Patty Jo "Yoga Mama" Thompson. Photo by Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

At age 70, Patty Jo Thompson, or ‘Yoga Mama,’ no longer has a heart murmur, a condition that runs in her family which she has suffered from her whole life.

“When you do yoga, you just kind of have a healing wisdom that goes on inside of you, and you don’t know what it’s going to do for you – I didn’t do yoga to heal my heart murmur,” Thompson said.

Although Thompson began doing yoga for different reasons, after practicing the discipline for 11 years, becoming the director of the Ancient Yoga Institute and giving up sugar, she is healthier now than she has ever been.

“I haven’t had any sugar in my body (since 2000)… I don’t miss it, and I actually used to be a gourmet dessert maker,” Thompson said.

Thompson said that today she is doing everything that she can to “feel good,” which includes practicing yoga and drinking plenty of water.

“When you do yoga you detoxify and purify all your nerves, so when you have all that happen, you don’t want those (toxins) to stay in your body, you want to get it out, so you want to drink water,” Thompson said.

As the director of the Ancient Yoga Institute, Thompson is able to certify others to teach yoga. Thompson was certified in Texas to teach ancient yoga.

Thompson said there are many different forms of yoga, but all styles are essentially ancient yoga, the very first form, with specific additions like props and aerobics. Ancient yoga is the most basic.

“I really like this (ancient yoga) because it’s just really gentle stretched just like the animals do – it’s pure,” Thompson said.

Thompson has been teaching ancient yoga in Emporia for about seven and a half years. She began teaching at the Emporia Recreation Center in 2003, and then K-4 grade school students along with ESU. Her grade school students dubbed her “Yoga Mama” about four years ago.

“Age doesn’t matter,” Thompson said. “You’re as young as your spine is supple.”

Thompson said the benefits of yoga include an increase in flexibility and strength, lubrication of one’s joints, ligaments and tendons, an increase in coordination and ability to balance and yoga massages the internal organs and strengthens the immune system.

The overall aim of yoga is “to be bendy and flexible and have a flexible spine, so that when you’re spine is flexible… you don’t get old and stiff,” Thompson said.

Joshua East, senior music education major, plays the piano, violin and sings. He said that yoga has both toned his muscles to aid in his playing and improved his breathing techniques.

“The class itself helps me relax after a long day… it’s nice to unwind and let go for an hour,” East said.

Myles Louderback, graduate student in psychology, has been in Thompson’s class since the spring semester of his freshman year. For five years, he has stayed behind after his evening classes to help Thompson gather up her equipment and escort her to her car. Louderback said that he and Thompson have developed a good friendship.

“Out of all of the wonderful professors that I have, she has been the one that will go above and beyond to do anything she possibly can to help you with any problem. If you are sick or you have problems at home, she will listen to you or give you advice, and she will always be there for you if you want her,” Louderback said.

Charlie Heptas/Kenzie Templeton

Video by Kellen Jenkins

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Guests and photographers gather for the opening on “Iconic Kansas” Jan. 19 at the Emporia Arts Center. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Last Wednesday, Jim Richardson, a Kansas native from Lindsborg, spoke at the Gallery Opening of the Emporia Arts Center.

“He talked about back in his day… as a young adolescent driving around Kansas, going on vacation with his family, they’d stop at a restaurant or gas station and there would be calendars and photos all over the walls.  And those images would be of the Colorado Rocky Mountains… as we approach these 150 years (of Kansas statehood) this year, that these works are somewhat of a beginning of Kansans recognizing that we’ve got something too… we no longer have to hang the Rocky Mountains in our restaurants,” said Susan Brinkman, assistant director of the Center for Great Plains Studies.

The Center for Great Plains Studies has been working on a photo project of the Great Plains region for the past four years. They applied for a grant to move the online photo gallery into a tangible space.  The ESU Endowment Office granted them financial aid through the Katherine K. White Faculty Incentive Grant Program.

The Center for Great Plains Studies approached the Emporia Arts Council with the idea to open a show in their new gallery space, allowing local artists to be represented without emphasizing a specific one. The show offered versatility by featuring photos of Kansas by photographers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and Ohio.

Jim Hoy, professor of English, found it appealing that “the photographers ranged from professionals to amateurs.”

Melissa Windsor, executive director of the Emporia Arts Council, was “thrilled” with the idea. “The quality of work was fabulous,” Windsor said.

Jim Richardson was the juror for the show “Iconic Kansas.” Hoy said he has been in contact with him “off and on” for the past six years for resources of two articles he wrote for National Geographic in 2003 and again in 2007.

The grant issued to the Center for Great Plains Studies was not only to move the online project into a real space and to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Kansas’ statehood, but also to bring a renowned photographer into the process.

Everyone involved in the process felt that it ran very smoothly and was an evening to be proud of. The transformation of the space and the excitement of the 100 plus turnout was overwhelming for the staff of the Emporia Arts Center, as well as Hoy and Brinkman.

The Grand Opening of the Emporia Arts Center will take place at 5 p.m. on Jan. 28.  Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple.

‘Seldom is heard a Discouraging Word’

“Iconic Kansas” marked the opening of the gallery of the Emporia Arts Center Jan. 19.  However, with the suggestion of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback to cut federal art funding programs such as the Kansas Arts Commission, the question of “How iconic can Kansas really be?” is raised among Emporia artists.

“It sucks…. for fellow students that are here and future students who are wanting to come to this area, it will discourage them – it’s very discouraging to even want to come to school here in Kansas for art,” said Christa Westbrook, senior glass and sculpture major.

A Facebook event swept through last week entitled “Protest Phasing Out of KS Funding for the ARTS!” and many students are fighting back by writing letters to their local representatives.

Melissa Windsor also voiced concerns for the new and growing Emporia Arts Center.  She said nearly $30,000 is given annually to the Arts Council, making a new arts center available. If these funds are cut, a cut in services (personnel and programs) is sure to follow.

By Brianne Simon

Video by Kellen Jenkins

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