwide non-profit project called 'Yoga for Food' [which] encouraged yoga teachers to donate a session for a local food kitchen," says Gina.

All-volunteer non-profit Branford Food Pantry assists Branford families in need by providing weekly grocery staples.

That first year, "When I delivered the money and food items, I saw the volunteers [and] it was immediately evident to me how hard they worked to provide for so many in need. They left such a strong impression on me, it motivated me to continue with two yoga benefit sessions each year" instead of one, says Gina.

Gina hopes to raise $500 (she raised $300 in 2011) and once again fill a pick-up truck with food donations. To encourage participation, she adjusts the yoga fundraising sessions to accommodate adult drop-ins of all levels.

In any of her classes, "The cardinal rule is to listen to your body," says Gina. "Yoga is not all about exercise and physicality. It's really about slowing down the breathing, because that's where the benefits come from. I make it a safe place, where the lights are a little dim and where people quiet their voices when talking. We call it yoga manners. It's not about coming in and outdoing the other person."

In all her years of yoga instruction, not one student's encountered an injury, Gina says, adding, "I study ballet and I've never had an injury. I attribute that to yoga."

Gina applies yoga's stress-reducing benefits in her therapy practice, too. For the past seven years, she's used yoga to help 7- to 15 year-olds with anger management issues in a supervised ward at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Her work with eating disorder clients led to establishing bi-annual lectures on the topic in Branford. Every other February, Gina gathers professionals to join a panel discussion for the public. She's planning the 2013 session already, and says there's a definite desire from parents to learn more.

"I started in Stony Creek five years ago, and as it got bigger and bigger, I moved it to the Blackstone. People come from all over the state to hear from these experts and share their stories."

Join yoga instructor Gina Macdonald for Yoga to Benefit Branford Food Council at sessions on Wednesday, Feb. 15 (5:45 to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 18 (8:30 to 10 a.m.) in the Willoughby Wallace Library gallery, Stony Creek. All proceeds from class payments ($15 walk-ins, $10 regulars), as well as donations of cash and/or non-perishable food will be given to Branford Food Council. Please drop off your donation 10 minutes before class. For more information, email ginayogacreek@aol.com.